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Date : 12/08/2006
Source: Mpumalanga Provincial Government
Title: Makwetla: Provincial celebrations of National Women's Day during Women's Month


  Speech by Premier T Makwetla at the provincial celebrations of National Women’s Day, Thulamahashe Stadium, Bushbuckridge

* Programme Directors
* Members of the Legislature Ms Thoko Mabena and Ms Gelane Sindane
* Honourable MECs
* Honourable Members of Parliament
* Members of the Mpumalanga Legislature
* Our traditional leaders,
* Honourable Mayors and Councillors
* Leaders and activists of South Africa’s Progressive Women’s Movement
* Residents of Bushbuckridge and women of our province

Fifty years ago on 9 August, thousands of women from all corners of the country converged in Pretoria to protest against the extension of the hated pass laws to women. Waving placards, chanting and singing revolutionary songs, they made their way up the stairs of the Union Building, only to be told that the man they had wanted to deliver their petitions to, had fled. One thing which Strijdom, the Prime Minister of the strong-armed, totalitarian regime of the day, must be credited for, is the wisdom to know the things he could stop, and to distinguish them from those which he could not stop. He was not stupid enough to stand in the way of a dislodged boulder and wait to be crushed. It is ironic though, that he fled and could not defend a law that his government had passed.

Comrades and compatriots, we are here today as women leaders and gender activists in our province, to re-live and celebrate the spirit of the women of 1956, a legacy which firmly placed women in our country at the forefront of the struggle for social emancipation in South Africa.

As we gather here today under the banner of an Age of Hope: Through struggle for freedom, let us celebrate and honour the sterling role played by women in the liberation of South Africa. As leaders and mothers, we refuse to be cowed down to the whims of those who viewed women, especially African women, as less than human.

Today as we reflect on the sacrifices the women of this country have made and continue to make in the workplace, home, church and society at large, let us once again recommit ourselves to ensuring that all women’s rights to equality become a living reality. Let us remember the wise words from the late Comrade OR Tambo who reminded us that we cannot say that we are progressing as people and as a nation unless the women of our country are truly liberated, and there is gender equality and gender equity. Over the last twelve years we have made progress as a country in pushing back the frontiers of women oppression and gender inequality, thanks to the enduring legacy of 9 August 1956.

A number of pieces of legislation have guaranteed that today all women can enjoy the fruits of freedom, supported firmly by the Constitution. These laws include: The Extension of Security of Tenure Act of 1997, which protects women and children against arbitrary or unfair eviction on the farms; the Domestic Violence Act of 1998 and the Criminal Procedure Amendment Act of 1996 aimed at protecting the rights of women and children against violence and abuse; women’s position in the workplace has also improved significantly through amongst others the Labour Relations Act of 1995, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and the Skills Development Act; the establishment of institutions like the Commission on Gender Equality, Office on the Status of Women; and the Parliamentary Committee on the Improvement of the Quality of Life and Status of Women have all contributed to placing the rights of women high on the national agenda.

Social needs
Programme co-directors, in the past 12 years we have made significant strides in improving the lives of women and the girl-child, especially those in the rural areas. In partnership with all those who heeded the call for a People's Contract to create work and fight poverty, the Mpumalanga Government has ensured that women’s social needs are addressed. Women’s access to habitable housing, arable land, proper health care, improved social grants, meaningful and sustainable jobs, has significantly improved.

Through our Government wide awareness programmes during this 50th anniversary of 9 August, our departments, in partnership with the communities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other stakeholders, continue to make sure that women’s issues do not disappear from our list of priorities.

Health services
Comrades, Government continues to improve health services for women. These include antenatal and postnatal care, prevention of maternal deaths and screening for cervical and breast cancer. Our maternal and child health programmes continue to provide relief to the most vulnerable. Our HIV and AIDS prevention and management programmes, including the prevention of mother to child transmission programme, the programme to prevent pregnant mothers from transmitting the Human Immune Virus (HIV) to their babies at birth and our Mayihlome Izazi programmes have been strengthened considerably. Our health centres, hospitals and clinics now offer services which include voluntary counselling and testing for HIV. This includes continuous counselling, education and support as well as advice on the use of milk formula.

Poverty alleviation and economic empowerment Fighting poverty remains a top priority for our government. Economic growth and job creation strategies are essential in rooting out poverty in our communities, especially in the rural areas.

