Minister for Women in the Presidency, Susan Shabangu, has made a clarion call to women to have unity of purpose as she launched Women’s Month 2015 at the Union Buildings on Thursday.
This year’s Women’s Month has been launched under the theme “Women United in Youth Moving SA Forward.”
Shabangu says, “Ladies and gentlemen, our clarion call to women of our country is to have unity of purpose as we move South Africa forward. Let us all rally behind the 2015 Women’s month theme: “Women United in Moving South Africa Forward.”
On 9 August 1956, more than 20 000 women marched to the Union Building as they protested against the pass laws which among other things restricted their freedom of movement.
Shabangu says, “Women’s Month is therefore a time when we not only celebrate but reflect on progress, both the achievements and the challenges we face in our struggle for women’s empowerment and gender equality.”
She says it is therefore befitting that as the country celebrates 59 years since the march everybody should stop to reflect on the progress made since the dawn of democracy 21 year ago.
“As we celebrate the 59th Anniversary of the women’s march we are also mindful that 2015 marks the 60th Anniversary of the Freedom Charter. We must use the occasion of the 59th Anniversary to chronicle the immense contribution of women in the drafting of the Freedom Charter and in the struggle for liberation.”
Shabangu has also paid tribute to fallen heroes including Ruth Mompati who passed recently.
“We have just laid to rest one of our stalwarts, Isithalandwe Mme Ruth Mompati. We use the occasion of the 59th Anniversary to salute her and other women who gave their lives, selflessly, so that we can all be free. We pay homage to women leaders in the calibre of Charlotte Maxeke, Lillian Ngoye, Helen Joseph, Amina Cachalia, Ray Alexander Simons, Dorothy Nyembe, Albertina Sisulu, Rahima Moosa, Adelaide Tambo, Bertha Gxowa, Gertrude Shope, Sophie Du Bruin, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and many others.”
Week 1 will celebrate Women in Fashion; Week 2 Women in Film; Week 3 the fight against human trafficking and labour exploitation of women; and Week 4, economic empowerment of women.
