Date: 09/08/2003
Source: North West Provincial Government
Title: Molefe: Women's Day celebrations
SPEECH BY THE NORTH WEST PREMIER, DR. POPO SIMON MOLEFE, ON THE OCCASION OF THE CELEBRATION OF WOMEN'S DAY, Motla, 9 August 2003
Programme Director,
MECs
Mayors and Dikgosi
Members of Parliament, Legislature and Councillors
Honoured Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The history of the struggle against women oppression and discrimination is as old as the struggle against colonial subjugation and apartheid. For decades, women in general and African women in particular suffered various forms of oppression.
Their significance in society has for a long time been determined by their biological status. Because they were born women, they were deemed to be of an inferior breed compared to their male counterparts. Generation after generation in our county was socialised into believing that the role of women in society is that of being subservient to their male counterparts.
This unfortunate development relegated our women to the margins of our society. It deprived all of us as South Africans the important contribution that women can make in life of our nation. Indeed we were poorer without their contribution.
In addition, due to class contradictions that have been and continue to be the hallmark of our society, women were further relegated to the lowest class strata according to the man-made order of significance. Their material conditions therefore were commensurate to their class position.
This forced the large majority of the women of our country to be economically dependent on their male counterparts, thereby subjecting them to unequal power relations.
With the introduction of the apartheid system that institutionalised racial segregation, African women were once more exposed to the most brutal and unique form of discrimination.
Alongside their male compatriots who were African, these women were turned into be beggars in their own country. They were stripped of their dignity and self-worth in the land of their birth.
They found themselves landless in the land of their forefathers. Freedoms considered as basic by the civilised world were made foreign to them. Their basic freedoms of movement, speech and expression were curtailed.
Driven by a collective understanding that the struggle against apartheid and colonialism would be incomplete if it did not result in gender equality, women decided to respond directly to the vexing question posed at the time: to submit or fight.
Determined to create a country where all men and women, black and white, are accorded the same recognition, they opted to fight. They were aware that the choice they had made could require of them to pay the supreme price.
Not even the might and ruthlessness of apartheid state could stop them from joining their male counterparts in the trenches. Not even the difficult conditions they faced at the time could dissuade them from taking the fight to the enemy.
It came as no surprise therefore that on this day in 1956, women took to the streets to voice their opposition to pass laws whose purpose was to subject African women to further humiliation and deprivation.
From all corners of our country, they converged on the Union Buildings to declare boldly that enough is enough! Persistent harassment could not sway them away from making their voices heard.
This militant yet disciplined act was not only a culmination of the various struggles by women but also and more importantly it laid a firm basis for a sustained offensive on apartheid and all its manifestations.
Inspired by the rallying call that: Wathint'abafazi wathint'imbokodo, they opted not to sit back while the enemy was intensifying its offensive. They understood that their liberation as women is closely linked to the achievement of national liberation.
Like true soldiers, many of them fought bravely and registered significant victories. Many of them lost their lives. Many of them were separated from their families and loved ones.
Through their heroic actions, the enemy suffered setback after setback. On many occasions they kept the enemy on the defensive. Indeed their actions contributed massively to the weakening of the apartheid state and its eventual demise.
In part, we owe our liberation to these acts of bravery by these heroines of our struggle. Let us salute these martyrs. Let us ensure that the noble ideals of a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa that they paid the supreme sacrifice for, are upheld.
Let us recommit ourselves to the cause pioneered by Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Ruth First and many other fighting women of our country.
We owe it to them to ensure that we act in manner that results in the creation of a society that matches the ideals that they fought for.
As government, we have remained true to the cause pioneered by these brave women. In a relatively short period of time we have put in place a progressive policy and legislative framework that has made it possible to advance women empowerment and gender equality.
We have given the women of our country the freedoms they have fought hard for, for many years. We have ensured that our policies are responsive to their unique conditions. Increasingly the women of our country are experiencing a qualitative change in their lives.
More and more women now have access to basic services such as water, sanitation and housing. In this area particularly, we take pride in the success of the local housing project led by women. Through this project, the women of Motla have distinguished themselves as pioneers of the People's Housing Process in our province.
I had the opportunity to interact with the women who are behind this important project. I speak on behalf of the people of the North West when I say we, indeed draw great courage from such achievements by women. It is such successes that cement the role of women as critical to sustainable development.
