Party remains committed to their rights and financial freedom
It was the Burkinabe revolutionary Thomas Sankara who rightly said that there is no social revolution without the liberation of women.
Since its inception in 1912, Africa’s oldest liberation movement, the ANC, has been consistent that political liberation could not be achieved without women’s emancipation.
The ANC has defined the intersectional nature of colonial and apartheid oppression as predominantly racial, class and gender in character. As a movement, we have been firm that as those who bear the triple burden of race, class and gender, black women’s liberation from all forms of bondage be prioritised.
As such, the foremost task of the democratic government in 1994 was ensuring that the constitutional order we sought to realise did not disadvantage, discriminate against or disempower women as apartheid had done.
The period immediately after the first democratic elections of 1994 focused on repealing a raft of discriminatory and oppressive laws that had crushed the country’s majority for centuries.
“The foremost task of the new democratic government in 1994 was ensuring that the constitutional order we sought to realise did not disadvantage, discriminate against or disempower women as apartheid had done.”
At the same time, the multiparty negotiations towards the production of the constitution commenced, led by the ANC. Once this period concluded with the signing into law of the constitution, the MPs of the first democratic parliament had long been hard at work developing enabling legislation that would give effect to the provisions of the constitution and its bill of rights.
From the outset, the ANC-led government affirmed its commitment to advancing gender equality. In 1995, the government ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. In the same year we adopted the Beijing Declaration at the UN Fourth World Conference on Women, and ratified the Beijing Platform for Action.
After ending decades of isolation, the democratic government ratified several international, African continental and regional agreements and treaties that committed our nation to advancing women’s rights. These included the AU’s Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) and the Sadc Protocol on Gender and Development.
A commission for gender equality was established in 1996 to oversee the advancement of women’s rights in South Africa.
Within a few short years of democracy, South African legislators passed a range of progressive and far-reaching laws to protect women’s rights and advance their status in society. These included the Choice of Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1996, the Domestic Violence Act of 1998 and the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act of 2000.
Hated laws like the Immorality Act were repealed, and legislation such as the Sexual Offences Act of 1957 and others were amended to offer greater protection to women against sexual violence and exploitation.
South Africa today has one of the most progressive legal regimes when it comes to outlawing discrimination of people on the grounds of sex, sexual orientation and culture. As a result, our country is a bastion of tolerance and freedom for members of the LGBTQIA+ community in Africa.
In 1998, the new democratic state introduced a child care grant to enable indigent women to support their families; doing away with the state maintenance grant of the apartheid state that provided income support to poor white families to the exclusion of black families.
Parliament led the way in addressing gender inequality and discrimination, championing the inclusion of women in leadership positions. In the seventh parliament, we have more women chairs of committees than ever.
The first woman elected as speaker of the National Assembly, Frene Ginwala, and other leaders of her generation passed legislation that has had a far-reaching impact on transforming women’s lives.
As a member of the seventh democratic parliament, I am in awe of the pioneering work and visionary leadership of the MPs of the first democratic parliament. The sheer volume and substance of the legislation passed in their first five-year term is mind-blowing. It bears testimony to the legendary work ethic of that first generation of parliamentarians.
As we commemorate the historic 1956 Women’s March on the Union Buildings by 20,000 women to demonstrate against pass laws, we must take a moment to reflect on the road we have travelled over the past 30 years towards achieving full and substantive gender equality.
In the intervening years since democracy we have worked to consolidate our gains in women’s empowerment by passing additional laws and policies to advance the rights of women, to protect them from violence and discrimination, to prioritise women’s advancement in the workplace, and many others.
The ANC has always believed that gender equality could not be achieved without addressing the skewed distribution of resources and economic opportunities. To address the historic injustices against women, parliament passed the Labour Relations Act of 1995, the Employment Equity Act of 1998 and the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act of 2003.
These laws aimed to enforce workplace transformation and inclusion of black people and women in the employment and directorships of public and private enterprises.
We must be proud of the many milestones we achieved since the democratic breakthrough 30 years ago, particularly with respect to women’s rights.
In the third term of parliament in 2008, the Multiparty Women’s Caucus was established to advocate for women’s rights and advise parliament on matters affecting women.
The National Health Act of 2003 expanded access to primary healthcare to the working class and poor. Free maternal care reduced infant mortality rates in South Africa.
The National Health Insurance Act of 2023 seeks to provide universal access to healthcare services. Millions of women, particularly the unemployed rural and urban poor, will benefit from the NHI.
While we are proud of the progress we have made as a nation to improve the lives of women, we know we need to work harder. Women remain disproportionately affected by unemployment and poverty.
Sankara said: “May my eyes never see and my feet never take me to a society where half the people are held in silence.”
As the ANC we remain committed to the realisation of a South Africa where women, half the population, have rights, have financial freedom and have a voice.
This is a challenge to the current parliament. It is incumbent on us to work with the government of national unity and social partners to address and overcome all barriers and obstacles that impede women’s progress. Importantly, this includes women’s economic empowerment.
This is the mission of our generation. We dare not fail.
Ntuli is ANC chief whip
11 August 2024 – 00:00
BY MDUMISENI NTULI