Hon Chairperson, Minister, it is really a privilege for me to participate in this debate today because our rural women are the unsung heroes of South Africa.
As julle my sal verskoon, gaan ek verder in Afrikaans praat. Ek het nou my stukkie Engels gepraat. Landelike vroue dra 'n driedubbelle las. Die las van vrouwees beteken die dra van verantwoordelikheid vir haar en haar gesin te midde van toenemende armoede en afsondering in die platteland, behalwe die alledaagse gesukkel om liggaam, siel en gesin aanmekaar te hou.
Bevryding het nie vir al die vroue op die platteland gekom nie. Navorsing deur Markinor in 2007, het bevind dat slegs 15% van die plattelandse vroue matriek of hor onderrig het, in vergelyking met ongeveer 50% van die stedelike vroue. Sewentig persent van die plattelandse vroue moet met minder as R2 500 per huishouding, per maand klaarkom. Slegs 20% van die vroue het 'n voltydse werk. Ongeveer 40% van die vroue is werkloos en dus ook permanent op soek na werk.
Die twee probleme wat ver bo ander uittroon in die landelike gebiede is di van migrasie en armoede. Die Wes-Kaap het 'n reuse immigrasie van 250 000 mense uit ander provinsies en die res van Afrika. Die bevolkingsgroei was 5,3% in 2004.
Die bevolkingsgroei is ook groter in distriksmunisipaliteite, soos hier in die Wes-Kaap. Die aanwas plaas 'n groter en immer groeiende las op ons reeds sukkelende gemeenskappe en munisipaliteite, waar die mededinging om werk en oorlewing net soveel feller en meer intensief is as elders. Almal ding mee om die skaars water, werk en natuurlike hulpbronne van ons provinsie, soos in elke ander provinsie. Dit is en bly 'n werklikheid en ons sal elkeen in ons provinsies en in Suid-Afrika 'n oplossing moet vind om hierdie probleem aan te spreek.
Volgens Statistiek Suid-Afrika, is daar ongeveer 150 000 meer vroue as mans in die Wes-Kaap. Dit dui daarop dat meer vroue aan die hoof van huishoudings staan. HIV/Vigs, fetale alkoholsindroom, tuberkulose, en wanvoeding is van die ernstige gesondheidsprobleme wat hierdie gemeenskappe teister. Klinieke is nie altyd binne die bereik van hierdie vroue nie.
Fetale-alkoholsindroom is 'n probleem wat 'n herhalende uitwerking op gemeenskappe het. Tienerswangerskappe, alkohol- en dwelmmisbruik maak 'n groot deel uit van die daaglikse stryd van ons vroue in die platteland, wat hulle vir hulself en hul kinders moet stry.
Statistieke bevestig dat vroue meer dikwels die slagoffers is van geweld. Nrens is dit meer waar as op die platteland nie. Sy is bang om die saak by die polisie aan te gee, omdat sy vrees dat die bietjie geldelike hulp wat sy by haar lewensmaat kry, van haar en haar gesin ontneem sal word, sou hy in hegtenis geneem word.
Daar is bevind dat die moeder van 'n gemolesteerde kind nie die saak sal aanmeld nie, juis uit vrees dat die pa haar sal viktimiseer en die karige hulpbronne wat die familie aan die gang hou, sal onttrek.
Ongelukkig is dit ook so dat ons polisie en regstelsel dikwels ons vroue faal. Die feit dat vroue soms lang afstande na polisiestasies moet afl, ontmoedig hulle. Baie vroue rapporteer nie verkragting en seksuele aanranding nie, want hulle persepsie is dat daar min of enige geloofwaardigheid is, of kan wees, in die regstelsel.
As hulle wel moet gaan vir forensiese en mediese ondersoeke, is die klinieke bykans onbereikbaar en is daar nie altyd die nodige middels om hierdie ondersoeke te behartig nie. 'n Verdere probleem is dat klinieke nie altyd toegerus is met die nodige mediese voorraad nie en dat daar ook 'n wesenlike tekort is aan kundige personeel om hierdie ondersoeke te hanteer. Vroue word egter deur die stygende misdaad getref en hulle het ook die minste toegang tot ons regbank.
In April 2007 is daar 'n verklaring van die vierde Wreld Kongres vir Plattelandse Vroue in Durban gehou. Probleme wat die plattelandse vrou dwarsoor die wreld benadeel, is bespreek. Afgesien van hul isolasie word plattelandse vroue verder benadeel as gevolg van 'n beperkte toegang tot natuurlike hulpbronne, infrastruktuur, finansile hulp en inligtings- en kommunikasietegnologie.
Die regering moet voortdurend toegang tot geleenthede en hulpbronne na die landelike gemeenskappe opskerp en verbeter. Ons moet sorg dat vroue toegang het tot water en gesondheid, want dit is die pilare van ontwikkeling. Ons moet mede-verantwoordelikheid neem om in samewerking met die vroue toe te sien dat hulle hulself bemagtig en sodoende selfversorgend word om na hulself en hul gesinne om te sien.
