Opening Remarks by the Deputy Minister of the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services, Hon. Prof. Hlengiwe Mkhize at FABZ Garden Hotel, Lonehill, Fourways - Topic: “The Role of Women in Politics, focusing on the Then and Now”
Introduction
Programme director, thank you for the opportunity given to contribute on this very important topic closer to the heart of every woman in politics as well as in our society, “The Role of Women in Politics, focusing on the Then and Now”. Credit should be given to the women leadership of Fourways for the initiative they took in organising this event. It’s often through platforms such as this that critical issues like our role in leadership are discussed and elevated to national platforms.
Population of women in South Africa
Before delving deeper into issues of leadership, I would like to just start by painting a picture which we are familiar with or are aware of. As women we are in the majority and in most cases we are not using that to our advantage. In most cases there will be some inherent reasons why we lack behind compared to our male counterparts. In the 2014 Statistics South Africa (Stats SA)’s mid-year population estimates, South Africa had a total population of 54 million.
Out of this total population, approximately fifty-one per cent (i.e. approximately 27,64 million) of the population was found to be female. Our province, Gauteng comprises the largest share of the South African population with approximately 12,91 million people (23,9%) living in this province. On the second place is KwaZulu-Natal with 10,69 million people (19,8%) living in this province. With a population of approximately 1,17 million people (2,2%), Northern Cape remains the province with the smallest share of the South African population.
In our majority as women we should work together to positively change the policies of this country to better cater for us. Our society has long been that of deeply entrenched patriarchy to an extent that some of our women see it a normal thing.
Contribution of Women to the South African Economy
Looking at most sectors across the economy, women today are still faced with issues of access, and it is more difficult for women to access support services to enable them to set up businesses. For the lucky ones, as soon as they have their businesses set up it then becomes a question of accessibility to markets and investment opportunities to sustain these businesses.
Women with disabilities on the other hand, are faced with challenges in terms of having access to service providers. This is usually due to their different requirements as a result of the nature or degree of the extent of their respective disabilities.
Regardless of the position which the society has placed men in the business world, women have a lot to offer once they are included. Women entrepreneurs do not only create jobs for themselves and providing for their families, they are employing various other South Africans, who are then able to provide for their families.
Empirical evidence confirms that when a woman entrepreneur receives funding, the opportunities and wealth which they create with the funding is likely to be spread further than when a male is funded. Women are more likely to share wealth and resources with family, employees and shareholders. Women entrepreneurs also have an added responsibility, as they are often breadwinners in their families and are perceived as role models to the younger generation.
In South Africa women show more resilience when it comes to entrepreneurship as many start from a very small base without much in the form of capital. 46% of all the self-employed entrepreneurs are women as they generally have to keep home fires burning.
Women make up 36% of all entrepreneurs in South Africa; while they make up 52% of the total adult population in the country. This observation is not unusual in the world of work as women make up about 42% of Entrepreneurs in richer countries. As employers, women make up only 21.1% as compared to men.
The largest number of women entrepreneurs is in the retail trade. Women entrepreneurs are really the backbone of the informal economy. They often have to provide a living for families as overall 57% of all women entrepreneurs make a living outside of metropolitan areas. The second largest number of female business owners is in the clothing industry followed by economic and professional organisations.
The Freedom Charter
On 26 June 1955 the Congress of the People met in Kliptown and adopted the Freedom Charter which, among other things, declared that: “We, the people of South Africa, declare for all our country and for all to know: that South Africa belongs to all who live in it,…that our country will never be prosperous, or free until our people live in brotherhood, enjoying equal rights and opportunities…”
I have always regarded the freedom charter, the African National Congress’ founding document, to have been forward looking and have been the leading light, with a message of hope, ahead of its time. Even during the dark days of the colonial rule and the Apartheid Government, the oppressed majority of our people, as represented by the ANC, believed in the equality of all races and sexes. This is the principle position, which has guided the ANC, throughout the 103 years of its existence.
