Mlambo-Ngcuka, at the Women Speak Out Conference organised by His Church
Ministries
8 August 2006
Premier of the Eastern Cape, Nosimo Balindlela,
MEC for Social Development, Thokozile Xasa,
Founder of Linda Gobodo Leadership Institute, Nonkululeko Gobodo,
CEO of Nkonki Incorporated, Sindi Zilwa,
Businesswomen,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you for inviting me to this conference. It is indeed a pleasure for me
to be here with you today to speak about matters that are dear to you as a
faith-based constituency. The issue of the state of moral well-being of the
country is one of the most critical issues that face our nation today.
Moral Regeneration and Social Cohesion are vital for our countryâs
restoration of moral values.
Objectives of the Conference:
When I accepted the invitation to attend this conference here today, it was
because I understand that the issues that this conference seeks to address are
vital to our young democracy. Among some of the objectives of this conference
is the fact that:
*you want to assess the state of the moral decay in our nation
* assess what values are women passing on to the next generation
* talk about the HIV and AIDS pandemic and the most expedient solution to the
disease
* look at the BEE and check whether is it a solution, and look at strategies of
how can women participate in the sectors that have been closed to them for such
a long time
* what kind of leader does the nation, family, business, community need?
* the role of women in the restoration of the nation and the continent.
These are all critical and important issues that I believe every citizen of
our country should be concerned about, especially women.
Foundations of MRM:
When the anti-social behaviour of a few, was on the increase acts of
violence and abuse directed against women, children and the elderly, the abuse
of alcohol and drugs, men and women with sound moral values intervened and made
a call that led to the organisation of a Moral Summit in 1998 where many
stakeholders met and discussed the roots of these problems.
An idea of forming a Moral Regeneration Movement was mooted, and this idea
came into fruition when the Moral Regeneration Movement was launched in
2002.
In that founding conference all stakeholders were in agreement that the
South African society is based on sound moral values based on Ubuntu/Botho.
Indeed, the overwhelming majority of South Africans - men and women of all
races - are law abiding and decent people. They were convinced that our efforts
must be geared towards ensuring that we leave an indelible mark that we are a
caring, friendly and moral South Africa.
Such moral values are largely influenced by our belief and respect in the
Constitution and the Bill of Rights which guarantees freedom of speech,
movement, association, respect of the law and the values of justice, equality,
non-racialism and non-sexism and of course the different faiths and religious
traditions in our country; Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Judaism, Bahai and
African traditional religions and others.
My interest in the subject stems from my profound belief that no one should
stand by when any member of our society violates any of these human rights, it
stems from an understanding that we are all equally appalled when we witness
the high levels of crime and corruption.
With regards to women and child abuse, which has increased to alarming
proportions in our land, it has to be one of the campaigns to unite all decent,
in particular, to mobilise good men to take a stand. Most abuse takes place
within homes and families relatives hide it and protect abusers. The plight of
older persons also has to be our concern. The veterans, who gave us 9 August
and Womenâs Day, and the older persons, in general, deserve our gentle care if
we are to be a better nation.
The Social Cohesion Study
A summary of social cohesion findings indicates that ours is a society
characterised by both unity and fragmentation. While there are clear signs of
weak social cohesion, in terms of race, class, high crime, inequality or any
other measure, there are also significant indicators of strong social
cohesion.
Examples include the widespread popular support for the Constitution, the
government or our sports teams, extensive social dialogue and even social
partnership between government, business, labour and other sections of civil
society.
There are also significant processes of building social cohesion that are
ongoing, such as reconciliation processes, policies that seek to address
differences and inequality. Even as these create new social challenges, such as
with the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policy for example, they clearly move
us away from our fragmented and iniquitous past. Yet there are many unintended
consequences and challenges which I hope you are but one of the concerned
citizens who want to help us heal and build a better nation. Whether we talk
violence and gender based abuse and consuming without sharing. It is indeed
only a slim fraction of our people who are ultra rich. It is in fact only 13
percent of all the JSE listed companies that have black ownership of 51
percent. It is important that this group doesnât only grow and bring in many
more but as it does that, we need to redefine the value system as President was
saying to be âlifting as we climbâ.
50th Anniversary of Womenâs Day
This year we are celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Womenâs March to
Pretoria against the hated system of pass laws. We are celebrating women who
contributed in the liberation of our country, women who engaged in fighting the
triple oppression as experienced by most women in South Africa: the class, race
and gender.
We salute women such as:
Charlotte Maxeke, Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Sophie De Bruyn, Bertha Gxowa,
Amina Cachalia, Albertina Sisulu, Adelaide Tambo, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela
and, many more.
