Address by Speaker Baleka Mbete, MP on the Occasion of the 131st IPU Assembly, Geneva

Honourable President,
Honourable Presiding Officers,
Honourable Colleagues,
Members of Parliament,

The South African Parliament welcomes this debate on the nexus between gender equality and ending violence against women. This year, South Africa marked the 60th anniversary of the Women’s Charter a document which made a key contribution into the Freedom Charter. We also celebrate 20 years of our free, non-racial and non-sexist South Africa. 

The strong representation of women in our parliament and in cabinet is a result of sustained activism by women and bold action by the Ruling Party, the African National Congress to introduce a 50/50 quota system.

As South African women, we have been acutely aware of the necessity to change the content of institutions rather than merely gaining admittance into them.

At all times, the end result of increasing women’s participation in politics must make a qualitative difference and help make our country a better society to live in. Responding to the needs of the poor is to deal with women’s needs as they are the majority of the poor. 

Women’s involvement in community development including at leadership levels, produces new ways of relating in society generally.  While the community’s trust in women is raised, the confidence of women in themselves is also raised.

It was through the efforts of women parliamentarians that Parliament passed a package of progressive laws: most notably in Labour, Equality and Domestic Violence.

Our Government further developed the requisite institutional mechanisms such as a Women’s Ministry which enjoys prominence in the Presidency. In addition, supplementary watchdog institutions such as the Human Rights Commission, the Public Protector and Commission on Gender Equality  - to name a few were also established.

Mr President,

South Africa has not been immune to alarming levels of gender based violence. Our government has invested significant resources into researching the causes of gender-based violence so that our strategies match causality.

The research shows that femicide - the killing of women by their intimate partners - is the leading cause of female homicide in South Africa. Studies have also found that the high prevalence of rape is embedded in ideas about South African manhood.

In this regard, our government has undertaken a number of initiatives to change the paradigm of masculinity that allows for the resolution of conflict through violence.

We have pursued strategies that engage men - policy makers, parents and young boys — in discourse about the dynamics and consequences of violence. Ours is a society emerging from a very violent past. We have no illusion about how long it will take for us to change this.

Our government has also undertaken major projects to improve the justice system, through re-engineering state legal services, implementing new legislation, opening high courts, sexual offences courts, maintaining a national register for sexual offenders and accelerating access to justice services.

We have introduced one stop centres, called Thuthuzela Care Centres, which provides for survivors to have access to a range of different services.

Mr President, as Parliamentarians we must:

• Promote an understanding of differential circumstances of women and men in society.
• Facilitate and monitor capacity building and skills development for women to participate meaningfully in all areas of the economy.

We simply have no choice but to occupy the spaces in which we find ourselves more meaningful and valued, so that all in society enjoy a better life.

I thank you.