Hon Deputy Speaker, colleagues, comrades and compatriots ... [Interjections.]
Ntate Mubu, o ntshenyetsa nako. Ke ne ke tseba hore o tlo e etsa pina ya tshwene. [Hon Mubu, you are wasting my time. I knew that you would keep on talking about it over and over again.]
You were just being negative and unable to recognise anything positive. I think that is your job description.
Celebrating a centenary of women's empowerment, leadership and participation in this gracious interior of the National Assembly, where laws are made, indeed confirms that you can't hold a tight lid on a boiling pot forever. Mrs Ditshetelo, this debate continues to be a victory in itself, so there is nothing wrong with us debating women's issues. Women are on the march and have always been at the forefront of the struggle.
The fact that under the ANC-led government we have transformed Parliament from being a dominantly male club with a few contending voices into a model for building a society of equals - a nonsexist society - is reason enough to celebrate. As a country, we have moved from 2,7% in 1994, and we now command a Parliament that is 40% women. [Applause.] In this way we can strongly articulate women's perspective in policy-making. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with us coming here because that is what is expected from us as women in this Parliament. It is a privilege for us to be here, but instead of asking how we should work together to raise the bar for women's empowerment, the opposition complains and complains.
Ke kahoo ke reng ke pina ya tshwene fela. [That is why I say, even if you can keep on talking, it will not make any difference.]
This is not helpful.
We want to pay tribute to the women of our country and the continent during this special Women's Month - the centenary of women's struggle for liberation. We want to salute our heroines - there is nothing wrong in that - who marched against passes for women in 1913, against the draconian 1913 Natives Land Act and against other unjust laws. We have to do it. We would like to say halala to Comrade Charlotte Maxeke, who led the 1913 women's march in Bloemfontein with distinction and, in 1918, gave South Africa a well-organised women's movement, the Bantu Women's League, which was the forerunner of the ANC Women's League. Perhaps we are the only ones who can really talk, because we have the programmes, the policies and the theories. That is why others are saying, what's the point in talking. We are talking because we know that we have to organise and do the work.
Going forward, our challenge is to create conditions that are more conducive for sustaining and scaling up women's empowerment in all areas of life, particularly for young women. Ms Mosimane, we should not complain, but put ideas forward. Let's talk about Cope's programmes for dealing with teenage pregnancies. We should not complain and say that there is nothing we can do. [Interjections.]
Ha re bueng hore re tlameha ho etsang. [Let us talk about what we should do.]
We have to level the playing fields. We need to rid our country of all forms of violence against women and children. We trembled and that is why we stood up as the ANC Women's League and supported the woman who was molested in the Modimolle case. We trembled with indignation at the Modimolle monster, who orchestrated the gang-rape and torture of his ex- wife and other sexually motivated violations of the rights and dignity of women. We are saying, join us. The recent outrage in the country around the whole matter of gender-based violence clearly casts us as a nation that is serious about defending women's rights. Indeed, it has been very encouraging to see South Africans, especially this year, standing up, from all angles, condemning violence against women and committing themselves to working with whoever cares to do the work and fight this scourge.
The road that we have to travel is long. We have observed National Women's Day and Women's Month in memory of the marchers of 1959. This ensures that we are not complacent with our legislative and constitutional gains for women. Memory is a weapon and we have to celebrate these events. There is nothing wrong with that. But don't say that women do not want people to stand here and talk about this day or that day. Memory is a weapon. I am saying to the opposition that if, perhaps, they are not able to do anything, at least each one can teach one about the history of women, the struggle for gender equality and the strategies that we need to embark on to take the struggle forward.
We have made huge strides in affirming women. There is no denying that. The World Economic Forum Gender Gap Report of 2012 confirms categorically that we are fourth, worldwide, when it comes to women's representation. It is a victory and we have to celebrate it.
The majority of our provinces are under the leadership of women - five out of nine. That is a source of pride for us as a country. I agree that the challenge is to leverage the shifting balance to open up even more economic opportunities for women. However, we need to recognise the fact that we are making progress and that we have made progress.
The private sector, in particular, still displays an unimpressive record regarding women's representation at top management level. Patriarchy is still alive and consequently so is the need to sustain women's empowerment. Together, let's squash patriarchy in oppressive cultures, using the might of the foundations for equality and empowerment that we have laid under the ANC-led government.
Mme Ditshitwe re se ke ra rera haholo. Re tshwanetse hore re bueng, re bontshaneng ... [Hon Ditshitwe, let us not preach much. We should discuss and engage one another ...]
because I know, perhaps coming from the UDM, there is a culture ...
... ya thero. Ke re mohlomong re ka bea thero fatshe, re tshwarisaneng, re bone hore na taba ena ya basadi re ka e lokisa jwang. (Translation of Sesotho paragraph follows.)
[... of preaching. What I am saying is that let us stop preaching, let us work together and see how we can address issues relating to women.]
The ANC is at the forefront and in the trenches of the gender struggle, in theory and in practice. We have lead the way, inside and outside, towards 50/50 gender parity since the 52nd national conference of the ANC. This resolution did much to demonstrate the ANC's unfaltering commitment to the protection and affirmation of women. We are accelerating this work to address women's direct developmental needs. The National Development Plan demands that transformation of the economy should involve the active participation and empowerment of women.
