As South Africans celebrate Women’s Day, the contribution of great women are often heralded and echoed across the nation, and rightly so.
It is only fitting that we, as a nation, mark the immeasurable sacrifices and suffering of leading women in our society. The names of Lilian Ngoyi, Mamphela Rampele, Helen Joseph, Albertina Sisulu, Adelaide Tambo, Ruth First, Gertrude Shope, Fatima Meer, Helen Suzman come to mind, among the many other celebrated “political celebrities” and “struggle royalty”.
However, as we continue to build a post-apartheid South Africa and move forward as a free and inclusive democratic society, it is time to note, recognise and celebrate the continued daily sacrifices, suffering and contribution of women who surround us and influence our life’s trajectory.
Keeping in mind, and never forgetting, the generation of ’56 and “struggle heroines”, we have an obligation to nurture, celebrate and support the women of 2010, who in turn have an obligation and a duty to continue the struggle for the total emancipation and empowerment of women in South Africa and Africa.
The women of 2010 are duty-bound, in memory of those women who passionately and defiantly marched on the Strydom government in 1956, to defend and constantly reaffirm the hard-won constitutional and democratic gains, and the basic human rights the post-apartheid dispensation guarantees all of us: freedom, fairness, equality, dignity and integrity.
It is also imperative that the women of 2010, and indeed every single South African, continue to earnestly endeavour for a society in which these are not only formally and legally guaranteed, but tangible and substantively experienced.
Progressing beyond formal legal equality, the women — and men — of the present-day South Africa have an obligation to continue the struggle for substantive and social equality in all spheres of society: socially, politically and economically.
The total emancipation and empowerment of women must extend beyond mere lip-service and slogans, and must do justice to the sacrifices of the countless women who, in some cases, gave their lives to guarantee a South Africa that belongs to all who live in it.
There are sadly a number of particularly important and concerning issues plaguing women as we enter the second decade of the new millennium.
Daily experiences of rape, violence, physical and emotional abuse and crime in general continue to mar our new and free South Africa.
Inadequate support for young mothers, the impact of HIV/Aids, lack of and unequal access to quality education stand in stark contrast to the vision championed by the women of 1956.
Continued marginalisation and a lack of empowerment of women in the corporate world and disproportional representation of women in society and political institutions particularly highlight a bigger, and deep-seated, underlying reality: a society informed by values and a mentality reflecting outdated and anti-democratic paternalistic and patriarchal social attitudes and views.
The challenges may appear insurmountable and daunting, but as demonstrated by the women of 1956, women can and have successfully demanded and exacted change in a society seemingly hard-wired with a patriarchal structure.
Women of South Africa rise up and heed the call for continued activism and pro-active engagement in society! Men of South Africa, support our mothers and the mothers of tomorrow and protect them to secure our future.
Malibongwe igama lamakosikhazi! Phambili abafazi! Wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ imbokodo, uzokufa! Abafazi be the Rock of our Nation, a foundation upon which a sustainable and prosperous future is built.
There is so much written about the duty of women, and the action that they must take to secure their place in the future, but it is extremely difficult when they face a world of fear and economic deprivation. Steps need to be taken from the top down to a) provide economic and socio-economic empowerment to women, b) provide education to women and c) prevent the persistence of sexual abuse and rape of women by providing harsher sentences for rapists and ensuring that their secondary trauma is minimised.
The question surely should not be: Do we deserve to.. but: Should we.. ? How on Earth will women ever achieve equality if they do not:
- Take responsibility for their own support: the fact that some ask for support means that they are not equal at al in ability to take care of themself. It takes two to tango, insist on the father contributing to the child but give the mother the encouragement and opportunity to support herself like any man.
- Stop asking for special treatment – if you cannot do the job, don’t apply and then expect to be treated differently from any other person. It is like saying, if you give someone the book knowledge, a hard hat and a calculator and pretend not to notice their high heels on the building site, they too can be an engineer. Some are just not build for it. Tough! neither are some men.
- Stop whining about how unfair life is to women, it is equally unfair to men – life is just not fair. Some men and women rise above the rest inspite of that.
If you’re still not convinced, ask yourself: why do we not have a Men’s Day? A Department of Men, Women, Children and the Disabled? It reminds me of a picture I received during the World Cup of “Bafana’s only chance to win” which showed a playing field slanted to the opposition’s goal.
As a woman, I totally agree with X Cepting. Women’s Day is a patronising concept, like ‘Take- a-girlchild-to-work Day’. And why on earth did we have to resort to ‘girlchild’ when she’s a perfectly satisfactory ‘girl’?
We need one thing of the world, to make us safe. The day I am safe, every man should also be. We’ll decide for ourselves what, when, where and how we want to be, thanks. We are not all blonde, after all. The reason Zille is lacking female ministers is that those offered the positions chose not to take them.
Without a job, it’s hard to get a bond. With kids it’s difficult to take on top positions. When you cook and clean, it’s not always easy to be the breadwinner. But guess what, Chaps, we’re up for those challenges. Any female who wants to be president (to unashamedly steal a concept), lacks ambition!
Women are as diverse as men, if not moreso, because we recreate ourselves more often and are more pliant to circumstances.
So I dare, today, to challenge all the bread companies to bring out a new line in mieliebread (a noted SA delicacy) to see us through the wheat shortage which promises to raise the price of wheat imports, while we have a mielie glut which is lowering the price of maize below production costs. The man with the gall to challenge the status quo that way, will have my respect!
@MLH – Mieliebread – fantastic solution! But why not you? It is your idea after all. Perfect the recipe, co-opt a few willing ovens (don’t forget the children, it is good practice) and strike a deal for the excess mealies, then take samples to shops. Don’t forget govt tenders. Act fast. If we are going to sort out this country to our satisfaction, gender equality included, we are going to need the inhgenuity of every person, male or female.
x cepting is sowrong we women now a days stll need to fight because of women abuse
x cepting is sowrong we women now a days stll need to fight because of women abuse and another thing women is now a days getting raped by men