The values enshrined within this principle have been at the core of the National Democratic Revolution, and are still the distinguishing character of the ANC, including the Constitution and policies of the democratic South Africa.
Much as the ANC has been a leading organization, in terms of increasing women representation in Parliament, and, calls for 50% representation of women, at all levels in society, including the private sector, the African National Congress, as the ruling party, is yet to elect a woman as its president. Much as women in politics are expected to lead the campaign for women leadership at strategic times, the ANC, as a mother body has a duty, and, a responsibility to achieve its long term vision, aspirations and goals, in this instance, to put a woman at the helm of the organization, as its First Female President.
The Triple Burden for Women
History taught us that, when societies go through transformation, old beliefs, attitudes and values, tend to remain dormant, but unconsciously influence people’s manner of relating. Despite the journey that is still ahead of us in terms of fully transforming our society, we have a few victories to celebrate:
- It has been 61 years since the signing of the Women’s Charter for effective equality on 17 April 1954 in Johannesburg. The Women’s Charter preceded the Freedom Charter, signalling the importance accorded to women’s rights in our country that early on.
- The country is celebrating 21 Years of Freedom which also paved ways for us as women to participate in platforms in which we were initially not permitted to participate in.
- In the coming year we will be celebrating 60 years since the historic 1956 Women’s March to the Union Buildings.
Looking back from where we came from there has been significant strides made in realising the vision of the Women’s Charter since the dawn of freedom. All of us assembled here today can attest to practices and behaviours, which are in line with patriarchy, racism and sexism. I’ll briefly unpack the aforementioned trio social ills which have many faces. In democracy, such social ills get transmuted and continue to stalk our societies, in more subtle forms.
Black women have to contend with a triple burden of patriarchy, sexism and racism. A traditional, strong patriarchal value system, favours sexually, segregated roles and traditional cultural values militates against the advancement, progress and participation of women in any political process.
Over many years, society has slotted men and women into the roles of domination and submission, respectively. For black women in particular, the element of race becomes an added burden. A woman leader is expected to be polite and feminine in her speech and manners.
The more authoritative, assertive and powerful a woman is, the more she is easily labelled as being aggressive. These realities call for the decolonization of the mind and the change of attitudes.
This indicates the fact that, the intention to do good, irrespective of nobleness, in purpose, does not guarantee that such goodness would bear any fruits. It calls for consciousness, education for change, moral and the political will for the greater step to be taken. It is increasingly clear, to me, that our society needs more than just to transform, but also revolutionary efforts so as to fully realise our democratic goals.
Nadezdha Shvedova in International IDEA’s Handbook: Women in Parliament: Beyond numbers, identifies a number of areas that need re-looking, as a first step towards approximating the ideal. I found these to resonate with the South African conditions.
Education and training
There is an urgent need to expand the pool of women who are ready to take strategic positions in politics, and, thus, enable them to occupy the highest office in the land. One thing certain is that women do not need to be recruited into political structures, as they automatically move from the private domestic environment to ensuring that, community needs are met. In other words, they are born into a society which is construed in such a way that they take responsibility.
One way to do this is to give women access, from an early age, to opportunities that prepare them for political leadership. Extra opportunities should be created, for training women, so as to ensure that they would be ready to play the leadership role when the time arises. Women tend to take responsibility, too early in life, and as such, their development, politically, require special attention, as responsibility for families and communities do not give them time for personal development through networking and other informal means of learning that boys are exposed to.
Young women also, are often left behind by their counterpart, mainly because of the years they spend, focusing on child bearing and child care and protection.
Common understanding of the women’s concerns, gendered political awareness raising, lobbying skills and networking is important skills which women require to acquire, so as to succeed beyond basic care and looking after vulnerable groups such as, amongst others, children, women and the aged.
Women’s leadership schools can play a crucial role in ensuring that the gender agenda yields results, as women would be the first defenders of their rights and be vigilant, and, alert to each and every opportunity.
Political Party Support
Women play an important role in campaigning and mobilizing support for their parties, yet they, rarely, occupy decision-making positions. The selection and nomination processes, within political parties, tend to be robust and developed by men.
