Deputy Speaker and Members of Parliament, this month we commemorate the courage of the more than 20 000 women who staged a march on 9 August 1956, protesting against the legislation that required black people to carry a pass during apartheid. These women broke the stereotype of women being seen as inept, uninvolved, unaware and subservient. Their courage and tenacity showed that, throughout the ages, women have played a critical role in the progression of societies. They are positive role models for all South Africans. They fought for their beliefs, even though they faced major obstacles, and I pay tribute to the hon Sophia de Bruyn, our colleague.
It is 2013 and we are considered a democratic country. Yet, regardless of the courage and action of women over the years, women are still not sufficiently empowered in our society. As a nation, we continue to face many challenges. Women are the most adversely affected and this needs to change. In an ideal society, we should all feel respected and empowered. In fact, this is what our Constitution provides for: equal rights, equal opportunities and all living in unity and with dignity. However, we do not live in an ideal society. Somehow, we have come not to respect the dignity of every South African. I am not only referring to women. Some of us are disrespected and have our rights violated on the basis of race, class, language, sexual orientation and - yes - gender.
Let us talk about gender issues. It is indeed tragic that the violation of women's rights has become so deeply entrenched in our society. An example of this is the brutal rape and murder of Duduzile Zozo, a lesbian and a Thokoza resident. The corrective rape task team, established by the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security cluster in 2011, was meant to conduct a legislative audit of legislation pertaining to hate crimes, yet the task team has been silent thus far. It is estimated that as many as 10 lesbians are raped or gang-raped in South Africa weekly.
Women's rights in communities, courts and police stations are often disregarded. We see this every day. Our newspapers are overflowing with stories of rape and brutal murders. Every kind of physical and sexual abuse imaginable has been thrown at women. Rape, sexual violence and domestic violence plague our nation and have reached crisis levels. A woman in South Africa is raped every 10 minutes. A woman is murdered by her partner every eight hours.
The National Council Against Gender-Based Violence - part of the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities - has done very little to visibly deliver on its mandate thus far. Women also face structural economic oppression. They earn less than men. Women are also more likely to be unemployed. The unemployment rate of women is 2,9% higher than the national average of 24,9%. Women are underrepresented in positions of authority. Women and girls are less likely to receive a quality education.
Women are systematically less favoured to succeed in life. This is a great, unresolved and perpetuated injustice in our land. Government has failed to address this gender inequality. It is no good pushing for equal representation of men and women in Parliament and ask those very same Members of Parliament to support a Traditional Courts Bill that disempowers rural women. It is no good celebrating our country's struggle for women's rights while we tolerate those among us who use sexism as a substitute for parliamentary debate. It is no good celebrating Women's Day with a sumptuous dinner at the Mount Nelson, while women continue to live in poverty, cut off from opportunity. This needs to change. We can pay tribute to our female struggle heroines of 1956 by giving women and girls equal opportunities, but everyone has a role to play - from government to the private sector, communities and our very own families. The solution for empowering women is the same as it is for everyone else: more opportunities. We need to grow our economy by creating jobs for women and men. We need to improve educational opportunities for our youth. One way would be to fix the National Student Financial Aid Scheme to give more university funding for young women and young men. We also need to fix the justice system so that it actually protects victims of injustice and gender violence and does not impose secondary discrimination and victimisation.
We need to build our country so that everyone has a chance to succeed. Women, just like everybody else, need jobs, education, health care, housing and a government that works. By empowering women, we empower our nation. Enkosi kakhulu. [I thank you.] [Applause.]
Hon members, the noise level is too high. I appeal to all of you that if you are really desperate to talk, you can take a break.
Hon Deputy Speaker and hon members, again I stand on this podium with joy and pride. Last year we congratulated Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma on her election as the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. This year, on behalf of Cope, I would like to congratulate Mrs Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who was sworn in on Monday as the United Nations Under-Secretary for Women. [Applause.] To echo her words, her task is indeed not easy. Billions of women globally are looking up to her to change their lives.
Women's rights are recognised as human rights. These rights are violated daily. Older women are victims of rape by their children and children's friends. It is a pity that after we have attained our freedom, women are still not free. Yes, progress in empowering women has been made in various fields, but women in South Africa are still facing daunting challenges. Today, South Africa ranks number four in the world with 45% women parliamentarians. Though men still outnumber women, South Africa is the major contributor to the 19% of women parliamentarians in sub-Saharan Africa.
Women are still subjected to sexist practices at home and work. There are few women who are in top executive positions in companies. The majority of women in South Africa are still to realise the freedom that was fought for by pioneers like Charlotte Maxeke. Women in rural areas are still stuck in a destructive cycle of poverty. Land ownership still favours men over women. As a result, a large portion of land is still owned by men. These women lack access to their basic human rights and are responsible for heavier household burdens. Gathering and transporting water falls on women and girls, a task that can take many hours each day in drought-prone areas.
