President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken a swipe at the suffering the apartheid regime has inflicted on women’s lives across the country.
“We recall the suffering that women have endured for no reason other than that they are women.
“We remember the courageous struggles waged by women against oppression; from those who stood up against colonialism and slavery to those who risked jail rather than carry the hated dompas,” he said.
Ramaphosa was addressing the National Women’s Day celebration event at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
Women gathered at the event to celebrate and commemorate women who took up arms against a violent regime, organised workers to fight exploitation, led political movements and civic organisations, and were involved in the drafting of our new democratic constitution.
Ramaphosa thanked the South African women for the daily role they play in the nation. “Their role in SA has been phenomenal,” he added.
He said the fight fought in 1956, has opened freedom and equal opportunities for women as they now have the right to vote, work, have control over their bodies, and property, and to equality.
Despite their difficulties and oppression, Ramaphosa said women continue to hold a knife on its sharp end, adding that it was an indication that they can drive communities out of poverty without fear or favour.
“Today, we celebrate how far we have come in building a non-sexist society where women are free and equal and enjoy the rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution,” he said.
However, he urged society to change its views on women and girls to ensure equality and equal treatment for all women.
He indicated that a movement as powerful as the women of 1956 who marched to the Union Buildings to end violence against women and children was needed.
“We need a movement that includes every woman and man in this country, that brings together every church, mosque, temple, and synagogue, that involves every workplace, school, college, and university.
“We need a movement that extends to every town and village, every farm and homestead, every home and hostel. No one can be left out and no one can be left behind,” he added.
He said the government was working to strengthen the participation of women in the economic development of the country.
“Our economy remains dominated by men, more women are unemployed than men. We are working on this as a government,” he said.
kamogelo.moichela@inl.co.za
IOL Politics