Keynote address by MEC for Housing in Gauteng, Ms N Mokonyane, on the occasion of Women's month celebration in Sedibeng - 26 August 2006Honourable Councillors Women emancipation is the prerequisite for any society to lay claim on total liberation of its citizenry. Societies will remain in shackles for as long as women are not yet free from both overt and subtle prejudicial and repressive tendencies of patriarchy. Patriarchy as a system or ideology constructed by men has the potential of redefining and adapting itself to any new conditions, be they progressive and democratic or fascist and chauvinistic. In any historical epoch, male chauvinism, an offshoot of patriarchy, has been used to perpetuate domination and control of women in all spheres of human endeavor and development. In fact, patriarchy is deeply entrenched such that there is no part of our world that has escaped the spread of its tentacles. In South Africa , women have been subjected for too long to humiliating vulgaries and excesses of male domination. Prior to the advent of democracy, women in this country suffered discrimination and oppression at the workplace by an exploitative employer, in society generally by the apartheid state apparatus and at home by the selfish spouse. In essence, women had to fight the yoke of triple oppression. They were never allowed to participate or even accepted as equals by their male counterparts. In the face of all this oppression women remained strong, conscious of their condition and determined to challenge the status quo. Significantly, in the history of our struggle for liberation women were the leading campaigners in changing our tactics and strategies of engagement with the enemy. The shift in tactics from presentation and lobbying which once characterized our struggle to protestation and confrontation was ushered in by women combatants. Women were the first to show their disapproval and disdain for the proliferation of "Bantu Beer Halls" introduced by the racist regime in African communities. They mobilized and organized strikes against these establishments. Such strikes were a profound act of onslaught by women in a sense that they were not just strikes against "Bantu Beer Halls" but an attack against the apartheid establishment at one level, and the economic and moral struggle at another level as well as the attack on the pillars of patriarchy. It became clear that our women were highly conscientised and ready to advance the struggle for total liberation of the oppressed masses. Seeing this level of conviction and determination to advance the cause of the poor, the political movement could not afford to marginalize women any further in a fight against colonialism and total annihilation of apartheid. As a result, women were integrated within the ranks of the cadreship that selflessly and tirelessly fought for the establishment of a democratic, non-sexist, non-racial, united and prosperous South Africa. When the apartheid government intensified its stranglehold on African people by enacting the Pass Laws, it were the women who defied the system and refused to be intimidated by staging a march to Union Building in August 1956. This heroic act alone was a turning point in our fight against racism and oppression. It became clear that the role of women and our struggle will never be the same again. However, the position and conditions of women in society did not change much and the struggle for women emancipation and gender equality had to be intensified within the broader formations of the liberation movement. As the enemy began to relent under pressure from within and without, the negotiated settlement was inevitable and the women struggle had to be intensified. The interests of the women had to be advanced and safeguarded. It was during this period of negotiations that the broad-based Coalition of women formations was established which led to the formulation of the Women Charter as we know it today. The Coalition advocated for the Bill of Rights with the emphasis on the second generation rights to be enshrined in the constitution. This resulted in the establishment of democratic institutionary machinery such as the Office of the Status of Women, Gender Commission and Human Rights Commission as well as the annual Dialogue on women. Women affirmation in various facets of our society has become a norm. All this give credence to the fact that gender equity in our society is being prioritised by the state. Notwithstanding the progress made in advancing women interests, the patriarchal systems with its oppressive conditions still prevail. These conditions are very much part of our everyday life. With every rising sun, we still learn about how women are abused and molested; harassed and brutalized; maimed and killed. Many of our women are invariably in the clutches of poverty and diseases. Women in majority are still concentrated at the lowest rung of the socio-economic ladder. In rural areas of our country and informal settlements of our towns and cities women are yet to experience freedom. They remain one of the most vulnerable groups in our society today. It is therefore fitting that this year we celebrate the Women's Month by launching the Progressive Women Movement as the vehicle for women emancipation and gender equality. It is a platform from which women can speak with one voice, lobby and influence government policy. It is through this movement that the long-term agenda for women can be pursuit and achieved. As a motive force in a struggle for women's rights, the Progressive Women Movement should be rooted and follow the agenda set by the working class and rural women. This should be done to avoid it becoming an elitist organization which tends to alienate the rank and file. It should be an all-inclusive, cross-section formation led by the poor. That is its greatest challenge. For it to remain rooted among the masses, the movement will have to be dynamic, flexible and be able to adapt to localized struggles and conditions. This means it has to be supportive of the current arrangements obtained in various localities where women organize themselves around Stokvels, Omasingcwabisane, Kitchen or Tea Clubs. This is the objective reality that it has to embrace in order to advance women struggles. Moreover, the legacy left by the gallant fighters of 1956 protest march will be compromised if we, in the Progressive Women Movement, do not galvanized the youth of today so that they becomes part of the current struggle for women emancipation. The youth will also be failing not only the older generation but itself if it does not actively participate in this movement as agents of change. More and more young women should get involve so as to accelerate the transformation agenda. The greatest honor and gift that we can give to the pioneers of the women struggle is by intensifying the struggle through our active participation at all levels of the struggle. Though we have witnessed some tangible socio-economic and political change in our society as mentioned earlier, there still remain many critical issues to be addressed. In dealing with these questions, the agenda for the 21 st century woman struggle as embodied by the Women Progressive Movement should no doubt respond to these critical issues:
It is in light of this that the struggle shall continue until all women are free and independent from the whims of male chauvinists in our society. Aluta Continua!! |