Women constitute 46% of the economically active population, but two thirds of African women aged between 15 and 24 are unemployed. Young women who are forced to drop out of school face a bleak future. Teenage pregnancy is wreaking havoc in many poor communities. The field for women is not just bumpy but an uphill battle.
Bomme, kgetsi ya tsie e kgonwa ke go tshwaraganelwa. Ka jalo, ke tshwanelo ya rona go nna ngata e le nngwe go lwantsha botlhokotsebe jo bo tlhorisang bana le basadi. Ke nako ya go tsholetsa thari re e beye mo dihubeng go bontsha tlhoafalo le kutlwelobotlhoko. Mmangwana o tshwara thipa ka fa bogaleng. Ka jalo, a molaetsa wa gompieno e nne: Go lekane, go lekane, e be e nne molodi wa letsatsi lengwe le lengwe. Ke a leboga. [Legofi.] (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[Women, many hands make light work. Therefore, it is our right to be united in the fight against the victimization of children and women. It is time that we stand firm in showing our discontentment and sympathy. A mother will do anything to protect her children. For that reason, the message of today must be: Enough is enough, and this must be heard on a daily basis. Thank you. [Applause.]]
Hon Deputy Speaker, I stand here today, representative not only of the lnkatha Freedom Party, but also as a very proud woman of South Africa. I say to you and this House, without any evasion, reservation or mental equivocation whatsoever, that we are failing the women of this country.
Gender equality, although constitutionally enshrined and supported in terms of chapter 9 of our Constitution, remains largely untransformed. This is clear evidence to me of the deep-seated social ills and underlying prejudices towards women that remain in the workplace and in general.
Behind closed doors, we remain, for all intents and purposes, second-rate citizens. This must change, because it is not only hurting women, but also our country in general. Existing skills shortages in the workplace could be rapidly diminished if gender equality was the norm instead of the exception. Sadly, this is yet to be.
Gender activism in South Africa has always been supported by the lnkatha Freedom Party and, in particular, by our leader, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who recently said:
Long before gender activism was born in South Africa, I recognised that women have a vital role in society that cannot be limited to the home and the family. Women were the backbone of our liberation struggle. They are the backbone of political mobilisation and must become the backbone of moral regeneration. Women have an invaluable contribution to make to science, the economy, business, politics, medicine, the arts, industry and every sphere of life.
I have always acted on these convictions. During apartheid, as soon as we had limited legislative powers in KwaZulu, I tackled the Code of Zulu Law and removed provisions that discriminated against women and considered them minors. Thus, for the first time, black women were granted property rights. I also expunged the barbaric provision that gave a husband the right to administer corporal punishment to his wife. Abuse of women is not a cultural thing. It is pure evil.
Prince Buthelezi embodies the forward thinking that must begin to take hold in the minds of all South African men if we are ever to change the current gender landscape in South Africa.
To conclude, the upcoming Gender Equality Bill must also be supported because it will further promote and ensure gender compliance in the workplace and will create the necessary enabling environment for all South Africans in which to work and prosper.
The IFP supports all women in South Africa and will relentlessly continue with its efforts to ensure gender equality. [Applause.]
Madam Deputy Speaker and hon members, the annual commemoration of Women's Day obliges one to repeat once again the observations that this day is an opportunity not merely to celebrate the many remarkable women who have made this nation great - although they certainly deserve to be celebrated - nor is it merely the opportunity to sing the praises of the many women who excel in countless positions throughout our society - although they are certainly worthy of such praises. This day must also be dedicated to considering where we as society continue to fail in our constitutional obligation to ensure gender equality.
In the same breath that we salute women who have excelled, we must express our dismay about women who have been oppressed, abused and murdered simply because of their gender. These incidents, such as the high rate of gender- based violence, remind us that our legislative and policy efforts have not yet translated into a society where all men respect and treat women as their equal. What we require is greater public awareness about gender equality, starting with leaders, including politicians, showing unwavering commitment to these principles.
Women in rural areas are particularly vulnerable to poverty and discrimination. Limited access to infrastructure like roads, communication and electricity makes it difficult for them to access information, markets and the services necessary to improve their livelihoods. Therefore, there is more that needs to be done to ensure that women in rural areas are empowered.
However, meaningful and sustainable empowerment of women hinges on our ability to invest in quality education, because it is one of the important means of empowering women with the knowledge, skills and self-confidence necessary to participate fully in the development processes.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES: Hon Chairperson, I have learned from history that women are on the receiving end whenever there is a crisis or some sort of trouble. For various reasons, women suffer most when, for example, we talk about poverty, when we look at natural disasters or at victims of war. In South Africa at present, there are 150 women raped daily - that is one woman every 10 minutes.
