Address by Deputy Minister, Ms Tandi Mahambehlala to the Brand South Africa’s Play Your Part in partnership with Owami Women
Good evening ladies and gentlemen
I welcome you all to the third annual Owami Women Play Your Part Recognition Awards. It is inspiring to see a room filled with bold women who are gathered to encourage, motivate and celebrate one another. Moreover it is empowering to see women living up to word OWAMI an Nguni word which means she’s mine. Too often we see women subscribing to the PH.D syndrome instead of collectively supporting one another we want to Pull Her Down.
Wathint’ Abafazi Wathint’ imbokodo!
Let women be bold for change and continuously contribute to the better development of our country, this can be through conversation, playing their part in their communities.
Our country is facing difficult times of women and child abuse; misogyny and patriarchy is rampant, it is imperative that we have such organisation as Owami who emphasize the need to recognise and have meaningful conversations, identify opportunities that acknowledge unity and strength in overcoming these social ills.
Every case of abuse suffered by a child or woman reflects our collective failure to respond to the cries of the most vulnerable in our midst. It is in our hands and within our means to contribute to the fight against abuse of women and children.
I, therefore, make a call for business, civil society and government to collaborate and work together towards creating job and empowerment opportunities for communities that are currently experiencing high levels of unemployment and crime. Job creation and entrepreneurial development will help to manage or end these social ills.
In the words of great stalwart Oliver Tambo and I quote we must be dedicated to see the women of our motherland play their rightful role in the forefront of the struggle for the destruction of oppression and the creation of a peaceful, democratic and nonracial South Africa [close quote].
I urge every individual here today to be bold like our mothers of 1956. Over 20 000 South African women of all races staged a march on the Union Buildings in protest against ‘Pass Laws’. The historical March paved the way for other campaigns for transformation to take place. This moment was so powerful that it is forever memorialised on the steps of the seat of government, the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
It was the introduction the Constitution in 1996 that women were recognised as equal citizens. South Africa’s commitment to building a non-sexist society in which women have the right to be treated equally and access opportunities, is protected in the Constitution.
Let women not shy away from taking charge and making changes to a society we want to be proud of, a future and a legacy we want to leave behind for our children. Ladies, I commend you who have started planting these seeds of change.
Your actions will help break the culture of suffering in our communities. Your contributions speak to the National Development Plan, the NDP recognises that although progress has been made to improve the lives of women; discrimination, patriarchal beliefs and poor access to quality education and career opportunities persists.
The NDP states the following:
- public employment should be expanded to provide work for the unemployed, with a specific focus on youth and women;
- the transformation of the economy should involve the active participation and empowerment of women;
- the role of women as leaders in all sectors of society should be actively supported; and
- social, cultural, religious and educational barriers to women entering the job market should be addressed.
It is with this in mind that the South African Government, Brand South Africa, Owami women does the work that it does.
I would like to end with congratulating all recipients of the Owami Women Play Your Part Recognition Awards and I know this is only the beginning towards a better future for all. As we celebrate and honour these inspiring women, let us all be challenged to ‘be bold for change’.
Wathint’ Abafazi Wathint’ imbokodo!
I believe that you will agree that we all want to create a better world to hand down to those who come after us.
And I have no doubt that with initiatives like these Real Woman Emancipation can be achieved in our lifetime.
I thank you
