Into Africa, with a fluttering heart

Lee Nan-hee attended the International Association for Mission Studies General Assembly and Academic Conference at the University of South Africa in Johannesburg from July 16-26. She presented a paper in the Gender and Mission study group and encountered African women’s accounts of economic oppression, patriarchy and single motherhood. Travel restrictions linked to South Africa’s security conditions highlighted how public insecurity disproportionately burdens women, including in Korea.

The conference included keynote addresses, plenary lectures and study group presentations shaped by differing geopolitical and cultural contexts.

Lee Nan-hee said presentations on African women seeking autonomous and emancipatory lives introduced her to feminist scholars whose work is largely unrecognized in Korea.

The University of South Africa campus was isolated from surrounding residential areas, commercial amenities and recreational facilities, requiring shuttle and rideshare transportation.

Women traveling alone or in all-female groups were discouraged because of security conditions, leading Lee Nan-hee to coordinate transportation with male colleagues.

Lee Nan-hee studied English and Theology at Hanshin University.

Published Oct 6, 2026 11:40 am KST

From July 16-26, I attended the General Assembly and Academic Conference of the International Association for Mission Studies held at the University of South Africa in Johannesburg, There, I presented a paper in the Gender and Mission study group. Departing from Incheon International Airport, I had a one-night layover in Singapore before embarking on an 11-hour flight to Johannesburg. I arrived past 7 p.m., when it was already dark.

Having been repeatedly advised regarding the precarious security situation in South Africa, I maintained heightened vigilance throughout my arrival. Fortunately, I met the prearranged hotel driver without issue and traveled a considerable distance to the hotel. Situated in the southern part of the African continent, the region was experiencing late autumn or early winter conditions, marked by chilly mornings and evenings. Adapting to this sharp climatic shift from Singapore’s intense summer heat required careful attention, prompting me to layer my clothing.

The conference proved highly enriching as I participated in keynote addresses, plenary lectures and various study group paper presentations. Discussions varied greatly according to the distinct geopolitical and cultural contexts of each nation, yet shared human experiences fostered meaningful cross-cultural empathy. I was particularly impressed by presentations highlighting how African women, navigating severe economic oppression and patriarchal adversity in harsh local realities, construct their own narratives and strive toward autonomous, emancipatory lives. This provided valuable exposure to several African feminist scholars whose works remain largely unrecognized in Korea.

During the conference, I had a brief yet profound conversation with an African woman — a mother of three who was divorced. Though our interaction was fleeting and we did not exchange even our names, she shared how she managed both economic labor and the arduous responsibilities of single motherhood. I expressed deep empathy for her struggles as a single parent raising three children. In that moment, her face looked like that of the Virgin Mary.

The University of South Africa was a remarkably expansive complex, set within an open landscape entirely devoid of surrounding residential areas, commercial amenities or recreational facilities. Accustomed to the densely populated and complex urban environment of Seoul, I found this spatial isolation quite unfamiliar.

For transportation between the university and the hotel, I relied on hotel shuttles and rideshare services. However, due to South Africa's precarious security conditions, solitary travel for women or even group travel composed solely of women was strictly discouraged. Consequently, I had to meticulously coordinate my schedule to travel alongside male colleagues. This arrangement proved significantly inconvenient and restrictive. When a nation suffers from public insecurity and societal instability, women invariably bear the primary burden — a distressing reality. While Korea is generally considered safe, women there nonetheless face pervasive anxieties and challenges in their daily lives.

李南熙于7月16日至26日出席了在约翰内斯堡南非大学举行的国际宣教学会大会暨学术会议。她在“性别与宣教”研究小组发表了论文，并了解到非洲女性对经济压迫、父权制和单身母亲身份的描述。与南非安全形势相关的旅行限制凸显了公共安全问题如何不成比例地加重女性的负担，韩国女性也不例外。

会议包括主题演讲、全体会议讲座和研究小组报告，这些内容都受到不同的地缘政治和文化背景的影响。

李南熙表示，关于非洲女性寻求自主和解放生活的演讲让她认识了一些在韩国很大程度上不被认可的女权主义学者。

南非大学校园与周围的住宅区、商业设施和娱乐设施隔绝，需要乘坐班车或拼车出行。

由于安全状况，不鼓励女性独自旅行或以全女性团体形式旅行，因此李南熙不得不与男性同事协调交通事宜。

李南熙曾在韩信大学学习英语和神学。

发布于2026年10月6日上午11:40（韩国标准时间）

7月16日至26日，我参加了在约翰内斯堡南非大学举行的国际宣教研究协会大会暨学术会议。会上，我在性别与宣教研究小组发表了一篇论文。我从仁川国际机场出发，在新加坡停留一晚后，搭乘11小时的航班前往约翰内斯堡。抵达时已是晚上7点多，天色已黑。

由于多次被告知南非的安全形势严峻，我在抵达后全程保持高度警惕。幸运的是，我顺利地与预定的酒店司机碰面，并驱车前往酒店，路程相当远。南非位于非洲大陆南部，正值深秋或初冬，早晚寒冷。从新加坡的酷暑到南非的骤然转变，需要格外注意保暖，所以我穿了好几层衣服。

此次会议令我受益匪浅，我参与了主题演讲、全体会议报告以及多个研究小组的论文报告。尽管各国的地缘政治和文化背景各不相同，但讨论内容却因这些差异而大相径庭，共同的人生经历促进了跨文化交流与理解。尤其令我印象深刻的是，一些报告着重讲述了非洲女性如何在严峻的现实环境下，面对严重的经济压迫和父权制的逆境，构建自身的叙事，并努力追求自主解放的生活。这些报告也让我有机会接触到几位非洲女性主义学者，她们的著作在韩国鲜为人知。

会议期间，我和一位非洲女性进行了一次短暂却意义深远的交谈。她是一位离异的单亲妈妈，育有三个孩子。虽然我们的交流很短暂，甚至连名字都没交换，但她却分享了自己如何兼顾经济工作和单亲母亲的重担。我对她作为单亲母亲独自抚养三个孩子的艰辛深表同情。那一刻，她的脸上仿佛圣母玛利亚一般慈祥。

南非大学是一座规模宏大的建筑群，坐落于一片开阔的景观之中，周围没有任何居民区、商业设施或休闲娱乐场所。我习惯了首尔人口密集、错综复杂的都市环境，因此这种空间上的隔绝感让我感到非常陌生。

往返大学和酒店之间，我主要依靠酒店班车和拼车服务。然而，由于南非的安全形势严峻，女性单独出行，甚至全女性结伴出行都受到严格限制。因此，我不得不精心安排行程，与男性同事一同出行。这种安排极其不便，也限制了我的出行。当一个国家饱受公共安全和社会动荡之苦时，女性往往首当其冲地承受着压力——这是一个令人痛心的现实。虽然韩国总体上被认为安全，但那里的女性在日常生活中仍然面临着普遍的焦虑和挑战。