Date: 04/06/2005
Source: North West Provincial Government
Title: Rasmeni: Launch of South African Women in Dialogue in North West
Speech by the North West MEC for Social Development, Ms NR Rasmeni, on the occasion of the launch of SAWID (North West)
Programme Director
Honourable Premier, Mme Edna Molewa
National and provincial leadership of SAWID
Distinguished guests
All protocol observed
The launch of South African Women in Dialogue (SAWID) in the province represents yet another milestone in the struggle of women to achieve social justice, equity and to claim space in the economic mainstream of society.
This is not an isolated act of self-assertion and affirmation, but it is above all an act of solidarity with the women all over the world who are involved in the same struggles as us.
Programme Director, allow me to briefly reflect on the nature and extent of vulnerability of women.
Women continue to live in poverty despite being a numerical majority of our population. We must therefore learn to harness this numerical strength into a collective power for the reconstruction on development of our lives and that of society.
Statistics and research indicate that 50.4% of population in the province is female, the majority of which live in rural areas (58%) and are poor. A total of 55% of women in the province are unemployed and vulnerable.
In 2001, Statistics SA recorded that 51% of women have no schooling. The survey acknowledges that despite this limitation there has been a dramatic change in the status of women as reflected in their participation in labour force, education, health, and agriculture and in government since the advent of democracy. The challenge is to consolidate these gains and further advance our effort for the qualitative transformation of the masses of women still locked in the shackles of poverty and powerlessness.
Ladies and gentlemen, the scourge of HIV/AIDS continues to loom like the dark shadow over our democracy. HIV/AIDS is another critical factor that make woman vulnerable. Women are four times more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS than men. According to projections there are 268 652 women between ages of 18 to 64 years living with HIV/AIDS. It is an enemy that wracks havoc in our lives and live us widowed and our children orphaned.
While still on the subject of the nature of poverty and vulnerability of women, I am reminded of the two nations speech by the President. Following his analysis and conclusion on the “two nations construct” I fell obliged to add that there is a third peripheral world for women.
This is a hostile world where women are subjected to domination and painful violence, which violates their sexual and reproductive rights. The recent spade of family killings perpetrated by husbands and boyfriends now magnifies this world of powerlessness and pain. This marginalisation derives fundamentally from the lack of economic power and security by women.
Such is the state of our vulnerability. This is, however, not a soulful cry but a sober reflection of poverty, its manifestations and adversities we must still conquer.
My Department services the vulnerable and ultra poor as part of the broad mandate of government. We see and define our self as the face of South Africa’s poor. Our mandate is to provide safety nets to vulnerable groups, the majority of which are women and children.
In the year 2002 the Department changed its name from Social Welfare to Social Development. This change in name reflects a change in paradigm. It represents a conscious shift from welfare orientation to a developmental focus premised on sustainable development. It also reflects our commitment to poverty eradication and achieving social justice and equity.
The Department views and understands poverty as lack of life opportunities. It is therefore our assumption and conclusion that poverty is a social construct that arises from a material reality, which stifles people’s potential, growth and traps them in a vicious cycle of marginalisation.
Our poverty interventions are therefore designed to unlock and unleash the creative power of vulnerable groups to develop and implement their own sustainable livelihood strategies. Income generation is therefore not an exclusive focus of our programmes. Our programmes seeks promote the formation of financial, human and social capital. Our view of poverty is complete hence our interventions are integrated. In addressing poverty we implement a range of development, care and support programmes aimed at improving the quality of life for the poor and vulnerable. My presentation will however limit itself to poverty programmes.
In 1997 we introduced a programme for unemployed women with children under five years. The aim of the Programme is to facilitate educational and employment opportunities for women and their children to break the cycle of poverty and reduce their potential dependency on the State.
There are currently four of such projects in the province. In this financial year were have made funds available to strengthen the existing flagship projects and establish three new ones. I have visited some of these projects and witnessed the change in their life circumstances. In 2001 we introduced an objective within Poverty Relief Programme to encourage the formation of women’s companies. We still remain committed to support such initiatives. These initiatives are essential instruments of power to break the cycle of economic marginalisation of women.
In 2004 we hosted an Indaba for young rural women living in poverty. The purpose of the exercise was to explore mechanisms of providing opportunities for meaningful participation of this category of women in the social and economic mainstream of society.
In taking this process forward were have made funding available to pilot a high impact development programme for young women in one of the poverty stricken villages of Bophirima District.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Department is taking progressive steps to deliver on policy in imperatives of this government. The province has just developed its Provincial Growth and Development Strategy. The Department will soon be convening a Social Development Indaba to develop ways through which we could meaningfully contribute to the attainment of the goal of this strategy. This Indaba shall consider strategies to divert and reduce the heavily dependence of our people on social security grants.
We will also intensify our programmes supporting the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Plan (ISRDP) and Urban Renewal Plan. This presents opportunities for women formations to partner with the Department in accelerating service delivery.
In conclusion let me reiterate that this government has provided enabling policies to promote overall women development and economic empowerment. The growth in business enterprising for women is however been stunted by lack of visible and aggressive advocacy and education programmes.
I hope that SAWID will fill this void and, together with other women’s networks, serve as a critical voice for women emancipation. Let take this opportunity to wish you all the best in the challenging road ahead.
The power is in our hands!