Programme Director, two days ago the provincial government hosted a watershed Gender Summit. This Summit brought together representatives from various stakeholders. During this Summit we presented a report that detailed some of our achievements and challenges with regard to the advancement of women empowerment and gender equality in our province.
Some of the successes the Report details are that 24% of civil servants employed in senior positions within the provincial government are women.
The majority of these are African women. The Report also shows that in our province, more women than men have attained higher educational qualifications.
We continue to facilitate greater women participation particularly in the economic mainstream. This is partly indicated by the fact that during the financial year ending in March 2002, of the total tenders to the value of R448 million awarded, R28 million went to businesses owned by women.
This figure excludes tenders awarded by parastatals and national government departments.
By all accounts these statistics point to the fact that we have indeed turned the tide against the marginalisation of women. These statistics give practical meaning to the theme for this year's women's month that: "The tide has turned. Women building a contract for a better South Africa."
As we make this progress in improving the quality of life of women, we have steered clear of complacency. We remain mindful of the deep-seated nature of the legacy of gender discrimination we seek to eradicate. We have not lost sight of the fact that the road ahead is long and never straightforward.
During Provincial Gender Summit a call was made for all of us to do more to improve the conditions of women in our province. All stakeholders at the Summit recommitted themselves to accelerated women empowerment and gender equality.
Critical to this is the need for an Integrated Provincial Gender Strategy. This Strategy, which was deliberated upon at the Summit, will go a long way in placing women empowerment and gender equality at the centre of government planning processes.
I have no doubt that this Strategy will be finalised by the end of this financial year. The challenge facing all of us is to ensure that this Strategy translates into meaningful improvements in the lives of the women of our province.
As I conclude, I wish to urge the women of our province and indeed the whole country to use their influence, as anchors of family life, and encourage all South Africans to take part in the 2004 general elections.
Specifically, we call on women to encourage the youth to apply for IDs and to register for the elections. Women must spread the message that these elections are about securing a better future for all South Africans.
I thank you!
Issued by North West Provincial Government
9 August 2003
Source: North West Provincial Government
Title: Molefe: Women's Day celebrations
SPEECH BY THE NORTH WEST PREMIER, DR. POPO SIMON MOLEFE, ON THE OCCASION OF THE CELEBRATION OF WOMEN'S DAY, Motla, 9 August 2003
Programme Director,
MECs
Mayors and Dikgosi
Members of Parliament, Legislature and Councillors
Honoured Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The history of the struggle against women oppression and discrimination is as old as the struggle against colonial subjugation and apartheid. For decades, women in general and African women in particular suffered various forms of oppression.
Their significance in society has for a long time been determined by their biological status. Because they were born women, they were deemed to be of an inferior breed compared to their male counterparts. Generation after generation in our county was socialised into believing that the role of women in society is that of being subservient to their male counterparts.
This unfortunate development relegated our women to the margins of our society. It deprived all of us as South Africans the important contribution that women can make in life of our nation. Indeed we were poorer without their contribution.
In addition, due to class contradictions that have been and continue to be the hallmark of our society, women were further relegated to the lowest class strata according to the man-made order of significance. Their material conditions therefore were commensurate to their class position.
This forced the large majority of the women of our country to be economically dependent on their male counterparts, thereby subjecting them to unequal power relations.
With the introduction of the apartheid system that institutionalised racial segregation, African women were once more exposed to the most brutal and unique form of discrimination.
Alongside their male compatriots who were African, these women were turned into be beggars in their own country. They were stripped of their dignity and self-worth in the land of their birth.
They found themselves landless in the land of their forefathers. Freedoms considered as basic by the civilised world were made foreign to them. Their basic freedoms of movement, speech and expression were curtailed.
Driven by a collective understanding that the struggle against apartheid and colonialism would be incomplete if it did not result in gender equality, women decided to respond directly to the vexing question posed at the time: to submit or fight.
Determined to create a country where all men and women, black and white, are accorded the same recognition, they opted to fight. They were aware that the choice they had made could require of them to pay the supreme price.
Not even the might and ruthlessness of apartheid state could stop them from joining their male counterparts in the trenches. Not even the difficult conditions they faced at the time could dissuade them from taking the fight to the enemy.
