Date: 21/08/2003
Source: Ministry of Education
Title: Mangena: Women's Month celebration
BASADI A RE BOLELENG: KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION, MR MOSIBUDI MANGENA, AT THE DEPARTMENTAL CELEBRATION OF WOMEN'S DAY AND WOMEN'S MONTH, Burgers Park Hotel, 21 August 2003
Programme Director,
We salute and congratulate all the women of South Africa, Africa and the world - our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters. We wish you all, in particular, the special women in the Department of Education, a belated happy Women's Day and a happy Women's Month.
In line with the transformation agenda of our country, the Department has also adopted the development of women as a priority. However, this does not in anyway imply that the development of women should happen at the expense of that of men. Such a situation cannot be allowed to happen because our aim is to establish gender equity rather than gender dominance. Both African men and women suffered discrimination under apartheid and we would be ignoring this historical reality at our own peril.
Moreover, gender is not a about women and girls only; it is also about men and boys. Gender is also not synonymous with femininity; it is about the different and interrelated roles, responsibilities and opportunities of both men and women, which are culture specific and socially constructed, and can change over time, as a result of, among others, policy interventions and socio-economic changes.
Ladies and gentlemen, culture is dynamic and that is why culture-embedded roles and responsibilities are not constant. Yesterday we had apartheid, and that culture has since died. We are now engaged in processes of replacing that culture and establishing a new one that is in keeping with the democratic dispensation we now live in. Our constitution and the various United Nations and regional frameworks have ensured that in all aspects of life our people are encouraged to adopt a human rights approach. Legislative frameworks developed through consultative and inclusive processes are already in place to ensure that issues concerning women and children, in particular, are located at the heart of our reconstructive processes in the home, community, learning sites and work places.
Today we are able to celebrate Women's Month because of the relentless efforts waged by our women to emancipate themselves from the oppressive policies of the past regime that criminalised every black person in this country. As early as 1913, the women of Makeleketla (Winburg), Mangaung (Bloemfontein) and Jagersfontein in the Free State were jailed for organising the first resistance march against the denigration they suffered because of the pass laws. We salute them for the brave and bold stance that they took against a powerful and ruthless regime that regarded all Africans as a lesser species of humankind. On 9 August 1956, the women of South Africa renewed the struggles of their predecessors by organising a bigger grassroots resistance march against the extension of the compulsory carrying of passes by African women to the Union Buildings. We would like to recognise and commend these noble contributions made by women to our struggle for liberation. It has been indeed a long walk for women in their demand for respect, rights and dignity and their efforts seem to be finally paying off.
But the question we still have to ask, though, is when will the fruits that a handful of elite women are enjoying today reach the majority of our women who still need to be equipped with knowledge and skills to help them to deal with the demands of modern economic and social changes? This is where the intervention of other women becomes crucial in ensuring that they take their sisters' hands along the path of development.
We must always take note of the fact that history has mostly been about his-story rather than her-story. The world over, male heroes rather than female heroines are better ingrained in the culture, literature and the minds of societies. While the department is trying to do its bit in the rewriting of our history, we need to ensure that women are not once again inadvertently left out. We are looking to other women to share the responsibility of documenting women achievements in history and educating other women about the gains that transformation intends to bring into their own lives.
The necessary policies and legislative frameworks to promote gender equality are in place. What is needed is to educate men and women on the need and value for such frameworks. The last thing we want is to pit women against men in the home and in society because such a situation can only lead to disaster and anarchy.
The Department is running a project with the theme, "I am my sister's keeper". Both men and women are expected to act as the keepers of girls that are in crisis. By educating all our people about these progressive changes we will be creating a balanced society where the life and contribution of every individual is considered valuable and important.
The need for the effective implementation of laws such as the Maintenance Act and the Domestic Violence Act can never be overemphasised. These laws are intended to improve the lives of children and women in the homes, so that we could build a stable and better society for all of us. It is essential for these laws to be promoted within their proper context. Otherwise we are running the risk of fuelling men's resistance and resentment against these important and essential pieces of legislation.
Our labour laws value women employees as much as they do men employees. For example, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act protects the rights of all employees, irrespective of gender, race or sexual orientation. In like vein, the Employment Equity Act prohibits unfair discrimination and establishes a framework for affirmative action. But it is not uncommon for pronounced discontent to be heard when the clause on fair discrimination is applied to advantage women. This is unfortunate. We need as many men as women in leadership positions, especially considering the reality that more and more families are beginning to depend on women as breadwinners. Just as much as the collective input of all employees contributes to the smooth running of the work processes within an organisation, so does gender balance pool together the different but complementary strengths of women and men at the decision-making levels of the same organisations. It is about time that the myth, "behind the success of every man is a woman", is exploded and laid to rest. I believe that women do not only aspire towards becoming only the support behind their successful spouses or sons. Women also possess a need for self-actualisation in the same way as men.
The implementation of the Skills Development Act for women would be wrong if it is applied in a manner that still entrenches stereotypical workplace gender roles such as secretarial and events management. We need to train all employees with the aim of building capacity to address the scarce but important skills within the public service, which would make every employee efficient and highly productive.
We hope that the development of the training package entitled "Women in and into management and leadership positions" by the department, would not be misconstrued to imply that we have embarked on a course to sideline men in favour of women bosses. Its intention is to equip women to occupy the available senior positions with confidence and without feelings of inadequacy. We would like to encourage more women to take advantage of the opportunities that are opening up for them.
To all the women in this room we encourage you to buckle-up and brace yourselves to grab the tiger by the tail. Mma ngwana le kgale ke yena yoo a swarang thipa ka bogaleng!
Ke a leboga.
