Hon Deputy Chairperson, hon Minister, I thank you for the opportunity to participate in this debate today. Life is about opportunities. Opportunities arise in life for every person to utilise or make use of. There are no glass ceilings for women. In the South African Constitution, women and men are regarded as equal. It is then up to you and me to ensure that opportunities are grabbed with both hands. We need to enable and prepare our women to make choices that will enable them to realise when and where in their lives there is an opportunity to take advantage of. The Bill of Rights in section 9(1) of the Constitution states:
Everyone is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and benefit of the law.
Furthermore, section 10 of the Constitution states:
Everyone has inherent dignity and the right to have their dignity respected and protected.
Die Grondwet bemagtig op papier, maar wat gebeur in die werklikheid? Watter ondersteuningsmeganismes word van die regering se kant af gedoen om werklik ons vroue te bemagtig en diskriminasie, wat steeds bestaan, teen te staan? (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[The Constitution may be empowering on paper, but what happens in reality? What support mechanisms does the government have in place to really empower our women and to oppose discrimination when it occurs?]
The questions we have to ask today are: What do we, as government in all spheres, do to promote the equality defined in the Bill of Rights? What do we do about the Millennium Development Goals set out by the UN?
Hierdie doelwitte is die volgende: om uitermatige armoede en honger uit te skakel; om primre onderwys vir almal verpligtend te maak; om geslagsgelykheid en bemagtiging van vroue te bevorder; om die gesondheid van vroue te bevorder; om kindersterftes te verminder; om HIV/Vigs, malaria en ander voorkombare siektes te bekamp; om seker te maak dat die omgewing die nodige ondersteuning kan bied om die verlies aan natuurlike hulpbronne, wat so noodsaaklik is vir oorlewing, teen te werk; en om 'n wreldwye vennootskap te stig vir die ontwikkeling van 'n oop finansile stelsel. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[These goals are as follows: to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; to make primary education compulsory for all to promote gender equality and empower women; to promote the health of women; to reduce the child mortality rate; to combat HIV/Aids, malaria and other preventable diseases; to ensure that the environment provides enough support to counter the loss of natural resources that are so essential for survival and to establish a worldwide partnership for the development of an open financial system.]
Where do we stand today in relation to these goals? If these issues are not addressed, we in government fail the women of South Africa.
The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Asha-Rose Migiro, called for greater investment to ensure the health and wellbeing of women. She stressed that healthy women can lead to better families and societies and can help achieve the globally agreed development targets for 2015. She said:
We need to tell people that it pays to invest in women - that investing in the health and rights of women triggers greater progress for all. We must meet our obligations to the world's women and children ... Healthy women are the answer to solving many of the world's complex and pressing problems: poverty, hunger, disease, and political instability. Healthy women are the foundation upon which all of the Millennium Development Goals stand.
Through violence, women are taught to know their place and not to put themselves first.
Hoe dan kan ons ooit verwag dat di vroue sal ontwikkel om leiers in die samelewing te word? Hoe kan sy uit haar groef wegbreek en genoeg geloof in haarself opbou, om haarself te bevorder en om nuwe geleenthede aan te gryp?
Daar is beslis 'n direkte verband tussen Suid-Afrika se grootste knelpunte en die grootskaalse verbrokkeling van huwelike en gesinne in ons land. Slegs een derde van ons kinders word groot in 'n normale gesin van twee biologiese ouers.
Krisisse soos gesinsgeweld, armoede en swak skoolprestasie is daarom nie die grootste probleme in ons land nie; veel eerder die skrikwekkende gevolg van die verbrokkeling van die gesin in Suid-Afrika.
Die groot trek van die vrou vanaf die huis na die werksplek het talle voordele meegebring, maar het ongelukkig ook negatief op gesinne en kinders begin inwerk. Die stootfaktor is die stygende lewenskoste, en die trekfaktor is dat daar soveel meer geleenthede vir vroue is om hulself in die beroepswreld te bewys.
Die oplossing l nie daarin om die vrou weer huis toe te stuur nie. Die probleem is eerder dat die samelewing nie genoeg aangepas het om die werks- en lewenswyse te hanteer nie. Die ekonomie plaas 'n ongelooflike druk op die vrou om 'n vierdubbele rol te speel. Sy moet vroulief wees, huisvrou wees, sy moet ma wees n sy moet voltydse werker wees. Dan moet sy dit alles balanseer.
