Ministers and Deputy Ministers present
The National Religious Leaders Committee
Department of Basic Education, Social Development and the South African Police Service
The media
Ladies and gentlemen
I greet you all.
Allow me to convey my sincere appreciation to all of you for honouring this invitation.
We are gathered together at a time when we are about to conclude the women’s month program. The program served to highlight, assess and review progress made by government, the private sector and civil society in advancing Women empowerment and gender equality.
As a country and government, we have registered significant progress in the promotion and empowerment of women and gender equality. Today we have policies and legislation in place that have been introduced since 1994 to promote women empowerment and uphold gender equality and that have drastically improved the position and condition of women in our country. While significant strides have been made towards women emancipation in SA, women continue to face a number of challenges including violence and abuse, poverty, inequality and unemployment. Despite these challenges South Africa has sought to protect and promote human rights and thereby foster human dignity for women, children and people with disabilities.
One of the priorities of this government is to fight crimes against women and children and to create a safer society which is capable of eradicating the many practices that violate on their basic human rights. Job creation and economic opportunities for women and youth are high on the national action plan of our government.
The scourge of gender based violence that is ravaging our communities and our country is the reason we are here today. The Department for Women, children and People with disabilities has since established the National Council against Gender Based Violence, a structure representative of government and civil society organisations created to coordinate all efforts to implement and intensify the 365 Days National Plan of Action. The 365 days action plan seeks to Prevent, Respond, Support and educate our community. This will ensure a concerted approach to end gender based violence with measurable targets and indicators to which all South Africans can contribute.
For the council to be effective and strengthened further partnerships have to be forged with sectors of our communities that are working daily directly with communities, families and individuals. Other sectors that we have since met is the sports fraternity, business and traditional leaders. We envisage to extend further to meet with the media, the entertainment industry and others.
Today we are here to solidify several productive engagements and plenary sessions held with the religious sector which has since developed concrete programs to be rolled out in our communities to help curb the scourge of gender based violence.
Allow me also to acknowledge the partnership that the National Religious Committee has with the department of education on the Bill of Responsibilities that has since been rolled out in schools to teach children that as much as they have rights, those rights come with responsibilities. The bill of responsibilities has since been adopted by the department of Education as part of the curriculum for learners in schools.
To further strengthen this effort we shall also rollout the bill of responsibilities with families, communities to understand that every right as enshrined in the constitution has a responsibility attached to it. This is all part of rebuilding, and reclaiming our communities in line with the principles of Ubuntu, anchored on respect and human dignity.
Allow me to announce that in partnership with the National Religious Committee, we shall roll-out the following programs in our communities
- The Vikela Mzansi Campaign
- Bill of Responsibility focus week (18, 19, 20 October 2013)
- Host a Joint March (November)
- Further intensify awareness of the Bill of Responsibilities campaigns with Schools and communities.
We further invite our communities to participate in numbers when these campaigns are taking place.
South Africa has made commitments through the Constitution, various pieces of legislation and international conventions to respect, promote, protect and advance the rights of women and children. We all have a duty and obligation to honour these commitments. I therefore call upon all South Africans to promote, protect the rights of women, children and people with disabilities in our country.
It is our responsibility as government and society as a whole, to unite in action to uphold these rights.
I thank you.