Issued by Ministry of Education
21 August 2003
Source: Ministry of Education
Title: Mangena: Women's Month celebration
BASADI A RE BOLELENG: KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION, MR MOSIBUDI MANGENA, AT THE DEPARTMENTAL CELEBRATION OF WOMEN'S DAY AND WOMEN'S MONTH, Burgers Park Hotel, 21 August 2003
Programme Director,
We salute and congratulate all the women of South Africa, Africa and the world - our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters. We wish you all, in particular, the special women in the Department of Education, a belated happy Women's Day and a happy Women's Month.
In line with the transformation agenda of our country, the Department has also adopted the development of women as a priority. However, this does not in anyway imply that the development of women should happen at the expense of that of men. Such a situation cannot be allowed to happen because our aim is to establish gender equity rather than gender dominance. Both African men and women suffered discrimination under apartheid and we would be ignoring this historical reality at our own peril.
Moreover, gender is not a about women and girls only; it is also about men and boys. Gender is also not synonymous with femininity; it is about the different and interrelated roles, responsibilities and opportunities of both men and women, which are culture specific and socially constructed, and can change over time, as a result of, among others, policy interventions and socio-economic changes.
Ladies and gentlemen, culture is dynamic and that is why culture-embedded roles and responsibilities are not constant. Yesterday we had apartheid, and that culture has since died. We are now engaged in processes of replacing that culture and establishing a new one that is in keeping with the democratic dispensation we now live in. Our constitution and the various United Nations and regional frameworks have ensured that in all aspects of life our people are encouraged to adopt a human rights approach. Legislative frameworks developed through consultative and inclusive processes are already in place to ensure that issues concerning women and children, in particular, are located at the heart of our reconstructive processes in the home, community, learning sites and work places.
Today we are able to celebrate Women's Month because of the relentless efforts waged by our women to emancipate themselves from the oppressive policies of the past regime that criminalised every black person in this country. As early as 1913, the women of Makeleketla (Winburg), Mangaung (Bloemfontein) and Jagersfontein in the Free State were jailed for organising the first resistance march against the denigration they suffered because of the pass laws. We salute them for the brave and bold stance that they took against a powerful and ruthless regime that regarded all Africans as a lesser species of humankind. On 9 August 1956, the women of South Africa renewed the struggles of their predecessors by organising a bigger grassroots resistance march against the extension of the compulsory carrying of passes by African women to the Union Buildings. We would like to recognise and commend these noble contributions made by women to our struggle for liberation. It has been indeed a long walk for women in their demand for respect, rights and dignity and their efforts seem to be finally paying off.
But the question we still have to ask, though, is when will the fruits that a handful of elite women are enjoying today reach the majority of our women who still need to be equipped with knowledge and skills to help them to deal with the demands of modern economic and social changes? This is where the intervention of other women becomes crucial in ensuring that they take their sisters' hands along the path of development.
We must always take note of the fact that history has mostly been about his-story rather than her-story. The world over, male heroes rather than female heroines are better ingrained in the culture, literature and the minds of societies. While the department is trying to do its bit in the rewriting of our history, we need to ensure that women are not once again inadvertently left out. We are looking to other women to share the responsibility of documenting women achievements in history and educating other women about the gains that transformation intends to bring into their own lives.
The necessary policies and legislative frameworks to promote gender equality are in place. What is needed is to educate men and women on the need and value for such frameworks. The last thing we want is to pit women against men in the home and in society because such a situation can only lead to disaster and anarchy.
The Department is running a project with the theme, "I am my sister's keeper". Both men and women are expected to act as the keepers of girls that are in crisis. By educating all our people about these progressive changes we will be creating a balanced society where the life and contribution of every individual is considered valuable and important.
The need for the effective implementation of laws such as the Maintenance Act and the Domestic Violence Act can never be overemphasised. These laws are intended to improve the lives of children and women in the homes, so that we could build a stable and better society for all of us. It is essential for these laws to be promoted within their proper context. Otherwise we are running the risk of fuelling men's resistance and resentment against these important and essential pieces of legislation.
Our labour laws value women employees as much as they do men employees. For example, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act protects the rights of all employees, irrespective of gender, race or sexual orientation. In like vein, the Employment Equity Act prohibits unfair discrimination and establishes a framework for affirmative action. But it is not uncommon for pronounced discontent to be heard when the clause on fair discrimination is applied to advantage women. This is unfortunate. We need as many men as women in leadership positions, especially considering the reality that more and more families are beginning to depend on women as breadwinners. Just as much as the collective input of all employees contributes to the smooth running of the work processes within an organisation, so does gender balance pool together the different but complementary strengths of women and men at the decision-making levels of the same organisations. It is about time that the myth, "behind the success of every man is a woman", is exploded and laid to rest. I believe that women do not only aspire towards becoming only the support behind their successful spouses or sons. Women also possess a need for self-actualisation in the same way as men.
The implementation of the Skills Development Act for women would be wrong if it is applied in a manner that still entrenches stereotypical workplace gender roles such as secretarial and events management. We need to train all employees with the aim of building capacity to address the scarce but important skills within the public service, which would make every employee efficient and highly productive.
We hope that the development of the training package entitled "Women in and into management and leadership positions" by the department, would not be misconstrued to imply that we have embarked on a course to sideline men in favour of women bosses. Its intention is to equip women to occupy the available senior positions with confidence and without feelings of inadequacy. We would like to encourage more women to take advantage of the opportunities that are opening up for them.
To all the women in this room we encourage you to buckle-up and brace yourselves to grab the tiger by the tail. Mma ngwana le kgale ke yena yoo a swarang thipa ka bogaleng!
Ke a leboga.
Issued by Ministry of Education
21 August 2003
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