Hon Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson and delegates to the NCOP, hon Minister and leaders of delegations, ladies and gentlemen, I rise to participate in this debate on behalf of the province of the Eastern Cape. The theme of the debate is: Together empowering and improving the lives of rural women. Thank you very much, hon Minister, for laying the fertile ground in order for us to participate in this debate. My thanks also go to the Deputy Chairperson.
I have no doubt that the issues raised here are very close to the heart of the many millions back home. I also wish to join in celebrating all the women residing in rural areas across the globe.
Historically, the black majority of our country has been subjected to colonial subjugation, dispossession and marginalisation, with those residing in rural areas being the most vulnerable. Centuries of underdevelopment resulting from colonial and apartheid policies have left enduring structural legacies, particularly in provinces such as the Eastern Cape. In this province, for instance, the less populous western regions are materially better off than the more populous eastern regions. This historically induced structural crisis has been deepened by the current global capitalist crisis and neoliberal globalisation, which have served to limit the range of options for a more radical restructuring of the South African political economy.
Today it is generally accepted that women, through their triple exploitation, are the hardest hit, and more so women in rural areas. This is largely because of some ill-conceived and wrongly practised traditional and customary policies.
There have always been fewer rural women in employment than their male counterparts. There has also been less income for women compared to men; fewer women in leadership and management positions; more HIV and Aids prevalence amongst women compared to their male counterparts, and the story goes on and on.
It is rural women who were and, sadly in some areas, are still being forced into marriages.
Phaya kuthi ke kukho into ekuthiwa kukuthwala. UMphathiswa obekekileyo ukhe wakhankanya ukuba umama ... [In our area there is the ukuthwala custom. The hon Minister mentioned that woman ...]
... would come into the bedroom voluntarily and engage in some activities there voluntarily. Where I come from, there are areas where you do that against your will.
We all know and should appreciate the fact that over the past 15 years the democratic government has worked relentlessly to bring about equity to restore the dignity of black people in this country, including empowering and improving the lives of rural women.
There is no doubt that the progressive policies of the postapartheid government have had enormous benefits for the women of our country. These include the right to choose to terminate one's pregnancy; the child support grant; justice in the maintenance of children by their father; government procurement systems, etc.
As recently as December 2007, the ANC, at its 52nd national conference, adopted elaborate resolutions covering a wide range of issues of concern to women, including women's representation in decision-making structures, the women's Ministry and rural development, amongst other things.
As early as the year 2000, the province of the Eastern Cape initiated the rural development framework. However, this did not go far enough, hence the introduction of the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme by national government in 2001.
A number of rural municipalities, such as the Chris Hani District Municipality, the O R Tambo District Municipality, the Alfred Nzo District Municipality and the Ukhahlamba District Municipality participated in this programme.
The provincial growth and development programme launched in 2003 emphasised issues of job creation, poverty eradication, infrastructure development, human resource development, food security and agrarian transformation. All of these will benefit women, particularly those residing in the rural economy.
Guided by the 2009 ANC manifesto and based on the instructions drawn from the state of the nation address, the Eastern Cape has made progress in developing a provincial rural development strategy. We believe that there are key strategic issues that should contribute to the empowerment and improvement of the lives of rural women in the Eastern Cape. These should also form the basis for a national strategy and rural development programme. All these have implications for gender equality and women empowerment.
We believe that the first issue here is ownership of land and natural resources and assets. The second issue is employment, because we believe that rural development interventions should be aimed at creating decent and sustainable jobs, or at enabling people to generate income that is equal to or more than what they would have earned in the labour market.
The third issue is eradicating poverty and fighting inequality. The fourth issue is social development and basic human rights. The fifth issue for us, which the hon Minister touched on, is organisation and mobilisation of women residing in the rural areas. We believe that the reorganisation of people and communities, through democratic processes, is essential for any process of rural development.
The state should facilitate partnerships and create an enabling environment for development to take place. Reconstruction programmes for community institutions with a high level of organisation should be encouraged and supported by the state, for example the cultural, heritage and sport and recreational activities.
In conclusion, government has, since 1994, made a lot of progress in developing policies, enacting laws and implementing programmes aimed at empowering and improving the quality of life of women residing in rural areas. However, we are not naive; a lot still needs to be done to reverse the apartheid legacy and dismantle the historic socioeconomic disparities between the cities and rural areas. Thank you very much, hon Chair. [Applause.]