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ACDP MP Cheryllyn Dudley today said that women should be heard on all issues:
"Woman's month is a good time to appreciate and celebrate wives, mothers, gogo's, sisters, daughters and aunts. The ACDP would like to see women stand up for what is right and uphold family values at home and in the community.

The ACDP is aware of Parliament's constant efforts to facilitate the empowerment of women for gender development and equality. Sadly the results do not adequately reflect the effort. The ACDP is of the opinion that there would be a greater impact if we refrained from separating women, youth, children and men and dealt with issues from the perspective of family and what is good for the family. Women cannot be separated from the ‘whole' if we are to develop and experience equality. No issues are exclusively women's issues nor for that matter exclusively men's or youth issues. Women should be heard on all issues.

Parliament contributes significantly in this regard ensuring that the voices of women are not drowned out and that women across the country have access to parliament and its processes in the same measure men do. South Africa has also risen from 17th to 3rd place in the global ranking of women in parliament following this year's election.

Maternal, child & women's Health is still of great concern in South Africa as each year; 1600 women are dying from complications in pregnancy and childbirth; 20,000 babies are dying before they're a month old; 75,000 children are dying before the age of five and 20,000 babies are stillborn according to statistics. Shockingly this parliament has bought into the deception that the way out of this dilemma is for women to choose not to carry their babies to full term....and hundreds of thousands of babies are being destroyed in their mother's wombs as well. When we devalue human life we devalue women.

Staggering numbers of orphans, child headed households, children living in poverty, child abuse and violent crimes against children are a grave reflection of a society in crisis. Children are a gift from God...every child is precious and must be valued and cared for. We will not value women if we do not value children.

Women in South Africa need to be appreciated and supported. When we learn to value ourselves and recognize our own worth not only collectively but individually, men may be empowered to begin to do the same."