Chair, all protocol observed, three minutes is too little time to speak about such an important issue. Let me start by saying that there is no beauty in this world without women. They are the cornerstone of our nation and they have played a crucial role in the freedom we are enjoying today. I refer here to women like Lilian Ngoyi, Ruth First, Adelaide Tambo and many others, you can just name them.
All South Africans have extensive rights on paper and freedoms that we only dreamt of for years but, unfortunately, these rights and freedoms are not enjoyed by the vast majority of rural women. Rural women continue to be the most deprived within our society. Their daily burdens are vast and entrenched, and all too often they suffer alone. Rural women continue to carry the burdens of their families, land and communities on their shoulders, with very little time to focus on their own lives. What perpetuates this is the added daily toll of rural life and its extremes like poverty, Aids, poor health care, bad transport, a lack of education and unemployment. These are the burdens of a woman's life.
Rural women need empowerment through social initiatives that allow them to improve their own lives. Rural women have the right to feel secure and safe, financially and physically, within their communities. Empowerment is not just about improving a person's life financially; it is about empowering a person to feel dignity and pride in his or her life, to be healthy, and to work with others in the community. We need to encourage the young women of today and show them the role they can play to take their place in our society.
As parliamentarians we must help rural women and their communities as a whole to be empowered and improve their lives. We have a responsibility to ensure that these women receive their constitutional rights. We cannot sit here in Parliament and leave our women to suffer. It is important that empowered women, parliamentarians and leaders assist the women of rural South Africa to empower themselves. Chair, allow me to say these last few words. Allow me to thank God for the precious human beings that He has created to feed us, to help us grow and understand the purpose of life. Let us treat them with dignity, respect and honour. They tend to bring the best out in men. There is nothing more pleasant and beautiful than a woman. I thank you. [Applause.]