Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, hon members and honourable women up there, today our theme is: "Together empowering women for gender development and equality". "Together"! But we lost the plot a minute ago!
I want to say that the DA is shocked at what the hon Mabe of the ANC said about the leader of the DA. [Interjections.] If the DA were to call the hon Jacob Zuma - who is also not a member of this House - a monster, the ANC would be horrified and shocked, as we are. [Interjections.] [Applause.] So, we are therefore calling on the leadership of the ANC to take appropriate action against the hon Mabe. [Applause.]
It is the duty of every single woman sitting here today to ensure that we are empowering women. It is not only the job of our hon Minister and her new department. We can start looking at what we as women do in this House, or the two Houses of Parliament, where we are empowered and where we have to empower women together.
Now, you might remember an advert from a while ago in which Charlize Theron said: "Real men don't rape." The advert was withdrawn, as it insulted men. But let me remind you that Helen Zille, at the beginning of this parliamentary session, asked for all of us to be equal before the law ... [Interjections.] ... and that we, as political leaders, should lead by example. She was viciously attacked because she stood up for women. All she said ... [Interjections.] ... was that we must all be equal before the law, and don't mess with us women and our lives as wives! [Applause.] So, hon members, together, our first rule must be to take the "double" out of our standards when we want to live gender development and equality.
Then, we want to plead for an opportunity for our young girls to study rather than to have babies before they are 21 years old. We should reward them accordingly with incentives such as an education grant. We should promote the concept of "me, my education and my life opportunities first".
Then, young women with children battle without maintenance payments. Real men actually pay maintenance, and we have to ensure that maintenance payments are enforced. The maintenance payment violators should have their nonpayment convictions lodged against their identity numbers, so that those convictions form part of their criminal records and creditworthiness.
Rape victim support must be comprehensively packaged; it cannot just be a one-night stand or a window-dressing presence. Together with this, we need to reopen the specialised units in the Police Service that were so sadly closed.
Then, I wholeheartedly agree with the Minister: bring statutory rape charges against any adult man who sleeps with or has sex with an under-age girl, regardless of whether it was consensual or not. Thank you.
Hon Speaker, hon members, we are all in agreement at this point that we will be responsible together for the empowerment of women for gender development and equality. We will be responsible for and accountable to the women, children and people with disabilities of South Africa, by creating a prosperous environment, together, an environment which is uniquely South African, in which our women and children can be free, secure and equal before the law, and in which everyone has the means to improve the quality of his life or pursue her own aspirations.
Hon Speaker, hon members, this is the real open opportunity society we must implement. I thank you. [Applause.]