In December this year we will be celebrating the centenary of the SA Women's Memorial in Bloemfontein.
Die vraag is: Waarvoor is die monument opgerig? Dit is opgerig vir die vroue en kinders wat tydens die Anglo-Boereoorlog gesterf het. As 'n mens na die getalle gaan kyk, dan is daar in verhouding tot elkeen wat op die slagveld gesterf het, nege vroue en kinders in die konsentrasiekampe en op ander plekke dood. Dit is een van die slegste verhoudings in die wreld.
Hoe lyk die monument? Dit is 'n gedenknaald wat 35 m hoog is, en u kan dit gerus gaan besoek. Wat belangrik is, is dat daar voor die monument 'n standbeeld van 'n vrou met 'n dooie kind op haar skoot is. Dit kom van Emily Hobhouse wat geskryf het oor wat sy in die konsentrasiekampe gesien het. Daar was wit en swart konsentrasiekampe. Sy s dat sy geroep is na 'n moeder wat met haar kind op haar skoot op haar trommeltjie gesit het. Sy s in haar dagboek:
Sy het niks gehad om hom te gee nie en hy was duidelik besig om te sterf. Ek het nog by die kampkommandant 'n bietjie brandewyn laat vra om te kyk of ons hom nie daarmee kon bybring nie, maar hy wou niks gee nie. Saam het ons toe in 'n eerbiedige stilte toegekyk hoe die kleintjie sy laaste asem uitblaas.
Die moeder het haar nie verroer nie, sy't nie gehuil nie. Dit was haar enigste kind. Met dro o, maar 'n krytwit gesig, het sy bewegingloos daar gesit en gekyk, nie na die kind nie, maar ver, ver weg in die afgronde van smart wat anderkant trane l. 'n Vriendin het agter haar gestaan en die hemel tot getuie geroep van die tragedie; ander om haar het gesnik; sy, niks nie.
Die hele tragedie van oorlog l vir my in daardie toneel van kinderlyding en vrouesmart opgesluit, soos Emily Hobhouse geskryf het. As u by die monument kom, is dt die standbeeld voor u. As u daar kom, moet u daaraan dink, want dt is wat uitgebeeld word. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The question is: Why was this monument erected? It was erected for the women and children who had died during the Anglo Boer War. If one looks at the statistics, in relation to every one person who died on the battlefield, nine women and children lost their lives in the concentration camps and other places. This is one of the worst ratios in the world.
What does this monument look like? It is a 35 m tall obelisk, and you should consider paying it a visit. What is important is that there is a statue of a woman with a dead child on her lap in front of the monument. This comes from Emily Hobhouse who had written about what she had seen in these concentration camps. There were concentration camps for blacks and whites. She describes how she was called to where a mother was sitting on her travelling trunk with her child on her lap. She says in her diary:
Sy het niks gehad om hom te gee nie en hy was duidelik besig om te sterf. Ek het nog by die kampkommandant 'n bietjie brandewyn laat vra om te kyk of ons hom nie daarmee kon bybring nie, maar hy wou niks gee nie. Saam het ons toe in 'n eerbiedige stilte toegekyk hoe die kleintjie sy laaste asem uitblaas.
Die moeder het haar nie verroer nie, sy't nie gehuil nie. Dit was haar enigste kind. Met dro o, maar 'n krytwit gesig, het sy bewegingloos daar gesit en gekyk, nie na die kind nie, maar ver, ver weg in die afgronde van smart wat anderkant trane l. 'n Vriendin het agter haar gestaan en die hemel tot getuie geroep van die tragedie; ander om haar het gesnik; sy, niks nie.
For me, the whole tragedy of war is encapsulated in this scene depicting the suffering of children and the grief of women, as recorded by Emily Hobhouse. When you arrive at the monument, this is the statue in front of you. When you arrive there, you have to keep this in mind, because this is what is being depicted.]
For 80 years this was the only monument in the world that commemorated the suffering of women.
As u dalk in Pretoria is en u wil die Voortrekkermonument besoek, wie is die sentrale figuur daar? Dit is weereens 'n vrou. Die argitek het ges sonder vroue was dt wat gebeur het nie moontlik nie, want vroue dra die waardes van 'n volk na buite, en daarsonder kon hy dit nie doen nie. Daarom is 'n vrou die sentrale persoon. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[If you happen to be in Pretoria and you want to visit the Voortrekker Monument, who is the central figure there? Once again, it is a woman. The architect said that what happened would have been impossible without women, because women impart the values of a nation to the world outside, and without them he would not have been able to do it. That is why a woman is the central person.]
