Hon Chairperson, hon members, Ministers and Deputy Ministers present, the Chairperson of the NCOP, ladies and gentlemen, to honour International Women's Day is not just to pay lip service to its meaning nor is it just a symbolic gesture to accord or comply with the dictates of the calendar for this year. This day was a day conceived by the concerted effort of the gender perceived to be designed only for reproduction and child bearing. Women all over the world suffer the great injustice of being excluded from a social system of which, paradoxically, they are an intrinsic part in terms of caring, loving and supporting the very person who deems them inferior and equivalent to a child.
Our culture, institutions and norms have sought to devalue and reduce women's roles to the house and in particular to the kitchen. But women have emphatically refused to be consigned to these roles. They have constantly debunked the myth that women are incapable and are the weaker sex. They have shown that they can nurture and love unconditionally, raised families when men went to war and welcomed them back from the war, whether defeated or victorious. Their support has been unwavering, their loyalty blind, and their faith in "the other" unshakable.
They constitute more than 50% of the world's population, yet endure the greatest oppression and suffer disproportionately at the hands of ignorant men who do not understand them and take that ignorance as a justification to abuse and objectify them. Evelyn Cunningham once said, and I quote, "Women are the only oppressed group in our society that lives in intimate association with their oppressors".
In line with the theme of 2011 for International Women's Day, which is "Equal access to education, training, and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women", we have to say that equality in education, training and science and technology is not merely about quotas and satisfying the labour laws of our republic. It is to provide transformational and meaningful change to the lives of young women who are subjected every day to rape, discrimination, arranged marriages, sexism and other indignities that we have fought and must continue to fight against.
We have to reaffirm our solidarity as women to say that we shall never condone primitive thinking prevailing against common sense. We have to say, in an emphatic and categorical tone, that we will not allow men to infect us with sexually transmitted diseases, STDs, HIV and Aids, and other forms of disease, then turn around and blame us for their own indiscretions. We will say: "Even though I trust and love you, when you were away from home on the mines, I was not with you the entire time. It is therefore incumbent upon me, and morally non-negotiable, to protect my body. Let us go to the nearest clinic to have our statuses checked."
We have to be empowered to fight this social prejudice. We cannot be objectified as sushi platters, because we are more than that. We have to say, in line with the theme of International Women's Day, that we are equally capable of being doctors, engineers, scientists, chief executive officers, CEOs, and presidents.
Our government, under the vision of the ANC, has put in place progressive policies to empower the previously marginalised, particularly women, children and the youth. We know that in government these policies are being adhered to, but the private sector is lagging behind dismally in this regard. We must use this very institution to ask: How do we put good carrot- and-stick policy approaches in place to accelerate gender transformation? We are close to accomplishing gender parity in government, but why are we failing in the private sector? These are fundamental, pragmatic policy questions that we ought to ask ourselves and all stakeholders as we reflect on the significance of this day.
International Women's Day should not just be a footnote in our historical memories but a day of reckoning; a day that says, "It was not inevitable that today I would be here, celebrating this day with you."
Women like Clara Zetkin, Winnie Mandela, Graa Machel, Oprah Winfrey, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Albertina Sisulu and others deemed it fit to challenge conventional wisdom. We owe them a great debt of gratitude and we should never abandon the cause. They should loom large in our memories. Our heroines in our continent should be accorded that special space in the history books.
Then there are our unsung heroes. These are grandmothers, mothers, sisters and daughters who, on a daily basis, are moving humanity to that final state of understanding. They are selfless, compassionate, supportive and loving. They wake up in the morning to provide for their families and come back and cook for them.
Bangwe ba bona ke bathusi ba ba re direlang. [Some of them are the helpers that we have hired.]
They are our caregivers, but sometimes we are so ignorant of them, as if they were invisible. They only become visible when they do not comply with their duties. For instance, we would say to them, "Did you iron my dress correctly?", "Did you clean my house impeccably?" and "What did the kids eat?" But we don't take the time to connect with them, ask them about their dreams and what they wanted to be when they grew up. Sometimes, as women, we can be inadvertently complicit in these crimes against humanity by not taking a firm stance against what we see in our own households when one of us is being subjected to unfair treatment. We see her as "the other" mme o o ntirelang [lady who works for me], not as a woman or a mother. We forget how easily that other person could have been you. Let us tell them that they are not alone.
We have come a long way. Sometimes the end of the tunnel cannot be seen but we have to soldier on. We have to keep on climbing until we reach the summit of equality, tranquillity, modernity and humanity of the 21st century.
Our policies and education system should celebrate these extraordinary trendsetters, where they come from, their upbringing, philosophy and, ultimately, their humanity. These qualities and this background are important, transcending the insurmountable challenges often erected by men's thinking, which is devoid of reality and the truth.
The African woman is the continent's face of hope, strength and opportunity. The road to achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Africa, as alluded to by my colleague, can be built only through a gender- inclusive agenda, unleashing the productive power of women. The agenda should advance women's education and access to information.
In conclusion, Madeleine Albright once said that a woman who did not help another woman had a special place in hell. Let us know the enemy because we live in close proximity with it. A luta continua! Thank you. [Applause.]