Hon Chairperson, let me first start by using words of wisdom from an unknown author who defines gender equality in the following terms:
Gender equality means that all human beings are free to develop their personal abilities and make choices without limitations set by gender roles, that the different behaviour, aspirations and needs of men and women are equally considered and favoured.
Let me also go further and define gender inequality according to my own understanding. It is an unequal and biased treatment between men and women.
Ho tloha kgolong ya ke ne ke ntse ke lora ka setjhaba seo basadi le banna ba tshwarwang ka mokgwa o lekaneng. Mme toro ena ya ka e ntse e tswela pele. Ke tumelo ya ka e tiileng ya hore ho se lekane ho pakeng tsa banna le basadi, ke taba ya kgale mme e lokela hore e be e fedile mehleng eo e fetileng. Re phela nakong ya sejwalejwale mme re se re tswetse pele haholo. Ha ho sa le nako ya menahano ena e siilweng ke nako. Ke le mosadi wa Moafrika, ke tseba hantle ka tshwaro e sa lekaneng ha ho bapiswa banna le basadi. Ke na le metswalle, basebetsimmoho le ba leloko ba ntseng ba lwantshana le taba ena bosiu le motsheare.
Re a tseba hore re bopilwe ka seriti sa Modimo mme ka pele ho sefahleho sa Hae, re a lekana.
Motsamaisi ya kgabane wa dipuisano, e re ke qale ka ho hopotsa bohle ka seabo sa basadi ba naha ya rona nakong eo ba neng ba itella ho aha demokrasi ena eo e leng hore tsatsing lena e hloleha ho ba lokolla ditlamong. Re lokela ho hopola le ho utlwisisa diketsahalo tsa 1956 tsa mokoloko wa boipelaetso o neng o lebile Union Buildings. Ho ne ho phuthehile basadi ka ho fapafapana. Ho ne ho le basadi ba dipolotiki, bodumedi, le ba mahaeng jwalojwalo.
Basadi bana bohle ba ne ba susumetswa ke ntho e le nngwe, e leng tjheseho le ho labalabela toka. Basadi bana, ho ya ka ho fapana ha bona, ba ile ba tlohela tsohle tse neng di ba arohanya mme ba tsepamisa maikutlo a bona hodima se neng se lokela ho etswa molemong wa naha ena ya rona. Basadi bana, ba ile ba ikakgela ka setotswana ntle le tshabo ya letho ho tlisa diphetoho tseo re di bonang kajeno.
Ba ile ba re neha mohlala o motle wa hore re eme mmoho re le ngatana e le nngwe ho lwantsha bobe mme re emele nnete. Sena se pakahatsa hore keteko ya letsatsi la bomme ha se ya mokgatlo o le mong hobane basadi ba bangata ba ile ba kgatha tema lebelong lena. (Translation of Sesotho paragraphs follows.)
[From my youth days my dream has always been to see a society where men and women are treated equally. It is still my dream even today. I strongly believe that the inequality between men and women is old-fashioned and belongs in the past. We live in the 21st century and we have moved forward. There is no time for these old mentalities. As an African woman, I know very well about the unequal treatment between men and women. I have friends, colleagues and relatives who are still struggling to fight this every day.
We know that we are created in God's image and that we are all equal before Him.
Honourable Speaker, let me start by reminding everyone about the role played by women of this country when they made a sacrifice to build democracy, which today is unable to set them free. We need to remember and understand the events of the march to the Union Buildings in 1956. Women converged from different backgrounds.
There were women from politics, religions, rural areas and so forth. All these women were encouraged by one thing, courage and justice. These women, despite their differences, set aside what separated them and focused on what needed to be done in the interest of our country. These women did what was needed to be done without fear in order to bring about the changes we see today.
They set us a good example that we need to stand together as one to fight evil and to stand for the truth. This proves that the celebration of Women's Day is not only for one party, because many women were involved in this struggle.]
Violence against women and children is a scourge in our country. It poses a significant threat to human rights and the development of women and girls. It is clear that women suffer a very high level of sexual assault, rape and domestic violence.
People cannot take advantage of opportunities if their lives are under siege; if their rights are not respected by fellow citizens or their visions are limited by fears. Yet the web of terror that crime throws over women and children is so strong and it affects everyone. The right to equality is the right of all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and consideration in order to participate on equal basis with others in any area of economic, and political, cultural or civil life social rights.
In South Africa the Constitution emphasises the equality of men and women. However, we lack the implementation of laws that provide effective legal protection against discrimination, harassment and unequal opportunities, and the legal means to promote equality. Gender inequality is a deeply rooted and entrenched attitude by societal institutions and market forces. We need a strong leadership, political will and commitment to institute the policies that can trigger social changes and allocate the necessary resources for gender equality and women empowerment.
Re le setjhaba re tla tswela pele feela ebang basadi le bona ba tswela pele mme le bona ba fuwa menyetla le ditokelo tse lekaneng. Ho setseng feela ke hore sena se phethahatswe ka ho panya ha leihlo.
Hangata re dula re mametse bomaila diphetoho ba dulang ba fana ka envangedi e fosahetseng mabapi le kamoo basadi ba haellwang kateng le kamoo ba ke keng ba tlisa diphetoho tsa makgonthe kateng. Re lokela ho nka mehato ya nnete e netefatsang hore seabo sa basadi se a tshehetswa le hore ba phahamisetswa maemong a phahameng ho ba kgontsha hore ba etse diqeto. Re tlameha ho tshehetsa sena ka ho rupella basadi le ho ba tshehetsa ka ditjhelete tse hlokahalang, le ho ba beha tlasa batho ba ka ba rutang hore le bona ba tsebe mosebetsi ba tle ba tsebe ho ikemela. (Translation of Sesotho paragraphs follows.)
[We will only move forward as a nation if women also move forward and are given equal opportunities and rights. The only thing left is for this to be done immediately. We often hear critics of change giving misleading information about how women are lagging behind and how they cannot bring real changes. We need to take the necessary steps to ensure that the roles that women play are supported and promoted to higher positions to enable them to make decisions. We must support women by educating them and providing them with the necessary financial assistance as well as giving them mentoring so that they can be able to be independent.]
We cannot deny the fact that the status of women in our country has improved, but we cannot afford to be complacent. The critical aspect is that women are now struggling to rise. However, without the enabling environment, it won't be possible for the marginalised women to realise their potential.
We cannot talk about freedom or celebrate Women's Day if women are unskilled, illiterate, unemployed, and cannot take decisions about their lives, their health, and especially their reproductive rights as part of their human rights.
Ha ke phethela, ke rata hore ho bomme kaofela ba ileng ba nka kabo letsatsing la bomme, ke re ho bona "bomme, ha re tiiseng". Ke rata hore ho bontate ba dulang ba re tshehetsa ka nako tsohle, le tsebe hore re leboha seo le re etsetsang sona. Ka ho bua jwalo ke re ho bomme, "tshwarang le tiise". Ke a leboha. [Mahofi.] (Translation of Sesotho paragraph follows.)
[In conclusion, I would like to say to all women who played a role in Women's Day, "Ladies, let us hold on tight". I would like to say to the men who always support us that we appreciate what they do for us. With that in mind I would like to say to women, "hold on tight". Thank you. [Applause.]]