Today we commemorate the march of the ANC women to the Union Buildings in 1956. On 4 August 1950 there was also a march to the Union Buildings, which was about those people who were involved in the rebellion. On 22 June 1940 ...
... het 9 000 vroue na die Uniegebou gemarsjeer om te kla oor die Tweede Wreldoorlog en om vir vrede te gaan vra. Wat my betref, is dit ons taak in hierdie Raad om met wetgewing en met toesig te sorg dat vroue in Suid- Afrika nie weer nodig het om na die Uniegebou te marsjeer nie. Terwyl ons hulle herdenk vir die leiding van die verlede, kom ons skep toestande waar dit nie nodig is om weer te marsjeer of om sulke monumente op te rig nie. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[... 9 000 women marched to the Union Buildings to complain about the Second World War and to ask for peace. As far as I am concerned, it is our duty in this Chamber, through legislation and oversight, to ensure that women in South Africa would never have to march to the Union Buildings again. Whilst we celebrate them for their guidance in the past, let us create conditions where it would not be necessary for them to march again or for us to erect such monuments. [Applause.]]
Hon Deputy Speaker, as we celebrate Women's Month this August, the ACDP wishes to take this opportunity to extend its warm and best wishes to all the women of South Africa. It is well known that in terms of gender, women make up 51% of our population. The ACDP commends the heroines of our country who are the strong threads that keep the fabric of our communities together. We know and understand the sometimes difficult circumstances that many women, particularly those in the rural areas, have to endure as they are often on the receiving end of crime, poverty and the inherent socials ills prevalent in their workplaces and the areas in which they reside.
It is for this reason that the ACDP has worked tirelessly with others, giving input into and supporting the passing of the human trafficking Bill. The ACDP is pleased that its work in this area has finally paid dividends. The passing of this Bill is a step in the right direction and works towards addressing the abuses that many women face. The ACDP is certainly proud to have been a part of this process.
The ACDP salutes all women who are pillars in our country and who are in many instances the backbone of our communities. All women have the right to safety and security, and the ACDP believes that it is possible to build a country, a society and communities where our women do not feel threatened or unsafe in their own homes.
In this light the ACDP welcomes the initiative by government to reopen the sexual offences courts. We have always said that these courts should not have been closed in the first place. As we build into the 21st century, may we never again speak of the battle of the sexes, but may we speak of the unity, oneness and togetherness of both male and female, while remembering the Biblical injunction: "How can two walk together, unless they agree?" [Applause.]
Deputy Speaker, I am happy that I am speaking after somebody who is seeing what government is doing. Unfortunately, there were women who were on this podium who don't see any laws that are positive for the women of this country. Hon members, in a foreword to the UN Handbook for Legislation on Violence against Women, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations observed, and I quote:
Across the world - in rich and poor countries alike - women are being beaten, trafficked, raped and killed. These human rights abuses not only inflict great harm and suffering on individuals, they tear at the fabric of entire societies.
In March this year 131 countries approved the UN blueprint for combating violence against women and girls, which sets global standards for action to prevent and ultimately end violence against women.
The 2007 strategy and tactics document of the ANC characterises the problem of gender-based violence as one that is, among other things, the consequence of centuries of embedded patriarchy. In this regard, the ANC says, and I quote:
... precisely because patriarchal oppression was embedded in the economic, social, religious, cultural, family and other relations in all communities, its eradication cannot be an assumed consequence of democracy. All manifestations of patriarchy - from the feminisation of poverty, physical and psychological abuse, undermining of self-confidence to open and hidden forms of exclusion from positions of authority and power - need to be eliminated.
On this day we don't need to politicise this issue. This is the day when we must all remember and celebrate. I am saying "celebrate" - we are not not going to have our gala dinner. In this Parliament, whenever we have an event for each and every committee, we do have gala dinners. However, when we invited our veterans and our societies representing everybody in South Africa, they were not there for eating food. Constructive and good papers were delivered. [Interjections.]
Mrs Robinson disappoints me when she says we were not supposed to have gala dinners, while she has been doing gala dinners for five years in this Parliament. She did not condemn them, but yesterday she did because it was a day for women. I feel ashamed. [Interjections.]
Yesterday, at the gala dinner, we heard from the speaker that when she was addressing young women, the questions raised by those young women - if you were not there - were: What are you doing about these laws that were passed? I will mention the laws later. We have passed good laws as a ruling party, together with everybody in this Parliament. However, what we have noticed is that although there are good laws, the problem we all still have is the implementation of those laws.
Between 2009 and today, this Parliament has been calling meetings for all members of society and NGOs to scrutinise these laws, seeing that there are gaps in these laws. That is why, when you arrived, you were not supposed to go to sleep, but to ask for ...