Vroue wat bemagtig word, help weer om ander vroue te bemagtig, want hulle deel hul kennis en vaardighede. Alhoewel die vroue oor 'n magdom vaardighede beskik, moet programme daargestel word om hulle daarmee te onderhou en te ontwikkel. Alhoewel daar spesifieke beleide is wat die nood van die plattelandse vroue aanspreek - soos nou met die stigting van die ministerie van jeug en vroue met gestremdhede - is die nood op ons plattelande so groot, dat alle provinsies hierdie probleem met groot erns moet aanspreek.
Basiese programme met die samewerking van die hele gemeenskap, kerke en ander organisasies, moet volhoubaar onderhou word. Daardeur sal vroue bemagtig word, soos byvoorbeeld deur spesifieke onderrig in handwerk om hulself en hulle gesinne te versorg.
Vaardigheidsontwikkeling in landbou, soos die begin en versorging van groentetuine, kan nie net vir gesonde kos op die tafel sorg nie, maar kan ook 'n volhoubare inkomste skep. Vroue kan bemagtig en ondersteun word om saam te staan en voedingskemas op die platteland by skole te begin, om die gemeenskap se kinders te voed.
Geletterdheid is 'n basiese reg. Ons moet meer doen om geletterdheid aan te spreek veral onder ons voorheen benadeelde vroue, waar ongeletterdheid steeds 'n groot oorsaak van werkloosheid is.
Meer moet gedoen word om ons dogters aan te moedig om vakke soos wiskunde en wetenskap te neem. Hoe trotser die jong meisies en vroue op hulself is, hoe meer sal die negatiewe faktore soos tienerswangerskappe, afneem. Meisies en vroue moet bemagtig word om 'n s oor hul eie liggame te h. Moeders moet hul seuns leer om vroue te respekteer en hulself te dissiplineer.
Meisies neig om skolasties beter te vaar as seuns en hulle neem meer deel aan wetenskap en tegnologie geleenthede. Kulturele en sosio-ekonomiese omstandighede neig om meisies terug te hou uit skool en tersire onderrig. Meisies doen beter in aanleg- en vaardigheidstoetse as seuns. Ondanks die hor intellektuele vermons van ons dogters, is daar 'n wesenlike afname van meisies wat by ons skole inskryf. Ongeveer 26% van ons dogters in landelike gebiede verlaat die skool op 'n vroe ouderdom, as gevolg van gerelde huwelike, tienerswangerskappe, familie en kulturele verpligtinge sowel as HIV/Vigs. Hulle moet dan as kinders die hoof van 'n huishouding word.
Meer meisies as seuns voltooi wel matriek. Daar moet meer beurse beskikbaar gestel word vir skool en vir tersire onderrig om ons meisies aan te moedig om te studeer en hul vaardighede terug te neem platteland toe. Beurse, spesifiek gerig op ons plattelandse kinders, is iets wat in alle erns oorweeg sal moet word, omdat ons plattelandse ouers juis nie die finansile vermo het om hulle vir verdere opleiding te stuur nie.
Dit gebeur in ons gemeenskappe dat meisies te bang is om oor seksuele mishandeling te praat wat deur onderwysers, ouer mans, en selfs familie en lede in die gemeenskap, teenoor hulle gepleeg word. Dit gee aanleiding tot die styging van tienerswangerskappe en die vroe verlating van skool, soos reeds genoem is.
By die armstes van armes word die kindertoelae gebruik om huishoudings van ondergang te red en dit kom eintlik nie uit by die kind wat dit werklik nodig het nie.
Die Wes-Kaapse regering het 'n beleid wat toegewyd is aan landelike ontwikkeling vir die volgende vyf jaar. Juis om daardie rede gaan daar nou 'n direktoraat in ons landboudepartement geskep word met die doel om strategies te fokus op landelike vroue se ontwikkeling en om die vroue te bemagtig. Kom ons werk saam om ons vroue op ons platteland te bemagtig en ons gemeenskap uit hierdie wrede siklus van armoede te red, tot voordeel van al ons inwoners van Suid-Afrika. Ek dank u. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Pardon me, but I will continue in Afrikaans. I have now said my little bit in English. Rural women have to bear a triple burden. The burden of being a woman means bearing the responsibility for herself and her family amidst increasing rural poverty and isolation, apart from the daily struggle of keeping body, soul and family together.
Freedom has not come to all women in the rural areas.
Research by Markinor in 2007 found that only 15% of rural women achieved a matric or higher education, in comparison with about 50% of urban women. Seventy per cent of rural women have to make do with less than R2 500 per household per month. Only 20% of these women have permanent work. About 40% of them are unemployed and therefore also permanently looking for work.
