Development (WARD)
17 October 2006
Mafikeng: Following the WARD summit that was held in Durban in August this
year, women involved in agriculture and rural development met in Rustenburg to
launch the provincial WARD and elect a provincial committee to represent the
North West Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment at the
national launch held over the weekend of 13 to 15 October, in the Eastern
Cape.
When presented with the newly elected committee, the women present pledged
their commitment to work together and support the committee for the success and
the expansion of WARD. The committee which is under the tutelage of Ms Bosa
Ledwaba from Bojanala district, comprises of two women from each district.
Ledwaba as the provincial chairperson will also serve in the national committee
which will advise the national Minister on a regular basis.
The purpose of WARD is to mainstream gender issues in agriculture and land
policies, programmes and projects locally and nationally and to raise the
profile of rural women and their communities and to ensure the sustainable
growth of agriculture. Women, especially those in rural areas, still experience
problems in accessing finance and land, the transfer of relevant information,
lack of knowledge regarding agriculture and land reform rights.
It is a collection of vast groups of women and is not restricted to
agriculture issues but is a combination of women in agriculture and in rural
development. It aims to ensure socio-economic development of rural women and
aspires to fight the domination of men and empower women especially in the area
of agriculture and land reform within the context of rural development.
It is also based on the declaration of rural South African women united in
their diversity as stipulated and based on the following issues:
* women in agriculture
* women in farms
* women on land
* women and food security.
Speaking at the provincial launch, MEC for Agriculture, Conservation and
Environment, Mandlenkosi Mayisela, said the establishment of WARD was part of
the government to acknowledge the achievement of women in agriculture and rural
development and was also part of the building blocks to show commitment to
social and economic emancipation of women. It is also a forum where the agenda
of women affairs will be put at centre stage and enable them to take part in
the development of our country.
He further urged all parties involved in this organisation to be cautious
due to the tendency of forums to collapse after their formation, his fervent
wish was that the department should support and guide this forum to withstand
any adversities in advancing the role of women in agriculture and
development.
âWe should demonstrate a collective responsibility to embrace WARD to enable
it to grow and desist all temptation, be it friction among members, gossip,
etc. which will only have negative spin-offs. We are confronted with challenges
and there is no force in the world, no matter what how powerful, that can
destroy us, only we can destroy ourselves,â concluded Mayisela, quoting OR
Tambo.
Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment, North
West Provincial Government
17 October 2006
Source: North West Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment
(http://www.nwdace.gov.za)
