Program Director
Queen Mother of the Royal Bafokeng,Mme Dr Semane Molotlegi
President of Dames Kring ,Ms Mignon Smit
Bishop Ellinah Wamukoya from Swaziland
Chaplain Rev Natasha Hugo
CEO of Freedom Park
Malibongwe
My sincere greetings.
It is indeed an honour for me to be part of this august occasion of women of coming together to celebrate and commemorate the efforts of our struggle stalwarts of total emancipation and empowerment of women.
In 1913, the apartheid government of the Orange Free State declared that women living in the urban townships would be required to buy new entry permits each month.
In response, the women collected thousands of signatures on petitions, and organized massive demonstrations to protest the permit requirement. The June 1913,an anti-pass defiance campaign took place, the first recorded incidence of protest by black women against the Union government. About 700 women marched to the Bloemfontein City Council in the Orange Free State to petition the mayor.
Mme Charlotte Maxeke led the campaign.The Campaign gained momentum and spread to other areas in Bloemfontein. Unrest spread throughout the province and hundreds of women were sent to prison. The direct result of this campaign was the establishment of the Bantu Women's League under the leadership of Charlotte Mannye Maxeke.
The Bantu Women's League was adopted and re-launched by the African National Congress as its Women's League structure in the 1940s. No further attempts were made to require permits or passes for African women until the 1950s.
The Orange Free State was the only province in which passes were stringently enforced to control the movement of women residing and working in towns in large numbers. Civil disobedience and demonstrations continued sporadically for several years. Ultimately the permit requirement was withdrawn.
Today, 100 years later, we are enjoying our freedom in a democratic country upholding the rights of women.
In 1956, a heroic March to the Union Buildings was organised led by women struggle stalwarts Sophie De Bruyn, Rahima Moosa, Helen Joseph, Dorothy Nyembe and many others to the Union Buildings.
In 2012, South Africa commemorated the 1956 March, 56 years later.
This year 2013, South Africa will commemorate the centenary-100 years Anti–Pass heroic march led by Charlotte Maxeke in 1913. It is in this month of August 2013 that contributions of women struggle stalwarts like Charlotte Maxeke,Lillian Ngoyi, Albertina Sisulu, Ruth Mompati, Dorothy Nyembe, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa, Sophia Williams – De Bruyn, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Motlalepule Shabangu, and many others who are an embodiment of hundred years of a relentless forward march to total emancipation, land struggle, equality, justice and democracy will be celebrated.
As we join hands in unity to form the human chain ,let us remember what drove the women of 1913 and 1956 to leave their homes and come together against the injustices of that day. Though the challenges faced by the women of today are different to 100 years ago,the struggle continues .The injustices of today requires us women to form a united front to continue with the struggle for the total emancipation of women.
The scourge of violence against women, poverty, unemployment, exploitation of women, human trafficking, amongst many, are but some of the challenges that need all our concerted efforts.
This year we commemorate and celebrate the 100 years under the theme “ A centenary of working together towards sustainable women empowerment and gender equality”.
Within the 100 years, a lot has been achieved to attain the total emancipation of for South African Women of all races. Challenges and gaps are still there and are been attended to.
We have a constitution which has affirmed citizens of this country especially women by recognising and upholding their rights. The South African Government further adopted laws and policies for the total emancipation of women, be it economically or socially.
The centenary coincides with the centenary of the land act which deprived women of access to land . we are however pleased to note that in this year our government has undertaken to ensure that women easily access land. As a Department, we are working with rural women and are giving support to many rural women’s cooperatives. Through our involvement in rural women development programmes, we have noted the challenges that confront women is always access to land and capital.
I am pleased to also announce that the Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill is now submitted to cabinet and under consideration. We believe that the Bill will help us to monitor and evaluate and enforce all initiatives aimed at empowering women in South Africa.
The Bill will ensure a focus on women (and girls) as a category of persons envisaged in section 9(2) of the Constitution, which is currently lacking in existing legislation and the enforcement thereof. The Bill therefore seeks to establish a legislative framework:
- To provide the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities with the necessary governance authority to monitor, review and oversee gender mainstreaming and integration of gender equality considerations into all programmes of government and other sectors;
The Bill seeks to give effect to the Constitution by providing for women empowerment to achieve gender equality, gender equity, and gender mainstreaming in the public sector, private sector and civil society.
The Bill also provides for, among other things the
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Elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls, women and girls with disabilities;
- Elimination of all practices that violates the rights of women to social, political, economic and cultural freedoms;
- Strongly calls for equal participation of women in the economy;
- Strongly calls for equal representation of women in position of decision-making (50/50) in private sectors and all spheres of government;
- Initiate and join in partnerships for a common goal in this context;
- Support public, private and civil society with guidelines for gender equality/ women empowerment, and provide feedback on areas of weakness;
- Monitor all legislation that address inequalities, discriminations against women, violence against women, access to services and economic empowerment;
As a department, we are satisfied that our efforts to drive women empowerment and gender equality are coming to fruition. Cabinet’s approval of the Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill, will be an important milestone for the struggle for gender equality in our country.
Our policies and programmes that were introduced by this democratic government since 1994, have assisted to improve the living conditions of women. Women now have access to opportunities, rights and services that were a dream about twenty years ago. Despite this progress, women still bear the most burden of the triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment.
We acknowledge that a lot has to still be done for women of South Africa to attain the full emancipation but we are happy with the progress to date. It is our responsibility as society united to uphold the rights of women and it will take all of us together to achieve this.
I thank you.