Through the Department of Agriculture we are able to provide starter packs to those who want to till the land, and all our departments collectively contribute to the relief of hundreds of women through the Expanded Public Works Programme, whose targeted design prioritises women in the main.

In order to address the economic disparity that continues to exist in our society, government continues to give preference to women, especially African women with employment opportunities within government, and when tendering for work with government. All round, there is women empowerment.

Through the Social Development component in the Department of Health and Social Services, we are able to provide immediate relief to the most vulnerable, particularly women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities and those living with HIV and AIDS.

Participation
Comrades, today more women participate in the governance structures at local level, provincially and nationally. Improving the representation of women at every level of government is an important part of the transformation of the public service. Four of Mpumalanga’s ten members of the Executive Council are women, and six of the ten Heads of Department (HoD) in the province are women. There is also a growing representation of women at senior public service management level. The number of women members of the Legislature, Mayors and other representatives of local government has also increased significantly. There are plans to employ more women as Chief Executive Officers (CEO) in hospitals, more executive and senior managers and educators.

Women in sport and culture
Today more women and girl-children take part in sports and other cultural activities. This was made possible by the number of bold initiatives we have implemented in bringing into the fold those previously denied a chance to take part. We also encourage and promote women exhibitors and crafters as well as promoting emerging women musicians and artists.

Challenges
Programme co-directors, while there have been great advances made towards gender equality and gender equity in our society over the past twelve years, it is necessary to be sensitive to the challenges that still lie ahead. Women continue to be significantly excluded from the economic mainstream of the society despite the fact that they constitute the majority of the unemployed.

As we move forward we must further ensure that women continue to benefit directly, now and in the future, from the work opportunities created through the expanded public works programmes as well as food security programmes aimed especially at female-headed households.

We must ask ourselves whether in the past year we have accelerated and improved women’s access to government programmes including social grant services and health care. Have we, in the past year, ensured that more women benefit from the freedom they fought so hard for? Does the girl-learner in the province have access to quality education and does that education guarantees her a stake in the Mpumalanga economy of the future?

These are difficult questions that need honest answers. As the community of Mpumalanga we must continue to fight against poverty by devising ways of creating wealth for those who are trapped in poverty.

Violence
Programme co-directors, as government we are aware that women and children continue to face sexual assaults and other forms of abuse at home, at work, in their communities and at school. That is why the eradication of violence is so high on our national and provincial agenda. We have established a number of Victim Empowerment Centres at police stations throughout the province. These centres provide health, social development and legal services support to victims of violence and abuse.

The Men for Change programme also assists in dealing with stereotypes by encouraging men to respect women, desist from assaulting their wives and children, learning to deal with their anger and to speak out against this evil.

We are determined to ensure that all women’s rights to equality become a living reality, including the opportunity to influence government programmes and mainstream gender issues. In our province women played a pivotal role in the consultations to review the province as part of the African Peer Review Mechanism under the able leadership of MEC Candith Mashego-Dlamini. In our Community Development Workers Programme and in our ward committee’s women continue to play a pivotal role.

Women’s movement
Comrades, let us take this opportunity to laud the launch of the Progressive Women’s Movement of South Africa (PWMSA) in Bloemfontein a few days ago. We consider the launch of this inspirational movement as another mile in the walk initiated by the heroic women who participated in 9 August 1956 women's march to the Union Buildings.

The launch is indeed a bold step by South African women towards true emancipation of women of our country, the continent and the world. This development reaffirms our conviction that South African society shall one day be truly non-sexist, non-racial, united, democratic and prosperous.

To honour the legacy of the 1956 women marchers, PWMSA must once again fire the imagination of women in our country and society to go beyond efforts men have made to advance social progress in our country. PWMSA must among others, become a partner to government in realising a better life for South Africa’s mothers in areas such as the moral regeneration crusade and the fight against corruption in our society and government; and in strengthening government delivery programmes, be it the feeding scheme and learner transport in education, health, or the delivery of houses.

As we celebrate the gallant strides women made in the province, let us dip our banners for social justice in honour of Portia Shabangu, Nokuthula Simelane and many others, whose heroic sacrifices ensured that the legacy made by those who came before them, was kept alive.

Let us once again bow to the women of this country for the gallant role they played in advancing freedom and dignity to all the people of South Africa.

Long live the spirit of 9 August, long live! I thank you.

Issued by: Mpumalanga Provincial Government
12 August 2006

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