LISTEN: Malvern’s classically modern feminist on #WomensMonth

THESHIRA Pather will soon have the whole world to explore, despite her relatively home-spun background of growing up in Malvern, where she was home-schooled by her father.

She is making a name for herself and will soon be stretching her reach to some of the best higher learning institutions of the world having been awarded the prestigious Emma Smith Overseas Scholarship from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).

The youngest of three brilliant sisters, Theshira had big footsteps to follow when she entered tertiary education.

“My family is very passionate about education and, by the time I enrolled at UKZN in 2015, my two older sisters already had a few degrees. My oldest sister, Santhiska, had three degrees one of which was a Masters in Marine Biogeochemistry from UMASS (University of Massachusetts) in the US and returned to South Africa to begin a medical degree.”

“My second sister, Rashalia, had completed a Bachelor of Music degree in Classical Piano and was already thinking of doing a degree in Economic Science at Wits.

“So at that point, I knew that I was also going to be studying for a long time and I don’t think I’ll ever truly stop because learning never stops,” she explained.

Real-world relevance

While many may question her choice of study fields’ relevance in modern society, she is determined that the classics, far from being an elitist “ivory tower” of learning, has real-world applications which are relevant to the struggles of today.

“I wish people understood the relevance and importance of classics, that it is not only about ancient Western cultures but about a multitude of others, such as ancient Egypt, ancient Zimbabwe and ancient Ethiopia, and that it is a study for everyone,” said Theshira, who has her sights set on achieving her PhD in the subject.

“Classics, I believe, still has an ‘elitist’ stigma attached to it and I would like to show people how that does not have to be the case.”

Similarly, she is determined to subvert the popular misconception of her other main focus in her studies, feminism. “Feminism is also often stigmatised as a ‘man-hating’ concept and I would like people to see that it is the opposite of that. Hate does not form part of feminism. It is about equality for all, regardless of sex, gender, race or sexuality,” she said

“Classics and feminism is also strongly linked to each other. Women in ancient Greece and Rome were often discriminated against and their lives controlled by men. Many similarities may be found between the way women were treated in ancient societies and how women are treated now. My studies actually focus on this and I hope that by discussing this topic in my MA, gender inequality in modern society may be highlighted.”

Books led the way

Theshira attributes her interest in the classics to the wide exposure to a variety of subjects she was afforded as a child. “When I was quite young, my parents introduced me to many books on mythology – Greek, Egyptian, African – and I absorbed them with glee.

“As I grew up, my interests deviated into palaeontology, veterinary studies and fine art, but I always knew classics was in the back of my mind,” she said.

“I was delighted when I discovered that UKZN offered classics and it was as if that childhood excitement just poured back into me. I enrolled and found my passion.”

Theshira feels that learning about mistakes made in the past is a good way to help us prepare for and prevent the same mistakes in the present and the future.

“Learning about which ancient cultures contributed to our current society is essential to planning our future,” she explained.

“Although ancient Greece and Rome are parents primarily of Western civilisation, ancient Rome in particular has a massive influence on African culture due to colonisation (both the Greeks and the Romans colonised much of Northern Africa at different times).  This interaction between the Romans and ancient African societies (not just through colonisation but also very importantly through trade) can still be seen in modern societies and thus demonstrates the relevance of classics.”

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