The Minister of Women in the Presidency, Ms Bathabile Dlamini would like to join the global community in celebrating International Women’s Day.

She wishes, in particular, South African women a happy International Women’s Day. The global event is intended to commemorate the movement for women's rights and was historically celebrated by the socialist movement and communist countries in the main, up until it was adopted in 1975 by the United Nations.

In line with the International Women's Day 2018 campaign theme of #PressforProgress, Minister Dlamini has committed herself to, “the revival of the national gender machinery in order to accelerate the department’s mandate of socio economic empowerment of women and amongst others, have a coordinated approach to addressing issues of women.”

She said South Africa needs to focus on women as human beings with human rights and unmet needs.

Speaking at a gathering of government and civil society representatives she also said amongst others that; “Gender mainstreaming should be prioritised and all government entities should for instance have clear and concrete plans to address and accelerate the socio-economic empowerment of women  whilst taking into cognisance that women are not homogenous.”

Minister Dlamini would also like for her department and relevant stakeholders to play a key role in improving the ability of women in South Africa to confront patriarchy.

“Women and young girls are also human being with full human rights like their male counterparts. Accordingly the issue of patriarchy and its partner gender based violence should not be politicised, women need to unite and speak in one voice.”

She said while Government has services that seek to address women’s issues, it is important that the rural woman’s life changes for the better. She needs to be educated and provided with the choice to be able to make decisions about herself, her body and her children.

According to the organisers of International Woman's Day; “Now, more than ever, there's a strong call-to-action to press forward and progress gender parity. A strong call to #PressforProgress. A strong call to motivate and unite friends, colleagues and whole communities to think, act and be gender inclusive.”

International Woman’s Day comes on the eve of South Africa’s participation in the 62nd edition of the Commission on the Status of Women; the annual event takes place at the UN headquarters in New York. The main focus or the priority theme of this year’s event is, “Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls living in rural areas.”

Issued by Department of Women