Hon Deputy Speaker, the national Women's Day must always be the day upon which the women of South Africa - women who are the very rose petals of our society - are honoured and thanked for the untold selfless work and sacrifices that they have endured to make this great nation what it is today.
We in the IFP believe that women are truly, for the most part, the unsung heroines of our nation's history. The mothers, the carers, the wives, the daughters, the grandmothers, in addition to being, in some cases, breadwinners are, in most cases, contributors to household income. They are truly the most precious assets of any nation and, as such, should be treasured and accorded the respect they deserve.
Yet, unfortunately, the reality remains far from the ideal. Many women still live and raise families in abject poverty. They run households with no water, no sewerage systems and no electricity. These women, especially the sole breadwinners and the single-parent mothers, must be identified and assisted by the state in their fight to provide a better future for their children.
Women remain victims of domestic violence and abuse. The Domestic Violence Act has failed women due to its poor implementation. Lack of knowledge on the part of police officers when assisting women has also contributed in this regard. Women's groups around the country are also revealing how apathetic South Africans can be towards domestic violence within their communities. Neighbours, most often, just turn a blind eye to women who are abused by their partners, as they reason that that is none of their business.
This culture of quiet acceptance is wrong and must be changed. Children must be educated from early age as to what is acceptable behaviour in this regard. Our sons must be taught that real men don't abuse women.
Early pregnancy is another issue that must be addressed by the departments of education and social welfare. Teen pregnancy is not in any way a desirable state of affairs for a young woman who is still at school. Once again, we must educate our children so that situations like these are minimised as in most cases both the mother and the child suffer unnecessarily because of these. The mother has to leave school or get a substandard matric while the baby is born into an unsuitable environment.
Human trafficking and forced prostitution of women is yet another sign of a decaying global culture. We in South Africa must show the world that this is totally unacceptable in our country. I therefore urge the Minister of Police and the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development to deal most resolutely with perpetrators of this heinous crime.
In conclusion, Deputy Speaker, I would like to say that we should respect a woman because you can feel her innocence in the form of a daughter; you can feel her dedication in the form of a wife; you can feel her divinity in the form of a mother; you can feel her blessing in the form of a grandmother. She is a woman, and she is life. Respect her! I thank you. [Applause.]