It came as no surprise therefore that on this day in 1956, women took to the streets to voice their opposition to pass laws whose purpose was to subject African women to further humiliation and deprivation.
From all corners of our country, they converged on the Union Buildings to declare boldly that enough is enough! Persistent harassment could not sway them away from making their voices heard.
This militant yet disciplined act was not only a culmination of the various struggles by women but also and more importantly it laid a firm basis for a sustained offensive on apartheid and all its manifestations.
Inspired by the rallying call that: Wathint'abafazi wathint'imbokodo, they opted not to sit back while the enemy was intensifying its offensive. They understood that their liberation as women is closely linked to the achievement of national liberation.
Like true soldiers, many of them fought bravely and registered significant victories. Many of them lost their lives. Many of them were separated from their families and loved ones.
Through their heroic actions, the enemy suffered setback after setback. On many occasions they kept the enemy on the defensive. Indeed their actions contributed massively to the weakening of the apartheid state and its eventual demise.
In part, we owe our liberation to these acts of bravery by these heroines of our struggle. Let us salute these martyrs. Let us ensure that the noble ideals of a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa that they paid the supreme sacrifice for, are upheld.
Let us recommit ourselves to the cause pioneered by Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Ruth First and many other fighting women of our country.
We owe it to them to ensure that we act in manner that results in the creation of a society that matches the ideals that they fought for.
As government, we have remained true to the cause pioneered by these brave women. In a relatively short period of time we have put in place a progressive policy and legislative framework that has made it possible to advance women empowerment and gender equality.
We have given the women of our country the freedoms they have fought hard for, for many years. We have ensured that our policies are responsive to their unique conditions. Increasingly the women of our country are experiencing a qualitative change in their lives.
More and more women now have access to basic services such as water, sanitation and housing. In this area particularly, we take pride in the success of the local housing project led by women. Through this project, the women of Motla have distinguished themselves as pioneers of the People's Housing Process in our province.
I had the opportunity to interact with the women who are behind this important project. I speak on behalf of the people of the North West when I say we, indeed draw great courage from such achievements by women. It is such successes that cement the role of women as critical to sustainable development.
Programme Director, two days ago the provincial government hosted a watershed Gender Summit. This Summit brought together representatives from various stakeholders. During this Summit we presented a report that detailed some of our achievements and challenges with regard to the advancement of women empowerment and gender equality in our province.
Some of the successes the Report details are that 24% of civil servants employed in senior positions within the provincial government are women.
The majority of these are African women. The Report also shows that in our province, more women than men have attained higher educational qualifications.
We continue to facilitate greater women participation particularly in the economic mainstream. This is partly indicated by the fact that during the financial year ending in March 2002, of the total tenders to the value of R448 million awarded, R28 million went to businesses owned by women.
This figure excludes tenders awarded by parastatals and national government departments.
By all accounts these statistics point to the fact that we have indeed turned the tide against the marginalisation of women. These statistics give practical meaning to the theme for this year's women's month that: "The tide has turned. Women building a contract for a better South Africa."
As we make this progress in improving the quality of life of women, we have steered clear of complacency. We remain mindful of the deep-seated nature of the legacy of gender discrimination we seek to eradicate. We have not lost sight of the fact that the road ahead is long and never straightforward.
During Provincial Gender Summit a call was made for all of us to do more to improve the conditions of women in our province. All stakeholders at the Summit recommitted themselves to accelerated women empowerment and gender equality.
Critical to this is the need for an Integrated Provincial Gender Strategy. This Strategy, which was deliberated upon at the Summit, will go a long way in placing women empowerment and gender equality at the centre of government planning processes.
I have no doubt that this Strategy will be finalised by the end of this financial year. The challenge facing all of us is to ensure that this Strategy translates into meaningful improvements in the lives of the women of our province.
As I conclude, I wish to urge the women of our province and indeed the whole country to use their influence, as anchors of family life, and encourage all South Africans to take part in the 2004 general elections.
Specifically, we call on women to encourage the youth to apply for IDs and to register for the elections. Women must spread the message that these elections are about securing a better future for all South Africans.
I thank you!
Issued by North West Provincial Government
9 August 2003
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