What we do to defend and empower women will show how serious we are in building a caring, equal and just society. Even as we celebrate Women's Month and the centenary of the women's struggle, the marginalisation of women in certain areas is threatening to compromise progress. Indeed, we have to acknowledge where we have shortcomings. However, we should not be shy to recognise and celebrate progress. For instance, we have seen this in the persistence, in the face of impoverishment, on the part of women and the poorest of the poor.
This informs the theme for 2013, which is "A centenary of working together towards sustainable women empowerment and gender equality". This also says that we have to intensify our efforts to give women land during and beyond the centenary of the 1913 Natives Land Act. This is one way of addressing human needs and ensuring food security for all. That is what we are saying. We need ideas and not the complaints we have been hearing all afternoon. We need ideas, ideas and ideas, not complaints.
The building blocks are there to sustain and intensify women's empowerment and gender equality. We agree that since 1994, a lot has been done. South Africa is a constitutional democracy where gender equality is a constitutional imperative. Let's not complain. Let's rather say what more needs to be done.
We are signatories to many different instruments, from the Beijing Platform of Action, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the African Union Protocol and the Southern African Development Community protocols. As a country, we have to pride ourselves. We have a Constitution with an entrenched Bill of Rights in place, guaranteeing equality before the law.
Since 1994 we have put in place a range of laws that create an enabling environment. We really have to ask: How much do we exploit this environment that has been created by government? We should not speak as if it had not been created consciously and deliberately by the progressive government that is leading this country.
In addition to our forward strides, we are poised to pass the Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill to enforce gender equity in law. Again, you should pay attention so that the next time when you come to celebrate here, you should not pretend we have not passed this Bill, long after we have done so. As a nation, we can and must do better to improve the lot of women, during and beyond this Women's Month.
KaMazibuko, siyavumelana dadewethu ukuthi sibeke isiLungu eceleni sibonisane ukuthi senzani ukuqhuba le nqola; singalokhu sigxeka, sigxeke sengathi akukho okuhle okwenzekayo. Asikhulume ngokubi okwenzekayo kodwa siphinde sisho ukuthi yikuphi okuhle esingakwenza kulokho ukuze kube nenqubekela phambili. Asingagxeki nje unomphela engathi akukho okuhle okwenziwe; kuningi okuhle okwenziwe. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[Hon Mazibuko, we both agree that we must put our differences aside and engage on what we are going to do to keep the ball rolling; we must stop criticising, as if nothing positive is being done. We must talk about the bad things that are happening, but we must also talk about what can be done to change that, so that there is continuous progress. We must not continuously criticise as if nothing good has been done; there are a number of good things that have been done.]
An assault on a woman is an assault on all of us and to the benefit of none of us. If you defend a woman, you defend a nation.
Ngiyathemba kaMazibuko asixabani uma siya eGoli; ngiyayibona i-DA ilifuna la iGoli, ngakho izoze ihambe iyomosha le. Ngakho-ke kufanele siyilungise indlela uma siya le eGoli. [Uhleko.] Asingaxabani la ePhalamende ngoba kukhona inkinga efuna ukuyomosa la siya khona, njengoba ihlale imosa futhi ingaboni nokuhle nje. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[When it comes to the issue of Gauteng, hon Mazibuko, I hope we are not in conflict; it is strictly business. I understand that the DA really wants this province and they may even jeopardise our chances. Therefore, we must prepare ourselves when we go to Gauteng. [Laughter.] We must not argue here in Parliament, because there is a third force that wants to jeopardise our prospects, as they always do, and they do not even recognise the positives.]
In the democratic space that we celebrate today, we want to work with women and patriotic men to clear all obstacles on the road to sustainable women empowerment. We do not need cry-babies. We need people who are willing and brave to confront the huge challenge of women empowerment. It is only when we work together as equals that we can build a united, democratic, nonracial, nonsexist and prosperous state.
It is for the whole of society to build on the foundation that this government has laid for women and to make it possible for us to lead quality lives under conditions favourable to self-development, skilling and empowerment opportunities. For instance, last year's research indicated that 56% of women who died from homicide were killed by people who were very close to them. Again, this is not about the government, but about what we do as a society. It is about how we socialise our kids differently so that they have a conscience and won't do such things. There is no justice system that can sort this out.
Government is stepping up access to justice and it is going to spend R3,1 billion on court infrastructure. It has opened the sexual offences courts. We need high levels of civic responsibility, collaboration and partnership. These have proven to be effective. I want to be very clear about the importance of all of us, including the opposition, taking civic responsibility together and ensuring that we protect our women.
We also welcome efforts by faith-based communities and traditional leaders in promoting the rights for women. Political parties and all other sectors that are working with us need to do more to mobilise community support. We all have a role to play.
Lastly, we believe that empowering women, as a people, across the gender divide, is the only path towards a better future for us all. Empowering young women socially and economically should not be an optional extra, but a precondition for consciously building a caring, loving and successful nation. Empowering young men and boys with the gospel of gender equality and a human rights culture in our homes is a sure way towards building peaceful and crime-free communities. In such communities children can grow up in harmony, oblivious of all the cares of gender differences, under the heat of the sun.
From the 100 years of the struggle of women, mainly led by the ruling party, against racism and sexism, we have learnt that the longer you try to cover the lid of a boiling pot, the faster the water of resistance will boil. Let's not wait any longer. Let's say: Wathinta abafazi, wathinta imbokodo. Malibongwe! [You strike a woman, you strike a rock. Let their name be praised!]