... umrhabulo ... [... information ...]
... as to why we are not implementing all the laws. This morning we had the opportunity to call all relevant departments. They were not just saying that all is well. What is being said in all departments of Parliament, especially in the women's Ministry, in the Multiparty Women's Caucus, is that we are identifying these gaps, together with those people who were invited yesterday.
Even today, the Department of Justice and the Commission on Gender Equality told us what we needed to do. We must try to amend and create laws that have teeth. We all became aware during the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children over the last few years that women were being raped and killed, but this year it was a terrible situation. Our President said that we needed to start at home. We need to know where our husbands, wives or children are at 20:00 at night, because it starts at home. They take the drugs outside our premises. [Applause.] What are we saying about that? Must government assist us to look after our families? Let us assist. We do agree that we all belong to this South African government, but what must we do and what must we say?
I feel very bad, because 50% representation is an international requirement. The South African Parliament is a signatory to that. We need 50/50 representation in our parliaments. In some of our committees we have been saying that you can't come to Parliament and want to get that 50/50. You must start with your own political party. Hon Robinson says there is no need for that 50/50 representation. Today we have about 43% and that very high number is due to this ruling party. Other parties are trying. How dare Mrs Robinson, who was sitting with us every day, come to this podium now and deny that we need that 50/50 representation? It is a shame! [Applause.] [Interjections.]
The National Council Against Gender-Based Violence was inaugurated only in December 2012. As I am speaking, the Deputy President has made a call to our male opponents - because this is about gender-based violence. However, if you are saying that Rome was supposed to have been built since December 2012, then I feel sorry for you.
We have passed so many laws through this department. I can mention the Domestic Violence Act. However, we still need other amending laws, because if I, Beauty Nombasa Dlulane, go to court or to the police station to report that ...
... utata kaMputhumi undibethile kuba bendingafuni ukwenza nokuba yintoni na ... [... my husband beat me up because I didn't want to entertain his sexual whim ...]
... they will ask me, instead of taking the statement ...
... wena akuzazi ukuba ungumfazi, ubuze kwenza ntoni emzini? [... don't you know what your role is as a wife?]
They agreed this morning that we needed to put legislation in place to prevent this. We must educate the police at police stations in the areas where we report violence.
As we stand here, we know that 2015 is coming and, as South Africa, we need to go and report in the UN. What have we done to meet the 50/50 target? So, let us strive to get that. We are heading for an election. All the parties that are part of this House must strive for that. Our male comrades or male folk should not put only themselves forward. Even the women in political parties should not only look at their male comrades - they must put female candidates forward. It starts with ourselves - that "pull-down syndrome". So, as the ANC, we are proud of the laws that we have passed. However, we are not 100% proud, because we have seen horrible things: A four-month-old girl was raped; 91-year-old and 84-year-old women are being raped ... [Time expired.]
Deputy Speaker, August is the most exhausting month to the psyche of a woman living in South Africa! This is the month when the nation pretends to care about issues affecting women. We are flooded with messages of nonviolence against women, hectic advertising and role-playing - just for this month!
We are all conscious of what role women played in our history and in our daily lives. I am sure I speak for many women when I say that what women want is not special days here and there; fake recognition and applause in certain months; or sympathies from male counterparts. What women want is to be treated with dignity like everybody else. We want to be safe in our own homes. We want to own our bodies and not to be violated on an hourly basis.
You see, we play the primary role in bringing about human life. We want to know it is safe to continue to give birth to new offspring. We want our little girls in pink to play in the streets carefree, knowing they are safe from their brothers, fathers, neighbours and strangers.
Women want to know that they don't need to double their work efforts just to get the same recognition as men. Women want men to recognise that patriarchy doesn't just hurt women; it hurts men as well. It does not serve any of us. The women and children that get raped daily have brothers, lovers, husbands and fathers who hurt so much over such violations. They end up feeling that they failed their own by not protecting them.
Women don't want men ululating lovely messages on special days. Women want men who will stand for what is right. Women want men to treat them as equal counterparts and to value their contribution at home, in school and at work. Women want men who will not wait for the Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill to do what is right. Women want people to understand that it is not a favour to be a woman; it is a God-given right. We have got the right to live. We have got the right to do whatever we want to do. It is not a favour! [Applause.]
Bagaetsho, ga re le bomme re le rotlhe, re seka ra leka go ipharologanya. Re seka ra letla gore mebala ya rona e se re dire bomme. (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[As women we should never try to differentiate ourselves from each other. We should not let our skin colours convert us into monsters.]
We are all women, irrespective of colour; irrespective of where you are from; and irrespective of the comforts you have. You are a woman. You have to feel that that very poor woman is just the same as you. She needs what you have. You have to support her. You have to show that by doing whatever other women ask you to do. People, we are God-given people. [Interjections.]
