Programme Director
Dr Sindiswa Magona (Author, Motivational Speaker; Story teller – Facilitator of the workshop)
Mrs Elinor Sisulu (Author, Walter and Albertina Sisulu: In Our Lifetime)
Deputy Director-Generals present here
Distinguished women of the Department of Higher Education and Training
Ladies and gentlemen
Introduction
Let me open my speech by reading extracts from a poem written by a South African woman, Diana Ferrus, titled, “A poem for Sarah Baartman” (1998).
I have come to wretch you away-
away from the poking eyes
of the man-made monster
who lives in the dark
with his clutches of imperialism
who disects your body bit by bit
who likens your Soul to that of Satan
and declares himself the ultimate God!
I have come to take you home
where the ancient mountains shout your name
I have made your bed at the foot of the hill,
your blankets are covered in buchu and mint,
the proteas stand in yellow and white-
I have come to take you home
where I will sing for you
for you have brought me peace
Diana Ferrus’s poem was not only about Sarah Baartman as an exploited, poor African woman in imperial and racist 19th century Europe but was also about the struggle for equality in a violent world. The poem was an important statement on behalf of all women who were exploited and lost their dignity in the cruel world of racism and sexism.
Today, we are mobilising women under a progressive banner of building a new world order based on social justice and equality. We say never again a woman would be allowed to exist as an object in society. Women must always be treated as active and critical citizens in a world that respects peace and human rights.
The Bill of Rights in Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, (Act 108 of 1996) puts human rights beyond doubt that South Africa should be a society that is founded on the values of equality. It prohibits, amongst other things, unfair discrimination including discrimination based on race, gender culture and language.
We have come a long way, as South Africans, from a history that was tilted towards institutional racism and sexism to a Constitution that upholds equality. It was not uncommon in the past for goods and service allocation to be determined by their gender designation, with women occupying an inferior position. This situation has however changed with the advent of democracy and the gender –based legislative framework that has been developed since 1994.
I am greatly honoured to be addressing Department of Higher Education and Training staff today as we round up the month dedicated to women. The national commemorations of the Women’s Month this year were organised around the theme, “Working together to enhance women’s opportunities to economic empowerment” a theme that resonates well with the department’s mandate to develop “A skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path”.
Our core is to ensure that we continue to develop a learning society that is able to keep up with the growing demands of the 21 century. Education is one of the five national priorities of government and enhancing the opportunities for economic development is our core business.
Gender relations and gender-based violence
Judging by the frequency of gender-based incidents affecting mostly women and children in our country as well as the increasing number of people who are infected by HIV and AIDS are a clear indication of the rudiments of the gender relations inherited from our patriarchal history.
My department is mindful of these challenges as it is continuously reviewing student accommodation and bursaries in colleges and universities. We are also working hard with Chapter nine institutions such as the Commission for Gender Equality to ensure that female students are not victims of sexual harassment and exploitation. The education system has also recognised the importance of strengthening Life Skills Foundational courses for young people who leave their homes for the first time to study at tertiary institutions.
We will return to this theme during the 16 Days Campaign against Violence to Women and Children.
Economic empowerment of women
Our country has a huge number of young people who are not in education, not in employment, and not in training, most of them being women. Yet the Constitution of our country requires us to deliver on providing “free quality education, decent jobs and economic transformation”. In 2008, unemployment rate stood at about 23%.
About 41% of the working age population remains unemployed and hence employment creation is one of the key priorities of government. The framework of operation of the department is based on the overall goal of education playing a central role in achieving job creation as directed by the New Growth Path, the Industrial Action Policy Plan and the Human Resource Development Strategy.
We need to find creative ways of reducing risk factors confronting young people, particularly women in our society. It is important that we encourage gender equality, and ensure that women are able to express their views, achieve their dreams and work for the realisation of their aspirations in a free environment as full citizens of this country.
Government has been working hard to ensure that we deliver on the goal of free education as directed by the ruling party’s resolutions at the ruling party conference in Polokwane (2007). Women in South Africa constitute more than half of the population.
They are mostly the ones that carry the burden of care in families and communities and yet they are the ones that are more likely to be underpaid, unemployed or under employed. It makes sense therefore that we should be talking about enhancing women’s opportunities to economic empowerment. Our department needs to ensure that a large number of the skills development interventions benefit women.
The National Growth Plan places emphasis on the development of more constructive and collaborative relations as key to implementation between the state and business, where:
- Government commits to minimise unnecessary economic costs, such as unnecessary regulatory requirements and delays, inadequate infrastructure, weak education and training
- Business responds by supporting critical and innovative initiatives for a more inclusive and equitable economy, especially projects that can generate employment on a much larger scale, through investment, technical support and mentoring, and appropriate pricing policies.
