Sophie Williams De Bruyn
Johannesburg - South Africa commemorates Women’s Month in August each year to pay homage to the more that 20 000 women who marched in defiance against the extension of Pass laws to women on a Thursday, August 9 in 1956.
The strength and courage of these women facing incredible odds and yet willing to stand up and be heard remains worthy of not only celebration but emulation.
The march was conceptualised and led by the Federation of South African Women (Fedsaw), and I was privileged and humbled to form part of the leadership at the core of the organising committee.
The Fedsaw constitution stated the objectives of the Federation were to bring the women of South Africa together to secure full equality of opportunity for all women, regardless of race, colour or creed; to remove social, legal and economic disabilities, to work for the protection of the women and children.
The Fedsaw Women`s Charter was adopted and called for equality and the right to vote for men and women of all races; employment equality; equal pay for equal work; equal rights in relation to property, marriage and children; and the removal of all laws and customs that denied women such equality.
The Charter further demanded paid maternity leave, childcare for working mothers, and free and compulsory education for all South African children.
We stood outside JG Strydom’s door and told him, “Wathint’ Abafazi Wathint’imbokodo!” which translates to “Now you have touched a woman, you have struck a rock”.
Women’s month gives us the opportunity to celebrate their courage, reflect on the road travelled since the historic march and the challenges that still lie ahead. More importantly, an opportunity to regroup and recommit to continue the march to build a united South Africa that is non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous!
In August 1956, just a year after the signing of the Freedom Charter, we stood as one, women standing up and being counted – not being content to allow men only to fight for our freedom.
We are also reminded of Winnie Madikizela Mandela’s words when she said “If you are to free yourselves you must break the chains of oppression yourselves. Only then can we express our dignity, only when we have liberated ourselves can we cooperate with other groups. Any acceptance of humiliation, indignity or insult is acceptance of inferiority.”
It is also thanks to the bravery and courage of women who took a stand that SA is a democratic country.
We should celebrate the progress made. This includes progressive laws which were passed, to lay the basis for the creation of a non-sexist society; the growing number of women leading organisations across sectors of society and more being assigned meaningful roles, to contribute in the rebuilding of our country.
More girls can access education with a high number completing high school and entering institutions of higher learning. An improvement in the participation of girls and women in various sports, cultural and artistic activities is important.
We are proud of Banyana Banyana’s victory in Women AFCON and their qualification for the World Cup. They represent the best of us and emulate the courage, discipline and resilience of the generation of Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa, Chrissie Jasson, Albertina Sisulu, Ruth First, Winnie Madikizela Mandela, Ray Simons, Fatima Meer, Violet Wynberg, Frances Baard, Bertha Xgowa, Mita Draghoender, Ruth Mompati and the other great women of our country.
It is important to recognise that there is a growing appreciation of the role and contribution of women in the rebuilding of our country. This is as a result of struggles waged and more women asserting themselves. We all have an obligation not to betray the spirit of this brave generation of women and the struggles they waged.
As we look at our beloved South Africa today, we are deeply concerned that our hard won democracy is in a crisis with a threat of serious regression.
High levels of poverty, unemployment and inequality hit the women and youth hardest and significantly, contributes to the dysfunction of our society and threaten its fabric; corruption and unethical conduct that robs the poor, undermine our values and could reverse gains made; high levels of crime and especially heinous is the violence against women and children and vulnerable groups in society.
The recently reported rape of young women making a music video in Krugersdorp, rape of young children, women and grandmothers and the levels of brutality in these attacks is not what we aspired for when we marched in 1956.
Our dream was and remains the transformation of our society into a democratic, non-racial, non-sexist, united and peaceful society that can set an example to the world.
The South African Constitution is our blueprint that articulates our aspirations, the SA of our dreams. Our freedoms are spelt out – but for many, especially women, they exist seemingly on paper.
Women of our country live in fear – the high numbers of men killing and/or violently assaulting women; rape; sexual harassment continue to plague us. They continue to carry a disproportionate burden of keeping families and communities that constraint their full participation and contribution society.
We are all called upon to collectively find solutions and get the programme of rebuilding our country on course. Women alone cannot resolve this.
We need to relook at the society we created and the dreams we held when writing our constitution. We need to work together as South African men and women – we brought down one of the strongest regimes on the continent – so resolving issues among us should be less difficult. If we want a better country where we all feel safe, we must be prepared to fight for it.
We must come together and become activists again to eradicate violence in our society, especially against women and children – let their bodies not be allowed to be crime scenes.
As communities we need to unite and reassert the values of integrity, respect, discipline, solidarity and Ubuntu to reclaim our communities and rebuild our country. Let us engage in programmes that support and care for the vulnerable, survivors of abuse and violence.
We must raise children who respect each other’s humanity and have a strong sense of solidarity.
When we as parents raise our children, we should demonstrate respect towards one another as mothers and fathers – speak and behave with respect, love, instil in them confidence and self assurance, honesty, integrity and selflessness and other attributes that give children a solid, balanced foundation growing up.
Having emulated these qualities from their parents, shall as parents themselves, continue to ensure that the best elements of their Heritage, shall have been passed on, in turn and hopefully, bringing about better, stable, strong principled future generations.
Together, all of us, black and white, men and women, young and old can build a South Africa that inspires generations of heroes and heroines to lay down their lives so that we can live! As Madiba challenged us “It is in our hands”, we dare not betray the courage and bravery of our forebears!! MALI BONGWE!!
Williams De Bruyn, Isithwalandwe-Seaparankwe is the patron of the Sophie and Henry De Bruyn Legacy Foundation.