Kan ons te alle tye met alle sekerheid s dat ons genoeg gedoen het vir ons plattelandse vroue en dogters deur, onder andere, ons skole en ons klinieke te besoek? Is ons publieke vervoerstelsel van so 'n aard dat dit vir haar maklik is om die skool, die kliniek of selfs haar werkplek te bereik? Dit is van die faktore wat daartoe bydra dat veral ons plattelandse dogters en vroue dikwels toegang tot basiese onderwys onts word, en dus ook die geleentheid om 'n aktiewe rol in die ekonomiese wreld te speel. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[How then can we ever expect these women to develop into leaders in society? How can she break free from her rut and summon enough self- confidence to improve herself and to grasp new opportunities? There is a direct correlation between South Africa's most pressing issues and the large-scale disintergration of marriages and families in our country. Only one third of our children are growing up in a normal family of two biological parents.
Therefore crises such as domestic violence, poverty and poor school performance are not the greatest challenges in our country; on the contrary, they're rather the result of the deterioration of the family in South Africa.
The great migration of women from the home to the workplace resulted in many gains, but unfortunately also had a negative effect on families and children. The push factor is the rise in the cost of living and the pull factor is that women now have many opportunities to prove themselves professionally.
The solution is not to send women back home. Rather, the problem is that society has not made enough adjustments to handle work and the way of living. The economy places unbelievable pressure on women to play a fourfold role. She must be a wife, housewife, mother and full-time worker. She has to balance everything.
Can we always say with certainty that we have done enough for our rural women and daughters by, for instance, visiting our schools and clinics? Is our public transport system of such a nature that she finds it easy to reach the school, the clinic or even her place of work? These are some of the factors that contribute to the fact that our rural women and daughters in particular often have no access to basic education. Hence they do not have the opportunity to play an active role in the economic world.]
Where opportunities, even modest ones, are provided, the results are gratifying. Women have demonstrated the multiplier effect of passing on the benefits of empowerment to their families and communities. It is a potent weapon against poverty and provides role models for some and inspiration to others.
We must acknowledge that no single government department can address the glaring inequalities that deny women - especially rural women - the rights of economic development to which they are entitled under our Constitution. I believe that a good education is everyone's birthright; but rights come with a price tag of responsibilities. We need to instil the notion in our students and learners that, when you are responsible towards yourself and your community, you start accumulating rights. Educational investment leads to job creation. Show someone how to fish and there will always be food on the table. Only education can free people from the shackles of poverty. Only education can drive back and stop the onslaught of poverty. Only education can build a wall against and contain the erosion that threatens to devour our communities.
We as women need to dispel the myths and act on the truths. We should have faith in our abilities. Only the strongest, fittest and toughest will get somewhere.
Do we make sure that a deaf woman has an interpreter when she attends court? Does a blind person always have the notes in Braille at the end of a meeting? Does the person in a wheelchair have easy access to a building? Marlene le Roux of Artscape in the Western Cape showed the world that, though she has great difficulty walking, she can dance, and is teaching other women to do the same.
Let those of us privileged to be in government lead so that others might follow.
Laat ons bou aan 'n geleentheidsamelewing wat vir almal tot voordeel sal strek. Die ekonomiese sukses en vooruitgang van 'n land hang nie van sy grootte, ras, natuurlike hulpbronne of geskiedenis af nie. Ja, dit help. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Let us build an opportunity society that will be to the advantage of everyone. The economic success and development of a country does not depend on its size, race, natural resources or history. Yes, they do play a role.]
However, it depends primarily on whether the country has the rule of law, an open society and equal opportunities. If it does, it will be successful and lift people out of poverty. The state must understand its role and fulfil it. South Africa, in particular, with such limited capacity, must focus on the functions that facilitate economic growth - an effective criminal justice system, an excellent education system and infrastructure.
The DA recognises that some people are so poor that they need help to enter the economy. However, the purpose of these measures is to promote equal opportunities. We want to see all government departments working toward the good of our women.
There has never been a moment in history when all countries and all people within those countries have enjoyed exactly equal wealth and advantage. But the best way - indeed, the only way - of reducing these inequalities is through an open society and equal opportunities for all, where all people are free to realise their own gifts and hopes and contribute to society with their own skill and energy. This is the fundamental philosophy of the DA, and it's the only way to overcome poverty and underdevelopment. I would want to make it known to every woman and girl-child in South Africa today: Own your own future, and own your own success. I thank you. [Applause.]