These processes are characterized by public spats, threats of violence and the kind of viciousness which threaten women. An old boy’s club atmosphere, and, prejudices inhibit and prohibit politically aspiring women, from integrating themselves into their party’s work. Women are often put in a party list, in order that, they not be elected, if their party wins insufficient votes in an election.
Cooperation with Grassroots Women Organisations
Grassroots women organisations need to work with political and government institutions to facilitate women’s nomination and election. Limited contact and cooperation between, women politicians and women’s organizations is counterproductive. It only serves to isolate women and inevitably weaken their agenda. This fragmentation is ill - advised, and only serves the sexist agenda, which propagates the view that woman, do not like and support each other.
Much as women’s organisations are strong, in driving current issues, they do not invest in making calls and lobbying for women to be supported to decision making-levels. This is despite the fact that, more women are making in-roads to Parliaments in big numbers.
Women’s representation in Parliament yield positive outcomes. For instance, women elevate issues which regular male agenda would not raise. For instance, issues of child care, no violence against women, hunger in families and even push for law reform, which are either not advancing or sustaining male hegemony.
Socio-Economic Status and Women’s Political Freedom
In South Africa, like in most developing democracies, poverty and unemployment are feminised. It goes without saying that the social and economic status of women in society, has a direct influence on their participation in political institutions and elected bodies.
There is sufficient evidence which shows that women’s development correlates with their representation levels.
Education, in particular, mitigates against adherence to traditional values. Factors such as decreased fertility rates, increased urbanization, access to finance, greater mobility, ability to network widely - through information technology techniques, work force participation , and, attitudinal changes, in perceptions, regarding the appropriate role for women , increase women’s ability to be politically competitive with their male counter parts.
Culture and Social Norms
So much practice still prevail which pull women backwards, in the name of culture and tradition. It is the responsibility of all political parties to constantly, identify the said factors so as to create platforms for their interrogation, deconstruction and reconstruction. The conspiracy of silence about traditional values and cultural practices which disempowers women, is a betrayal of the struggle for gender equality.
The Role of Women in Politics
To this end women have made substantial in-roads in all sectors of society – engineering, science, technology, academia, media, and many more. In politics in particular, South African women have come incredibly far. Before the arrival of democracy in South Africa in 1994, there was a mere 2.7% representation of women in parliament; since then, though, things have changed. Currently women Ministers comprise 41% of the cabinet, women deputy ministers make up 47% of the total number and there is a 41% representation of women in the National Assembly.
Leadership positions in politics were previously dominated by men, and women's entry into the sphere has been included in South Africa's globally acclaimed narrative of triumph.
Since the dawn of our democracy we have experienced defining moments for women, such as exercising the right to vote like our male counter parts in 1994 and by having the gender equality clause in our Constitution in 1996. Our local heroines such as the late Dr. Ivy Matsepe-Cassaburi and many others led discussions on Gender Based Violence in preparation for the Women's Beijing Conference of 1995.
We have seen women soldiering on side by side with their male counter parts for quotas in gender representation in positions of influence and power to the moment when the African National Congress decisively declared that, South Africa should ensure gender parity during tipping points, like the appointments of politicians in cabinet, municipal levels and provincial legislatures. The ruling party went on to advocate for the implementation of gender parity policy position by the private sector as well.
One of the early Presidents of the ANC, the late Comrade OR Tambo said: “No country can boast of being free unless its women are free”
Conclusion
The limitations and obstacles, to women attaining a political role, not only deny them their democratic rights, but also undermine democracy. Constitutional provisions, that advance women’s achievement of equality, would have to be utilised.
It is my fervent hope that, as we celebrate 101 years of the ANC’s existence, we consider to review the work done, and, plan ahead, for the next 100 years.
Let me conclude my address, with a quote, from a Tanzanian Professor, Anna Tibaijuka: “Women have tried to enter politics trying to look like men. This will not work. We have to bring our differences, our emotions, our way of seeing things, even our tears to the process”
I thank you!
