South African women share insights on female growth

China

South African women share insights on female growth

2025-10-08 13:41 Last Updated At：10-09 00:07

South African women have shared diverse perspectives on female growth in a street interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), showcasing public attention to women's issues.

In an interview with a CGTN stringer, some women in South Africa discussed topics such as female-themed films and books, as well as women's progress and growth. Tsakane Matsilele, a South African student, talked about a TV series that deeply inspired her. The show chronicles the lives of nine women, exploring themes such as love and loss, resonating with countless women worldwide.

"So, a TV show that has inspired me the most is a show called 'Home Affairs.' It is a South African TV show that debuted in the early 2000s, and this show basically chronicled the lives of nine different women highlighting the intersections that lie within women's experiences across the country. And the show touched on so many essential themes that are relevant and resonate with many women across the world. Such as love, loss, trauma, poverty, career struggles, you name it," she said.

Beyond screen productions, literature is also a key inspiring source of spiritual strength for women.

Nokukhanya Khanyi Zulu, a language specialist, recommended a female writer, noting that she portrays female narratives through multifaceted perspectives that reveal both the authentic beauty of women's strength and their vulnerabilities.

"[It] would be everything written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. She really writes the female narrative in a way that's multifaceted, where you get to see the strength of women along with their fears and their vulnerabilities. And I'd say that that whole roundedness is what makes us beautiful. It's what makes us who we are," said the specialist.

Nokukhanya Khanyi Zulu also said that over the past decade women have become more and more confident of themselves, which is amazing to see.

"In my field, I get the luxury of meeting a lot of women from all over the world on a day to day basis. And because of that, I've seen that women have really become more sure of themselves and in the past decade. That's been amazing to see. I think we've always had a sense of strength. We've always had a sense of brilliance, intelligence, but now, more than ever, we're very expressive about it. And I think that's helped our communities overall," she said.

Tsakane Matsilele described women with three words: resilient, liberated, and diverse, explaining her perspective through women's ability to navigate hardships, exercise autonomy, and embrace life's variety.

"So if I had to describe women in three words, it would be resilient, in how they navigate and overcome hardships, liberated because they are autonomous beings who are capable of determining your own futures. And lastly, it would be diverse, in the expressions, experiences, and in how they choose to live their lives," said Matsilele.

China will soon host a global summit on women in Beijing to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1995 World Conference on Women, aimed at promoting global gender equality and women's development.

Japanese lawmaker criticizes nuclear weapons remarks as threat to regional security

A Japanese lawmaker has raised concerns over Japan's push to expand its military and its nuclear policy.

Responding to some politicians' dangerous tendency towards possessing nuclear weapons, Takara Sachika, a member of Japan's House of Councilors, said that Japan's push to strengthen its military, combined with what she called a misguided nuclear policy, not only heightens regional tensions but also directly threatens regional security.

"I think this is completely unacceptable. Japan is a country that has suffered atomic bombings and is one of the nations most aware of the threat posed by nuclear weapons. Yet such a country is openly discussing the issue of possessing nuclear weapons and even attempting to revise the principle of not allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons, one of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. This is an extremely serious problem," Takara said.

Takara said the Japanese government's tendency to expand its military capabilities is completely contrary to the Constitution.

"From the perspective of Japan's Constitution, Japan should never have adopted a policy of ensuring security by strengthening military capabilities. Yet today, enormous effort is being poured into military expansion, and that in itself is a serious problem," said the lawmaker.

At a Diet meeting in early November 2025, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that what she described as the Chinese central authorities' "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, and suggested the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait, drawing strong criticism worldwide.

Takara urged Takaichi to retract her erroneous remarks as soon as possible.

"I think there is a very big problem with making such remarks that provoke other countries. It is necessary to thoroughly examine the facts as soon as possible and withdraw the relevant remarks," she said.