M Nkoana-Mashabane: Bona Women Empowerment Club meeting

22 March 2007

Programme Director, Manane Maluleke
Editor of Bona Magazine, Force Khashane
Brand Manager of Sasko Flour
Brand Manager of Mageu no 1
Brand Manager of Glenryck
Ladies and gentlemen

I am indeed humbled and honoured at being given this opportunity to address
this august gathering of progressive women entrepreneurs in our province
today.

We have recently witnessed the passing away of our beloved Mama Adelaide
Tambo, one of own, a struggle icon of the 1956 Women's March to the Union
Building, a mother and freedom fighter. We in Limpopo once more, convey our
condolences to the Tambo family and say may her soul rest in peace.

The commitment to non-sexism, gender equality and women empowerment are not
benefits derived from some generosity of the boys' club, but they are the
ideals that our forebears, Lilian Ngoyi, Florence Matsheke, Getrude Shope and
Mama Tambo. Therefore women emancipation has always been about us taking charge
of our livelihoods as women – about the transformation of our society.

It is about the things we do to improve the conditions under which we find
ourselves, either as mothers, young women or the girl-child. It is about how
women are perceived and treated in society, as much as it is about how we as
women want society to perceive and treat us. More than 35 years ago, a wise
South African leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Chief Albert Luthuli,
remarked that, "the length of time of oppression, depends on the
oppressed".

The African National Congress (ANC) has put the women empowerment agenda in
its policies and practice. The last local government elections bears testimony
to this fact, in that 50 percent of the party list was constituted by women. It
is a stated policy of the African National Congress led government to make our
democracy more vibrant with the views and opinions of women more so; the women
of our country were oppressed for many years.

The South African democratic government took the responsibility through
legislations and other mechanisms to ensure women empowerment in this country.
In this regard, we can refer to the National Policy Framework for women
empowerment and gender equality; Promotion of equality and prevention of unfair
discrimination Act; Employment Equity Act and so many others. In addition, the
ANC, which is the ruling party, adopted a quota system to ensure women
representation in its structures.

This is not about getting some few women in leadership positions; it is
about opening doors for women to influence in society. This requires of us,
women already in leadership positions to ensure that more opportunities are
available for more women to take up leadership positions.

Madam programme Director

In my department a significant number of women developers, have been
contracted to build Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses. The
number of women developers is increasing and is now at 32 percent, what is
encouraging is that these women developers are amongst the developers who build
better quality houses.

The Deputy President of the Republic, Mrs Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka has called
for more women in business in order to balance the scales.

The challenge which we are faced as government and the society as a whole is
that we are relegating issues of women empowerment to the periphery and
therefore implementation of policies is hampered by patriarchal tendencies that
still exist amongst our fellow countrymen. A recent classical example in this
case is alluded to the Public Investment Co-operation (PIC) led by Brian Molefe
and Barlowworld which is still exclusively white and male dominated.

It is against this backdrop that we need to speedup a process of women
emancipation in economic sector and mobilise the private sector to join the
party. We need to join hands with other progressive women movements in
advancing our struggle for women emancipation.

Government is addressing these challenges of women empowerment whilst the
private sector is moving in a snail pace. We therefore appeal that lets join
hands in advancing the progressive resolution taken in the Beijing conference
and subsequent United Nations resolutions. Women are urged to network through
organised formations which they participate towards the country's
development.

In conclusion we appeal to both the private sector and government to place
the women empowerment programmes at the centre of their programme
implementation to enable women to contribute towards fighting poverty and
hunger.

I thank you

Issued by: Department Local Government and Housing, Limpopo Provincial
Government
22 March 2007
Source: Local Government and Housing, (http://www.limpopo-dlgh.gov.za)