Chairperson of the NCOP, hon Minister Xingwana, hon Deputy Minister Sotyu, hon MECs present, hon Chief Whip in absentia and hon special and permanent delegates of the NCOP, I am very happy to participate in this debate on the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children. The subject of the debate is very close to my heart as a mother and human rights activist.
The exclusion of women from wage labour and their relegation to the lowest- paid and least-skilled jobs were determining factors in women's consciousness. A woman's consciousness is determined not only by the way she is socialised through education, culture and upbringing but also, and more importantly, by the position she holds in the production process. The traditional form of family relations, where the woman's area of production was the home - seeing to the domestic economy, growing and cooking food, caring for and socialising children - is no longer suitable for working women. If these traditional women's tasks continue to be her sole responsibility, she is faced with two jobs, namely housework and wage labour. This is a continuation of women's oppression and exploitation and, if not addressed, it becomes an obstacle to women's participation in community life. Through our struggle, our theory guides us to define motherhood and fatherhood in nonoppressive ways and to undertake the practical tasks of housework and work in general without discrimination and exploitation.
Violence and aggression against women and children are some of the most brutal forms of oppression and exploitation. As we know, they are always the least powerful people in any situation, be it at work, at home or in the community. Women and children are the most vulnerable. Aggression against them - be it physically crippling manual labour, rape, wife battering, sexual harassment at home and work or child molestation - is rife in our society, which has a violent historical background.
The Women's Charter of 1954, a document of the Federation of South African Women that acknowledged the triple oppression of women and their role in the struggle for national liberation in general and women emancipation in particular, has informed the approach to building a nonsexist South Africa. The charter defined a vision of the South Africa we seek to build - a united, nonracial, equal, democratic and nonsexist society. South Africa is a country that upholds women's rights and human rights. The 1985 Kabwe Conference of the ANC mapped out a clear goal to ensure women's equal participation in the building of people's power and in all four pillars of our struggle.
As Parliament is the supreme institution in the land, we are bound to be exemplary to the nation and to the continent by taking the lead to protect the rights of the vulnerable, who, in this context, are the women and children. The NCOP is strategically positioned to locate this 16 Days of Activism campaign from the perspective of provinces, because the Constitution gives the NCOP a representative role of ensuring that provincial interests are taken into account in the national sphere of government.
Indeed, the NCOP has played a critical role in educating the nation to uphold the rights of children and women. This is attested to by the programme about the role of the NCOP in protecting the rights of children, which was convened by this august House towards the end of the Third Parliament. The programme was aimed at consolidating the parliamentary achievements for children of South Africa.
It is obvious that more needs to be done to ensure that the decisions taken here in Parliament and the policies and plans that are implemented have the desired effect, and that they actually benefit women and children in our country who are in desperate need of help. The 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children is an important campaign in assisting Parliament to play a fundamental role in generating an increased awareness of the negative impact that violence has on women and children and on society.
The abuse ...
... ubulwanyana, nokungabinasazela neentloni ... [... brutality, lack of consciousness and disgraceful conduct ...]
... of our children has also become rife and endemic. Girls between the ages of 12 and 16 years are the most vulnerable. They are abducted in broad daylight at shopping centres, taxi ranks and schools. Often the children are gang-raped and forced into prostitution.
Women and children are not only subjected to violence but they are also severely affected by poverty. The struggle for gender equality and children's rights in South Africa is a battle that is far from over. We must intensify our efforts and turn the tide against one of the most heinous crimes in the world: women and child abuse.
The other issue that we must address is the issue of people with disabilities. We need to raise community awareness about the need to address the plight of people with disabilities. This debate should provide us with an opportunity to highlight the barriers that still limit the realisation of the rights of people with disabilities. Perhaps, in future, we need to ensure that we include the disability sector so that these stakeholders can play an active role in the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign. Hon Minister, you would know how to process it in the United Nations.
We all agree that people with disabilities worldwide are among the poorest of the poor. They have been on the receiving end of oppression and discrimination for years. Some have been ridiculed and treated like minors all their lives. In line with respecting the motto of the disabled people of South Africa, which is "Nothing for us without us", we should not do things for people with disabilities without consulting them. [Applause.]