The two problems that tower far above others in rural areas are migration and poverty. The Western Cape has a huge immigration of 250 000 people from other provinces and the rest of Africa. In 2004 population growth reached 5,3%.
Population growth is also bigger in district municipalities, such as here in the Western Cape. The increase places a bigger and ever-increasing burden on our already struggling communities and municipalities, where the competition for work and survival is just so much more fierce and intense than elsewhere. Everybody is competing for the scarce water, employment and natural resources of our province, as in every other province. This is and remains a reality and within our provinces and South Africa every one of us will have to find a solution to address this problem.
According to Statistics South Africa there are about 150 000 more women than men in the Western Cape. This shows that more women are heading households.
HIV/Aids, foetal alcohol syndrome, tuberculosis and malnutrition are some of the more serious health problems that are ravaging these communities. Clinics are not always within reach of these women.
Foetal alcohol syndrome is a problem that has a recurring effect on communities. Teenage pregnancies, alcohol and drug abuse form a large part of the daily struggle of our rural women, who have to fend for themselves and for their children.
Statistics confirm that women more often fall prey to violence. Nowhere is this more evident than in the rural areas. She is afraid to lay a charge with the police, because she is scared that the little financial aid she does get from her life partner will be taken away from her and her family if he should be taken into custody.
It has been found that the mother of a molested child will not report the matter, precisely out of fear that the father will victimise her and withdraw the meagre resources that are keeping the family going.
Unfortunately it is also true that our police and criminal justice system often fail our women. The fact that women sometimes have to travel over long distances to police stations is discouraging for them. Many women do not report rape and sexual assault because of their perception of the legal system as having little or no credibility.
If they do have to go for forensic and medical examinations, the clinics are virtually inaccessible and do not always have the means to deal with these examinations. A further problem is that clinics are not always equipped with the required medical equipment and actually lack skilled personnel to carry out these examinations. Women are, however, being affected by the increasing crime while they also have the least access to our courts.
The fourth World Congress of Rural Women was held in Durban in April 2007. Problems that adversely affect rural women across the world were discussed. Apart from their isolation, rural women are further disadvantaged because of limited access to natural resources, infrastructure, financial aid and information and communication technology.
Government should continually upgrade and improve rural communities' access to opportunities and resources. We must see to it that women have access to water and health care, because these are the pillars of development. We should take co-responsibility, in co-operation with women, to ensure that they empower themselves and thereby become self-sufficient to look after themselves and their families.
Women who become empowered in turn will help other women to become empowered, because they share their knowledge and skills. Although women possess lots of skills, programmes should be put in place so that they can maintain themselves in this regard and develop. Although there are specific policies to address the hardships of rural women - such as the recent introduction of the Ministry for youth and people with disabilities - the need in our rural areas is so great that all provinces must address this problem in all seriousness.
Basic programmes should be maintained in a sustainable manner with the co- operation of the whole community, churches and other organisations. That is how women will become empowered, for instance by way of specific training in a craft, to look after themselves and their families.
Skills development in agriculture, such as starting and maintaining vegetable gardens, will not only put healthy food on the table, but can also create a sustainable income. By empowering and supporting women, they can unite and start feeding schemes at schools in the rural areas and feed the children of the community.
Literacy is a basic right. We should do more to address literacy, especially among our previously disadvantaged women where illiteracy remains a major cause of unemployment.
More should be done to encourage our girls to take subjects such as mathematics and science. The more proud of themselves young girls and women are, the more negative factors such as teenage pregnancies will decrease. Girls and women should be empowered to have a say over their own bodies. Mothers should teach their sons self-discipline and respect for women.
Girls tend to do better than boys academically and they participate more in opportunities in science and technology. Cultural and socio-economic circumstances tend to hold girls back from school and tertiary education. Girls fare better than boys in aptitude and skills tests. Despite the higher intellectual capacity of our girls, there is an actual decrease in the number of girls enrolling at our schools. About 26% of girls in rural areas are leaving school at an early age because of arranged marriages, teenage pregnancies, family and cultural commitments as well as HIV/Aids. As children they then have to become the head of a household.
More girls than boys do complete their matric. More bursaries should be made available for school and tertiary education to encourage our girls to study and take their skills back to the rural areas. Bursaries specifically targeted at our rural children should be considered in all seriousness, because our rural parents just don't have the financial means to send them for further training.
It happens in our communities that girls are too afraid to speak about their sexual molestation by teachers, older men, and even relatives and members of their community. The result is more teenage pregnancies, which is why they leave school early, as already mentioned.
Among the poorest of the poor the child grants are used to keep households from collapsing and they never reach the children that are really in need of them.
The Western Cape government has a policy dedicated to rural development for the next five years. For that very reason a directorate is now being created in our agricultural department with the aim of focusing strategically on the development of rural women and of empowering them. Let's work together and empower our rural women and save our community from this cruel cycle of poverty, to the benefit of all inhabitants of South Africa. I thank you. [Applause.]]