“We are still far from winning the battle against gender-based violence and femicide [GBVF] that is destroying the very fabric of our society.”
These were the words of the Speaker of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature, Lindi Masina, during the 2024 Women’s Parliament and Awareness March against GBVF on Friday, August 30.
She addressed various issues, including a growing concern regarding the scourge of GBVF in the province, which affects communities negatively.
“As the Legislature, we have held various campaigns and workshops to draw from the experiences of survivors. Therefore, the legislative sector and parliament have resolved to do more structural interventions against this abnormality. Our clear call is to ensure an end to any violation of women’s bodies as mere sites of exploitation and domination.”
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Masina also acknowledged all the work that had been done by the sixth legislature. She said a report was given in which the delegates were given feedback on the progress made in implementing the resolutions of the 2023 Women’s Parliament.
The minister of women, youth and persons with disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, acknowledged the women of 1956 for their bravery and leadership in setting the agenda towards the liberation of women from patriarchal domination. In emphasising the road travelled in achieving women’s emancipation, she highlighted the transformation in the judiciary, commending the recent appointment of Judge Mandisa Maya as the first woman chief justice, while also demonstrating improvements since the advent of democracy with a specific focus on the judiciary.
Chikunga alluded to a number of the government’s achievements towards the development of women in the past 30 years as part of celebrating democracy.
“To change the socio-economic status of women, we are all required to set ambitious goals. As departments and members of parliament, it’s important that we foster creative public-private collaborations,” she said.
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She further indicated that women’s empowerment is fundamentally about empowering society, maintaining that no country can successfully advance while paying lip service to the ongoing violence against women and their rights. She spoke about the issues of GBVF against women and children, with reference to the alarming statistics of cases in this regard.
“Ladies, the struggle for women’s political, social and economic emancipation does not stop today. August may be over for the purpose of heightening awareness, but imbokodo must continue to grind 365 days,” Chikunga said.
Mpumalanga News
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