I thank you
Issued by: Department of Social Development, North West Provincial Government
4 June 2005
Source: North West Provincial Government
Title: Rasmeni: Launch of South African Women in Dialogue in North West
Speech by the North West MEC for Social Development, Ms NR Rasmeni, on the occasion of the launch of SAWID (North West)
Programme Director
Honourable Premier, Mme Edna Molewa
National and provincial leadership of SAWID
Distinguished guests
All protocol observed
The launch of South African Women in Dialogue (SAWID) in the province represents yet another milestone in the struggle of women to achieve social justice, equity and to claim space in the economic mainstream of society.
This is not an isolated act of self-assertion and affirmation, but it is above all an act of solidarity with the women all over the world who are involved in the same struggles as us.
Programme Director, allow me to briefly reflect on the nature and extent of vulnerability of women.
Women continue to live in poverty despite being a numerical majority of our population. We must therefore learn to harness this numerical strength into a collective power for the reconstruction on development of our lives and that of society.
Statistics and research indicate that 50.4% of population in the province is female, the majority of which live in rural areas (58%) and are poor. A total of 55% of women in the province are unemployed and vulnerable.
In 2001, Statistics SA recorded that 51% of women have no schooling. The survey acknowledges that despite this limitation there has been a dramatic change in the status of women as reflected in their participation in labour force, education, health, and agriculture and in government since the advent of democracy. The challenge is to consolidate these gains and further advance our effort for the qualitative transformation of the masses of women still locked in the shackles of poverty and powerlessness.
Ladies and gentlemen, the scourge of HIV/AIDS continues to loom like the dark shadow over our democracy. HIV/AIDS is another critical factor that make woman vulnerable. Women are four times more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS than men. According to projections there are 268 652 women between ages of 18 to 64 years living with HIV/AIDS. It is an enemy that wracks havoc in our lives and live us widowed and our children orphaned.
While still on the subject of the nature of poverty and vulnerability of women, I am reminded of the two nations speech by the President. Following his analysis and conclusion on the “two nations construct” I fell obliged to add that there is a third peripheral world for women.
This is a hostile world where women are subjected to domination and painful violence, which violates their sexual and reproductive rights. The recent spade of family killings perpetrated by husbands and boyfriends now magnifies this world of powerlessness and pain. This marginalisation derives fundamentally from the lack of economic power and security by women.
Such is the state of our vulnerability. This is, however, not a soulful cry but a sober reflection of poverty, its manifestations and adversities we must still conquer.
My Department services the vulnerable and ultra poor as part of the broad mandate of government. We see and define our self as the face of South Africa’s poor. Our mandate is to provide safety nets to vulnerable groups, the majority of which are women and children.
In the year 2002 the Department changed its name from Social Welfare to Social Development. This change in name reflects a change in paradigm. It represents a conscious shift from welfare orientation to a developmental focus premised on sustainable development. It also reflects our commitment to poverty eradication and achieving social justice and equity.
The Department views and understands poverty as lack of life opportunities. It is therefore our assumption and conclusion that poverty is a social construct that arises from a material reality, which stifles people’s potential, growth and traps them in a vicious cycle of marginalisation.
Our poverty interventions are therefore designed to unlock and unleash the creative power of vulnerable groups to develop and implement their own sustainable livelihood strategies. Income generation is therefore not an exclusive focus of our programmes. Our programmes seeks promote the formation of financial, human and social capital. Our view of poverty is complete hence our interventions are integrated. In addressing poverty we implement a range of development, care and support programmes aimed at improving the quality of life for the poor and vulnerable. My presentation will however limit itself to poverty programmes.
In 1997 we introduced a programme for unemployed women with children under five years. The aim of the Programme is to facilitate educational and employment opportunities for women and their children to break the cycle of poverty and reduce their potential dependency on the State.
There are currently four of such projects in the province. In this financial year were have made funds available to strengthen the existing flagship projects and establish three new ones. I have visited some of these projects and witnessed the change in their life circumstances. In 2001 we introduced an objective within Poverty Relief Programme to encourage the formation of women’s companies. We still remain committed to support such initiatives. These initiatives are essential instruments of power to break the cycle of economic marginalisation of women.
In 2004 we hosted an Indaba for young rural women living in poverty. The purpose of the exercise was to explore mechanisms of providing opportunities for meaningful participation of this category of women in the social and economic mainstream of society.
In taking this process forward were have made funding available to pilot a high impact development programme for young women in one of the poverty stricken villages of Bophirima District.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Department is taking progressive steps to deliver on policy in imperatives of this government. The province has just developed its Provincial Growth and Development Strategy. The Department will soon be convening a Social Development Indaba to develop ways through which we could meaningfully contribute to the attainment of the goal of this strategy. This Indaba shall consider strategies to divert and reduce the heavily dependence of our people on social security grants.
We will also intensify our programmes supporting the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Plan (ISRDP) and Urban Renewal Plan. This presents opportunities for women formations to partner with the Department in accelerating service delivery.
In conclusion let me reiterate that this government has provided enabling policies to promote overall women development and economic empowerment. The growth in business enterprising for women is however been stunted by lack of visible and aggressive advocacy and education programmes.
I hope that SAWID will fill this void and, together with other women’s networks, serve as a critical voice for women emancipation. Let take this opportunity to wish you all the best in the challenging road ahead.
The power is in our hands!
I thank you
Issued by: Department of Social Development, North West Provincial Government
4 June 2005
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