As part of the creative industries, publishing has established itself as a significant component of most cultures and societies, including South Africa. It is interwoven into our institutions and customs, providing us with information about our world, educating our citizens, expressing our ideas and philosophies and preserving them for future generations. It is also a global business worth billions of dollars in revenue to large multinational corporations. International search engines such as Google derive their information from published texts.
The Cultural Industry Growth Strategy (CIGS) Report to the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology (November 1998) stated that “Publishing is a culture industry in that it falls within the domains of:
- Culture –the expression of culture in text and image and secondly,
- Trade- the reproduction, packaging, distribution, marketing and sale of these products of cultural expression.
The 1998 report went on, “The publishing industry also acts as a central core of an entire network of related individuals and industries, such as paper manufacturers, educational institutions, ink producers, authors, printers, designers, bookbinders, illustrators, booksellers, distributors and CD manufacturers”.
It is therefore clear that women can enter the publishing industry at different levels and make a sterling contribution to the intellectual and economic development of the country.
There is a direct link between improved levels of literacy, economic stability and the rising circulation figures of newspapers, magazines and books. The Arts & Culture 2008 report noted that North American companies continue to lead in publishing followed by Asia and Western Europe.
It is my assertion that this trend has not been reversed. South Africa and the entire African continent need to strengthen publishing industry strategies and create conditions for women to fully participate in this sector.
It is thus important for our university and colleges Faculties or Schools of Creative Writing and Journalism to link their academic programmes to the economic empowerment of women in the publishing industry.
There is a need to fund students doing studies in areas such as bookbinding and printing. Digital publishing as a course is another growing field that needs to be explored by our academic institutions.
As women in the field of education, we need to find ways of contributing to the publishing industry as it is closely linked to the knowledge –driven economy and the research priorities of the country in all spheres of life.
Contribution of women writers to change and development in society
You will agree with me that women have always played a prominent role in society – in families and in communities. From our oral tradition, through songs and storytelling it has mostly been older women who transmitted knowledge and shaped the attitudes and values of the young ones.
As women, we need to reclaim that heritage and ensure that we highlight positive family values and challenge issues such as gender-based violence and violence. We must never undervalue our role as nurturers as we are the ones that spend more time with children, and if we have to make a lasting impact we need to instil such values at a very young age.
Gcina Mhlophe is one of the prominent South African women who has not only continued with the oral tradition of storytelling but has written also composed her own songs and wrote stories to ensure that there is always a wealth of knowledge that is left behind for the younger generation.
Using poetry, Lebogang Mashile has tackled gender issues and has found this as an effective tool to bring about those changes in mental attitudes that are needed in our youth. Her contribution to the cultural industry in post-apartheid South Africa should be lauded by all.
The late Ingrid Jonker a celebrated Afrikaans author of the moving poem, Die Kind, Antjie Krog, Afrikaans poetess and author of the Country of My Skull, Nadine Gordimer and the late Professor Fatima Meer documented significant experiences that affected a cross –section of the South African population and contributed significantly to the struggle for change in this country.
You are fortunate to have two of the renowned authors this morning – Dr Magona and Mrs Sisulu.
These and many other authors have painted a canvas in the history of women and South Africa. Their writings have empowered women in Africa and the entire world and contributed to their social and economic empowerment. I want to emphasise that each individual is endowed with unique creativity; you will never know what impact your story/ poem will have until it is shared with others.
Expected long –term and Intangible Outcomes of the Workshop
The decision to bring women together to write their stories is motivated by the understanding that writing is one of the tools where individuals can “send their thoughts and ideas about the world they live in, how they see it and how they would love to remake it, often into a better one”.
This is an environment where we can nurture and empower ourselves and come up with ideas to lift others out of their complacent situations. Our stories contain some of the answers to each other’s questions. When these stories are written down they give us a window of hope from witnessing how others have overcome similar situations, they may give us warning signs that may change our paths forever.
As we share our experiences we can voice our rights and raise awareness about issues that affect us. I encourage you to enhance what we do naturally, as women we often confide in each other. We heal and empower ourselves through sharing our stories.
I would like to see communities of support emerging out of this gathering, where you are not only going to support each other during this process but even when you go back to your work stations you will continue to apply the skills you have learnt and finally produce an anthology under your names.
I have outlined just a few challenges, this is just the tip of the iceberg, and I would like you to think of many such issues as you engage interactively and that you will come out motivated and prepared to play a constructive role in our national development.
Conclusion
As I have emphasised, we need to assert our roles as agents of constructive change in society. Together we can reflect and honour the truth of our lives, our hopes and vision for the future. We can bring out our caring nature, creativity and passion and joy! In the same vein, we can contribute to the development of the creative industries in our country.
I am looking forward to a fruitful engagement that will produce tangible results.
I thank you.