A re rataneng re le basadi; re tlotlaneng. [Let us love and respect each other as women.]
Let's start respecting ourselves. [Applause.] Let's start showing people that we live. [Applause.] Let's start saying that this is the time when we have the right to be women. [Applause.]
Speaker, hon Ministers, Deputy Ministers, hon members, ladies and gentlemen, this year marks 57 years since that historic march on the Union Buildings by 20 000 brave women to protest against the pass laws of the 1950s. This year also marks 19 years since the dawn of democracy in this country.
South Africa is Africa's largest economy and is ranked by the World Bank as an upper-middle-income economy. This means that South Africa is one of only four countries on the continent that are described as upper-middle-income economies. The others are Gabon, Botswana and Mauritius. Yet, according to available statistics, women accounted for only 44% of the labour force in 2011 in this country. In terms of the Gender Inequality Index, South Africa ranked 90th in a list of 148 countries. Maternal mortality in the country affects 300 out of every 100 000 women, despite the fact that South Africa enjoys one of the most advanced medical services available on this continent.
The apartheid system disadvantaged many women, particularly African women - more so than any racial group in this country - in terms of access to jobs and other economic opportunities. For example, labour requirements in the cities and in the mining areas have often drawn men away from the villages and left women to carry out those responsibilities that were supposed to be performed by men. As a result, women have borne many traditionally male responsibilities in the village and at home while their husbands were out working in the cities and in the mines. Women have had to guarantee the day- to-day survival of their families and to carry out financial and legal transactions that otherwise would have been performed by men.
There is no doubt that women are the cornerstone of African economic development. According to recent statistics, women provide 70% of agricultural labour and produce 90% of all the food. They are mostly employed in the informal sector of the economy. Despite their contribution to the economy, women are still disadvantaged in many ways. For example, women do not enjoy easy access to economic and other ownership rights as men do. In the DA's open-opportunity society, women will enjoy the same rights as men. They will have job opportunities equally. They will have the right to own land and their contributions will be rewarded equally in terms of salary and recognition of their skills and qualifications.
The plight of our women in particular is made worse by our own patriarchal and oppressive practices and beliefs. [Interjections.]
Hon Deputy Speaker, I want to ask the member whether there are women in the Cabinet of the Western Cape.
Deputy Speaker, I don't want to answer that question. She is wasting my time. [Interjections.]
The plight of our women is made worse particularly by some of our patriarchal and oppressive practices and beliefs. Some of these practices place women in positions where they are subjected to unfairness and oppression by society. For example, a woman who loses her husband by death is required to wear mourning clothes for up to a year, but when a man loses his wife by death, he can marry another woman the following day. When a woman loses her husband, tradition requires that she must be cleansed before she can marry another man; yet men are not required to be cleansed.
It is true that a lot has been achieved during these 20 years, but more still needs to be done to emancipate our grandmothers, mothers, aunties, sisters and cousins from economic injustices such as unemployment and so on.
Finally, I have a message for men who abuse women ... [Interjections.] ... and the message is this: You are cowards; you are not heroes. If you want to fight, I suggest you find the nearest tree and fight it. I can tell you that you are going to be the loser. Viva, women of South Africa! Long live the women of South Africa! [Applause.]
Hon Deputy Speaker, colleagues, comrades and compatriots ... [Interjections.]
Ntate Mubu, o ntshenyetsa nako. Ke ne ke tseba hore o tlo e etsa pina ya tshwene. [Hon Mubu, you are wasting my time. I knew that you would keep on talking about it over and over again.]
You were just being negative and unable to recognise anything positive. I think that is your job description.
Celebrating a centenary of women's empowerment, leadership and participation in this gracious interior of the National Assembly, where laws are made, indeed confirms that you can't hold a tight lid on a boiling pot forever. Mrs Ditshetelo, this debate continues to be a victory in itself, so there is nothing wrong with us debating women's issues. Women are on the march and have always been at the forefront of the struggle.
The fact that under the ANC-led government we have transformed Parliament from being a dominantly male club with a few contending voices into a model for building a society of equals - a nonsexist society - is reason enough to celebrate. As a country, we have moved from 2,7% in 1994, and we now command a Parliament that is 40% women. [Applause.] In this way we can strongly articulate women's perspective in policy-making. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with us coming here because that is what is expected from us as women in this Parliament. It is a privilege for us to be here, but instead of asking how we should work together to raise the bar for women's empowerment, the opposition complains and complains.
Ke kahoo ke reng ke pina ya tshwene fela. [That is why I say, even if you can keep on talking, it will not make any difference.]
This is not helpful.
