National Women’s Month Tablo id
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WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN IN THE MARCH TOWARDS GENDER EQUITY, POVERTY ALLEVIATION AND JOB CREATION! ugust 9 is Women’s Day. It marks the anniversary of the great Women’s March of 1956, where women marched to the Union Buildings to protest against the carrying of pass books. On 9 August 1956, about 20 000 women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against legislation aimed at tightening the apartheid government’s control over the movement of black women in urban areas. This year our country and province hold various activities to celebrate the significant strides made by our mothers and daughters. Events also focus on the hardship still faced by women and girl children. Such challenges include poverty, homelessness, HIV/ Aids and domestic violence and rape. Women leaders agree that women have come a long way in those sectors previously closed to women especially sectors such as business and politics, but believe that a lot more has to be done to improve the lives of all women, especially those in rural areas. In a recent survey undertaken by the Business Woman’s Association (BWA) of South Africa it was particularly obvious that while government was far from perfect, the private sector was still way behind with more than 37% of the 335 companies investigated having no women on their boards. The percentage of women employed in government positions across all salary levels totals 54.76%. The census revealed that government’s advancement of women in terms of employment equity was higher than in other sectors traditionally measured in the census, namely JSE-listed companies and state owned enterprises. On the corporate side, the census showed that although there had been a steady increase in the employment of women in top executive positions, women were still lagging behind their male counterparts within corporate South Africa. “The results are positive but they also
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show that we still have a long way to go. In most of the corporate categories, there has been a very slight increase over the previous years and whilst we are encouraged we cannot allow ourselves to become complacent,” added Yvette Montalbano. “People opposed to Women’s Abuse (POWA) say the issues challenging women’s access to rights remain problematic. “Inequality, unemployment, poverty, lack of housing, domestic violence and rape still affect our women,” says Tiny Moloko. She called on government, the corporate sector and women leaders themselves to do something “urgently” to alleviate the hardships. “Government must begin to hold hands with NGOs that know and understand the plight of women. There are organisations offering women the critical support that they need but with very little resources. Government can assist by funding these organisations,” she added. She says it is also important for the corporate sector to prioritise “women” in their CSI initiatives. “Create opportunities for women to develop their skills so that they can become employable. The economic empowerment of women will help alleviate problems associated with domestic violence and gender discrimination, because women who are unemployed are dependent on their abusive partners and husbands.” She also urged women leaders to “support other women.” She added that women leaders must focus on “creating opportunities for other women”. “As women we are prone to the pull her down attitude. We must work together to support each other.” She says the focus in assisting women must shift away from the urban areas and into the “rural heartlands” where women are “most forgotten”. Women leaders in general agree that advantaged women can do a lot to promote disadvantaged women. Women leaders have a duty to promote other women. Gabi GumbiMasilela, the administrative head of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs says there is an unwritten expectation in being a female leader - the responsibility to champion the cause of women in the work place! She adds that this is understandable considering the fact that women have been for so long denied their due place in leading positions and as a result they have been fighting for their emancipation. “We have come a long a way and we need to keep the focus and consolidate the gains to empower all women who look up to us,” she says.
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Women leaders also believe that the perception of women in society must change for women to take their rightful place in society. This includes how society views the role of women and how media portrays women in their respective roles. Kwazulu-Natal businesswoman May Mashoko says society and especially the business world must forget viewing women as “appendages of their partners or husbands.” She said it was important for decision makers in society to wake up to the fact that men succeed because their partners and wives makes sacrifices to allow them to succeed. Mary Papayya Secretary-General of the SA National Editor’s Forum says the messages that the media carry on women are also important to how society in the end viewed the role of women. She says if stories run consistently show women as victims and being inferior to men then the perception is lasting in the mind of the reader/listener/viewer.
MY BODY OUR SOUL Standing by the road side Sitting on the darkened sofa In a darkened lounge Braving the weather and the stares You look into me You look into your soul Face plastered To hide my pain My body is my sole ware My lips though red are pale Pale of emotion For this I must do I massage your soul As you touch my body I massage your ego As you want ‘it’ on the go
YOU
I watch as you smile A smile of conquer I smile because maybe I will have some to eat
Bone of my bones Flesh of my flesh “Woo! Man!” Adam was never the same.
By day I am despised By night I am loved My limbs you lust My life you bust
You are so beautiful Everyone wants to touch you Everyone wants to have you To own you To keep you Forever
My body ‘Tis your soul ‘Tis in the soul That we all are
But you belong To you! You are You! Magical Mystical Emotional Spiritual You are You!
I am a soul brother I am a soul sister I am a soldier Dying in the line of duty Dying in the line of passion The passion of love The passion of life I am a soul cistern You break me because I’m discarded You break my body, you break our soul. Xijekana