Amongst women who held the light high in the darkest days we draw from women
who held their own intellectually, as revolutionaries, activists, liberators
and ethical beings. The women we celebrate left a legacy as fighters against
pass laws. They opened doors for women in organizations that were closed to
women. They were outstanding freedom fighters! They focused on the emancipation
of women and a better life for the whole society they were compassionate.
This week we launched The Progressive Womenâs Movement through which we will
challenge many ills in our society especially patriarchy. While in South Africa
men do not quite have all the power, yet patriarchy still exists and it bites!
It is particularly, so as we battle against an economic system with a racial
and sexist foundation. Patriarchy is very vicious on the poorest woman with
limited capacity to defend herself, at home and in her community. Women cannot
negotiate and insist on safe sex because of patriarchy, more especially poor
women.
Full emancipation of women, like the struggle against passes and apartheid,
needs us to take actions that are as significant as that of marching to the
Union Buildings and the sustained struggles that were fought by all those women
who attained our freedom.
Samora Machel captured the importance of womenâs status in revolution and
the desirable outcomes of our liberation in the following words:
âThe liberation of women is a fundamental necessity for revolution, the
guarantee of its continuity and a pre-condition for its victoryâ.
The integration of women in the mainstream economy is a fundamental
necessity for a sustainable, shared and growing economy. Without mainstreaming
women in the economy, the objectives of the struggle would not have been met
and the pre-conditions for its victory missing.
Women are the most reliable indicators to use in gauging positive economic
trends and in building a better life. Economic liberation is a missing
piece.
Women leaders in politics, economy, various professions, government,
non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community-based organisations (CBOs) and
general civil society must take this struggle forward, and men must not be
isolated and excluded from this critical national task.
In a United Nations report the following arguments are made on women and
economic development drawn from cross-country studies; they reveal that there
are large social returns to investing in womenâs education and health. Improved
education for women results in the reduced childbearing and mortality rates.
Women who are healthier and more educated will be more productive members of
the society.
Furthermore, improving the health and education of grassroots women as
against men produces long-term benefits for society by improving the health and
productivity of their children. By having better educated and healthier women,
we arrest hereditary poverty en mass. Access to health and education makes a
high impact if the masses have access to quality healthcare and education.
The UN argues: poorly developed womenâs human capital will hurt the economy
and maintain gender inequalities in the economic arena, by not equipping women
to reap the benefits of economic opportunities. It goes to reason that we
sacrifice economic development. In our context it means the growth we aspire
for will not be shared.
A publication of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) entitled
âTrade, Gender and Povertyâ, argues that:
Education for women is needed to dramatically change the position of women.
We must reduce the number of women who drop out at primary and high school
levels. That is a revolutionary task which includes access to Adult Basic
Education and Training (ABET).
The role and investment that has to be made in education must mean we
decrease teenage pregnancy and growing levels of dependency on the State.
Quality of education and functioning of the public schools, ABET should be
prioritised as women issues.
We must provide leadership on these issues, all of us can and must aim to
make a difference. I am talking about leadership at all levels not just to
women in prominent positions. After all, none of us started by being national
leaders. We were nurtured and tolerated by many other people our peers, and
older women at grassroots level. We, therefore, must create room for younger
women in all walks of life to lead us and to contribute. We cannot be obsessed
about the limited institutions of middleclass women.
We must go an extra mile also to reach women in the second economy and
poverty. When we donât go the extra mile, we perpetuate the exclusion of women
and continue to take bread from the mouths of the poor women. In large
corporations and in Government we must make efforts to use our budgets to
procure from small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) to support women. The
policies are there, in some cases but those who need to implement them often
feel it is a hassle.
Women and children in difficult situations need urgent intervention! While,
Government has done and is doing a lot to provide safety nets and poverty
alleviation programmes, it is not enough! Pensions, child grants, food parcels,
RDP houses and free basic services more is need and a different paradigm.
Interventions to address the health status of women and to reverse the HIV/AIDS
impact and spread in our society need everybody. Women who are care-givers need
our support and sustained commitment to make the work of care givers
sustainable. Furthermore, the private sector can and should spend Corporate
Social Investment (CSI) money better to support NGOs and real good courses
beyond just marketing.
We see year after year caregivers who do so much with so little and always
struggle for funding, yet so much is spent on sponsorship and the fanfare that
goes with it.
Private enterprise and capital must still prove its value to greater
humanity beyond the narrow share-holding base. Better pay for workers and
involvement in communities who become captive markets, before it is too late
for all of us.
Without a better life for women there is no brighter tomorrow for all South
Africans, without a better life for women in Africa, there is no bright future
for Africa and indeed if we lose our faith and spirituality, we decay.
If we do all these things we have highlighted in the spirit of sharing,
caring, empowering and uplifting other women, we would have taken the project
of morally renewing our country a giant step forward.
I thank you.
Issued by: The Presidency
8 August 2006