We want to pay tribute to the women of our country and the continent during this special Women's Month - the centenary of women's struggle for liberation. We want to salute our heroines - there is nothing wrong in that - who marched against passes for women in 1913, against the draconian 1913 Natives Land Act and against other unjust laws. We have to do it. We would like to say halala to Comrade Charlotte Maxeke, who led the 1913 women's march in Bloemfontein with distinction and, in 1918, gave South Africa a well-organised women's movement, the Bantu Women's League, which was the forerunner of the ANC Women's League. Perhaps we are the only ones who can really talk, because we have the programmes, the policies and the theories. That is why others are saying, what's the point in talking. We are talking because we know that we have to organise and do the work.
Going forward, our challenge is to create conditions that are more conducive for sustaining and scaling up women's empowerment in all areas of life, particularly for young women. Ms Mosimane, we should not complain, but put ideas forward. Let's talk about Cope's programmes for dealing with teenage pregnancies. We should not complain and say that there is nothing we can do. [Interjections.]
Ha re bueng hore re tlameha ho etsang. [Let us talk about what we should do.]
We have to level the playing fields. We need to rid our country of all forms of violence against women and children. We trembled and that is why we stood up as the ANC Women's League and supported the woman who was molested in the Modimolle case. We trembled with indignation at the Modimolle monster, who orchestrated the gang-rape and torture of his ex- wife and other sexually motivated violations of the rights and dignity of women. We are saying, join us. The recent outrage in the country around the whole matter of gender-based violence clearly casts us as a nation that is serious about defending women's rights. Indeed, it has been very encouraging to see South Africans, especially this year, standing up, from all angles, condemning violence against women and committing themselves to working with whoever cares to do the work and fight this scourge.
The road that we have to travel is long. We have observed National Women's Day and Women's Month in memory of the marchers of 1959. This ensures that we are not complacent with our legislative and constitutional gains for women. Memory is a weapon and we have to celebrate these events. There is nothing wrong with that. But don't say that women do not want people to stand here and talk about this day or that day. Memory is a weapon. I am saying to the opposition that if, perhaps, they are not able to do anything, at least each one can teach one about the history of women, the struggle for gender equality and the strategies that we need to embark on to take the struggle forward.
We have made huge strides in affirming women. There is no denying that. The World Economic Forum Gender Gap Report of 2012 confirms categorically that we are fourth, worldwide, when it comes to women's representation. It is a victory and we have to celebrate it.
The majority of our provinces are under the leadership of women - five out of nine. That is a source of pride for us as a country. I agree that the challenge is to leverage the shifting balance to open up even more economic opportunities for women. However, we need to recognise the fact that we are making progress and that we have made progress.
The private sector, in particular, still displays an unimpressive record regarding women's representation at top management level. Patriarchy is still alive and consequently so is the need to sustain women's empowerment. Together, let's squash patriarchy in oppressive cultures, using the might of the foundations for equality and empowerment that we have laid under the ANC-led government.
Mme Ditshitwe re se ke ra rera haholo. Re tshwanetse hore re bueng, re bontshaneng ... [Hon Ditshitwe, let us not preach much. We should discuss and engage one another ...]
because I know, perhaps coming from the UDM, there is a culture ...
... ya thero. Ke re mohlomong re ka bea thero fatshe, re tshwarisaneng, re bone hore na taba ena ya basadi re ka e lokisa jwang. (Translation of Sesotho paragraph follows.)
[... of preaching. What I am saying is that let us stop preaching, let us work together and see how we can address issues relating to women.]
The ANC is at the forefront and in the trenches of the gender struggle, in theory and in practice. We have lead the way, inside and outside, towards 50/50 gender parity since the 52nd national conference of the ANC. This resolution did much to demonstrate the ANC's unfaltering commitment to the protection and affirmation of women. We are accelerating this work to address women's direct developmental needs. The National Development Plan demands that transformation of the economy should involve the active participation and empowerment of women.
What we do to defend and empower women will show how serious we are in building a caring, equal and just society. Even as we celebrate Women's Month and the centenary of the women's struggle, the marginalisation of women in certain areas is threatening to compromise progress. Indeed, we have to acknowledge where we have shortcomings. However, we should not be shy to recognise and celebrate progress. For instance, we have seen this in the persistence, in the face of impoverishment, on the part of women and the poorest of the poor.
This informs the theme for 2013, which is "A centenary of working together towards sustainable women empowerment and gender equality". This also says that we have to intensify our efforts to give women land during and beyond the centenary of the 1913 Natives Land Act. This is one way of addressing human needs and ensuring food security for all. That is what we are saying. We need ideas and not the complaints we have been hearing all afternoon. We need ideas, ideas and ideas, not complaints.
