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.]]