Programme director
Representatives of the Progressive Women’s Movement
Honourable members of the Gauteng executive council here present
Esteemed members of the diplomatic corps
Members of the media
Friends and colleagues
Ladies and gentlemen
International Women’s Day is a very important day in the life of a woman and the world. It is the day on which the female citizens of the world remember and reflect on the trials and tribulations they have to face so that they can be free.
As we mark the 99 years anniversary of the International Women’s Day. It is 99 years of unrelenting fight and undying commitment in a struggle for the total emancipation of women of the world. This struggle will never cease until women are treated with respect, dignity and as equals in society. It is the struggle that many women had to die for so that others can be embraced and regarded as intelligent human beings who deserve the same privileges and rights as men. It is the struggle that begs for no favours but what a woman rightfully deserves.
The International Women’s Day is the day that should remain perched in our hearts and minds as the day on which women of the world stood united and demanded justice, equality and liberty. It is a day that was not given to us as a gift by generous men. This is not the day on which women’s consciousness must be anaesthetised with chocolates and flowers just like in any other day. This is a very special day to us in that it symbolises what we stand for. Women had to launch an onslaught on the revisionist system of patriarchy created by men in order to have 8 March recognised as the International Women’s Day.
Fellow South Africans,
It would be a great injustice if we celebrate this day without reflecting on its history. The International Women’s Day was first held on 19 March 1911 in Europe following a decision taken in 1910 in Copenhagen by the second International Conference on Working Women. Over one million people commemorated the day, attending rallies highlighting “the demand for women’s rights to work, vote, be trained, and hold public office and end discrimination”. The First World War necessitated that the day be shifted and 8 March was chosen, becoming the International Women’s Day ever since.
This year’s theme: “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All” emphasises a need for the continuation of the struggle which began many years back. The fact is that women have not achieved as much as they had hoped for. Despite the progressive gains we have made since 1911, women still remain the poster pictures of poverty and exploitation. Women still remain at the bottom rungs of society, unemployed, unskilled labourers, lowest paid, poverty stricken and generally unappreciated.
Women remain the most affected by conflicts, civil wars and frontier battles. From Afghanistan, Iraq, Indonesia, Darfur and other conflict zones in the world women are harassed, tortured, maimed, raped and even killed. Women all over the world are still treated as the second class citizens.
We therefore gather here today not only to celebrate but to remind ourselves of the battles that lie ahead. We gather here to recommit ourselves to the struggle for the improvement of the status of women in the world. We shall not rest until we all live in a world that treats its inhabitants as equals.
In Gauteng, we are commemorating 8 March with the theme: “Kuyasheshwa, Progress for All: Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities”. For we understand that faster and quality service delivery means we hasten the liberation of many women. We do this understanding that giving a woman an opportunity is more likely to benefit a larger part of our community than when it is our male counterparts who are afforded with that opportunity. We know that a child is less likely to go hungry if his or her mother is gainfully employed. Therefore, providing equal opportunities to women is a better investment for progress in our communities.
Programme director, history has taught us that wars, conflicts, natural disasters, and the like, provide a ripe environment for the exploitation and abuse of women. Today we are saddened and shocked by what we are witnessing in Haiti. The devastation caused by the earthquake has left women and children in particular more vulnerable.
We have seen heart wrenching pictures of armed thugs robbing and stealing from the dead. We can only imagine how terrified the women and children of that country are when night approaches as rapists and other abusers run amok. We have learnt of the despicable acts of an alleged serial rapist who is said to be targeting the women of Port-au-Prince and other affected areas. We hope that soon he gets apprehended and face the full wrath of the law.
Furthermore, we would like to applaud the resolve by some relief non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which have decided to distribute aid only to women and children in that island. This is informed by the proven practice that if you provide a woman you are essentially providing for the entire household and eventually the nation.
Fellow South Africans,
It is common knowledge that South Africa is one of the countries that sent a search and rescue team after the quake in Haiti. Our government continues to engage the people of Haiti and would assist further if the need arises. We pledge our unequivocal support and pray that the people of Haiti can successfully rebuild their island. Whatever efforts we make in this regard, we will align the Gauteng Support programme to the global relief initiatives. The pain of the people of Haiti is our pain.
We call upon all people here and beyond to give support and assistance to the people of Haiti as every donation will make a difference. Any assistance given will take Haitians a step closer to the reconstruction and development of their island. As South Africans, we are always guided by Ubuntu and we know that to help those suffering is to help ourselves. To ignore the depths of the Haitian people’s suffering is to deny our very own humanness.
Let this day be the day on which we all pledge to continue to make a difference in the life of the Haitian people.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As South African women, we have a lot to be content about since 1994. However, while many of us have benefitted from the new opportunities that have been offered by the new dispensation, many, many more remain poor, abused and exploited. As many studies have shown, women remain the largest number of the impoverished in South Africa. Women also make up a sizeable amount of the illiterate and unemployed, rendering them more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. This despite numerous campaigns we run annually to highlight the plight of the poor, particularly women, including the 16 Days campaign.
However, we have made positive steps in ensuring that the rights of women are protected and that many opportunities offered by our government also benefit the poor. This includes opening opportunities for women in various sectors such as construction, education, and business. We are the first to admit that these opportunities are still not enough to roll back the negative impact of our past.
However, we believe we are in the right direction. Our call as Gauteng government for more work to be given to cooperatives is intended to open even more opportunities for women. This is the case with the cooperatives that are providing services for the Chris Hani Baragwaneth hospital today.
We have also continued to support women and children through our social services interventions such as the child support grant, which have been proven to make meaningful contributions to the reduction of poverty in many households, especially those headed by women. Children in Gauteng who come from poverty stricken backgrounds also benefit from our Bana Pele programmes, some of which provide them with food and uniforms so that they can attend school.
We do this with the knowledge that once education of the poor child is safeguarded and guaranteed it is much more difficult for that child to be attracted by short lived pleasures dangled as carrots by uncaring criminals and abusers. Once poverty is defeated, children can focus on being children.
In addition, we have also resolved that more women and youth should be prioritised in the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWPW). Because we are aware that by providing women with such opportunities our goal of fighting poverty will come closer to reality.
We are also prioritising the issues of health and access to healthcare centres for women. It is our intention to replicate the work done at Khayalethu in other regions of Gauteng. This we believe will help in curbing and giving meaningful support to the victims of gender violence. We are committed. We are determined to fight women abuse wherever is prevalent. We are dedicated in promoting and strengthening the fight against women oppression and discrimination.
However, as much as government is working hard on improving the conditions of women, it also the responsibility of everyone to support any initiative aimed at women empowerment. Let us not be complacent but remain vigilant at all times so that the gains we have made cannot be undermined by those who seek to maintain the status quo.
I therefore urge everywoman here today to commit in advancing the struggle for the empowerment of women. It starts with you. Let us make a difference.
Dankie, Siyabonga!
Issued by: Gauteng Provincial Government
7 March 2010
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government (http://www.gautengonline.gov.za/)
