Honourable Speaker, according to the United Nations, this year's theme for International Women's Day is, "A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women".
The United Nations theme is, "The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum". As Cope, we feel strongly that the choice to debate the gender agenda raises the question whether this government is shying away from the realities of abuse and violence against women.
The unacceptably high rate of violence, abuse and rape calls for robust debate on matters affecting women and girl-children. Targets were set, revised and approved by the ANC-led Cabinet in that 50% representation of women in senior management positions must be achieved by 31 March 2009.
If we look at the NA, is our female representation 50% or more? What about the ANC-led Cabinet? In 2012 the ruling party's women's league expressed defeat, citing "material conditions" as the barrier to having a female President.
What happened during the ruling party's elective congress? What happened to the Top Six national office bearers? They are represented by four males and two women! Are we serious about this? Whenever I tune into CNN, I hear Christiane Amanpour interviewing the Deputy President of the ANC:
Let me ask you, sir, what went wrong, Mr Ramaphosa, with the Rainbow Nation and all its promise?
It is widely acknowledged that we have one of the most highly-held and respected constitutions across the globe. Our Constitution and its legislative framework provide and insist upon the progressive realisation of many basic human rights, including those relating to women.
One of the founding values of our Constitution is that our state is founded upon human dignity, the achievement of equality and the advancement of human rights and freedoms. Our Constitution further clearly stipulates that the state must respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights contained in its Bill of Rights. Some of these rights are the right to human dignity, the right to life, the right to freedom and security of the person.
Recent shocking events in our country that have reverberated around the world and that have shocked the very core of our nation make it clear that as we celebrate International Women's Day we must acknowledge that our state, our government, its executive and its Ministries have failed our nation.
In South Africa, 144 women report rape to the police every day. The Medical Research Council, MRC, has found that only 1 in 25 women in Gauteng province actually report rape. To the hon Minister sitting here, this means that if the estimated rape of 3 600 per day is correct, 144 will be reported, and how many will be convicted? Only 29 perpetrators out of 3 600!
What is the reason for this underreporting? Is it the insensitive questions asked in gathering information from the rape victim, humiliating examinations, intimidation, the lack of confidence in or even fear of our Police Service, or the low conviction rate?
How are we protecting women against verbal and mental abuse? Verbal and mental abuse cannot be examined, but the mental scars will remain there for life. In yesterday's Sowetan the Minister of Correctional Services was quoted on the percentages of women who are incarcerated in our prisons due to having taken the lives of their partners because they had reached a point of saying enough is enough!
Why are women accepting abuse in all these forms? Is it their financial dependence because their own incomes are not sufficient to sustain their families? Is it intimidation? Andrew Vachss, an author, an attorney and a former sex crimes investigator, defines emotional abuse as "the systematic diminishment of another person".
Our state has failed to protect, promote and fulfil the rights contained in our Constitution, including those related to the cessation of violence against women. Our state has failed to uphold its most basic mandate, namely that of protecting human life.
The power to uphold and enforce the law and to protect the lives and dignity of our women lies with the state. If the law is not so upheld and enforced, it is a failure of the state. What went wrong with the Rainbow Nation and all its promise? The answer is ... our failing state is failing our women! [Time expired.] [Applause.]