The building blocks are there to sustain and intensify women's empowerment and gender equality. We agree that since 1994, a lot has been done. South Africa is a constitutional democracy where gender equality is a constitutional imperative. Let's not complain. Let's rather say what more needs to be done.
We are signatories to many different instruments, from the Beijing Platform of Action, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the African Union Protocol and the Southern African Development Community protocols. As a country, we have to pride ourselves. We have a Constitution with an entrenched Bill of Rights in place, guaranteeing equality before the law.
Since 1994 we have put in place a range of laws that create an enabling environment. We really have to ask: How much do we exploit this environment that has been created by government? We should not speak as if it had not been created consciously and deliberately by the progressive government that is leading this country.
In addition to our forward strides, we are poised to pass the Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill to enforce gender equity in law. Again, you should pay attention so that the next time when you come to celebrate here, you should not pretend we have not passed this Bill, long after we have done so. As a nation, we can and must do better to improve the lot of women, during and beyond this Women's Month.
KaMazibuko, siyavumelana dadewethu ukuthi sibeke isiLungu eceleni sibonisane ukuthi senzani ukuqhuba le nqola; singalokhu sigxeka, sigxeke sengathi akukho okuhle okwenzekayo. Asikhulume ngokubi okwenzekayo kodwa siphinde sisho ukuthi yikuphi okuhle esingakwenza kulokho ukuze kube nenqubekela phambili. Asingagxeki nje unomphela engathi akukho okuhle okwenziwe; kuningi okuhle okwenziwe. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[Hon Mazibuko, we both agree that we must put our differences aside and engage on what we are going to do to keep the ball rolling; we must stop criticising, as if nothing positive is being done. We must talk about the bad things that are happening, but we must also talk about what can be done to change that, so that there is continuous progress. We must not continuously criticise as if nothing good has been done; there are a number of good things that have been done.]
An assault on a woman is an assault on all of us and to the benefit of none of us. If you defend a woman, you defend a nation.
Ngiyathemba kaMazibuko asixabani uma siya eGoli; ngiyayibona i-DA ilifuna la iGoli, ngakho izoze ihambe iyomosha le. Ngakho-ke kufanele siyilungise indlela uma siya le eGoli. [Uhleko.] Asingaxabani la ePhalamende ngoba kukhona inkinga efuna ukuyomosa la siya khona, njengoba ihlale imosa futhi ingaboni nokuhle nje. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[When it comes to the issue of Gauteng, hon Mazibuko, I hope we are not in conflict; it is strictly business. I understand that the DA really wants this province and they may even jeopardise our chances. Therefore, we must prepare ourselves when we go to Gauteng. [Laughter.] We must not argue here in Parliament, because there is a third force that wants to jeopardise our prospects, as they always do, and they do not even recognise the positives.]
In the democratic space that we celebrate today, we want to work with women and patriotic men to clear all obstacles on the road to sustainable women empowerment. We do not need cry-babies. We need people who are willing and brave to confront the huge challenge of women empowerment. It is only when we work together as equals that we can build a united, democratic, nonracial, nonsexist and prosperous state.
It is for the whole of society to build on the foundation that this government has laid for women and to make it possible for us to lead quality lives under conditions favourable to self-development, skilling and empowerment opportunities. For instance, last year's research indicated that 56% of women who died from homicide were killed by people who were very close to them. Again, this is not about the government, but about what we do as a society. It is about how we socialise our kids differently so that they have a conscience and won't do such things. There is no justice system that can sort this out.
Government is stepping up access to justice and it is going to spend R3,1 billion on court infrastructure. It has opened the sexual offences courts. We need high levels of civic responsibility, collaboration and partnership. These have proven to be effective. I want to be very clear about the importance of all of us, including the opposition, taking civic responsibility together and ensuring that we protect our women.
We also welcome efforts by faith-based communities and traditional leaders in promoting the rights for women. Political parties and all other sectors that are working with us need to do more to mobilise community support. We all have a role to play.
Lastly, we believe that empowering women, as a people, across the gender divide, is the only path towards a better future for us all. Empowering young women socially and economically should not be an optional extra, but a precondition for consciously building a caring, loving and successful nation. Empowering young men and boys with the gospel of gender equality and a human rights culture in our homes is a sure way towards building peaceful and crime-free communities. In such communities children can grow up in harmony, oblivious of all the cares of gender differences, under the heat of the sun.
From the 100 years of the struggle of women, mainly led by the ruling party, against racism and sexism, we have learnt that the longer you try to cover the lid of a boiling pot, the faster the water of resistance will boil. Let's not wait any longer. Let's say: Wathinta abafazi, wathinta imbokodo. Malibongwe! [You strike a woman, you strike a rock. Let their name be praised!]