This speech was delivered by GOOD MP, Shaun August during the Womens Day speech in Parliament, Cape Town today.
To build a society of adults who are cognisant of issues around discrimination, violence and crime against women – gender education must be embedded throughout the school careers of our children.
18 August 2020
Honourable Chair
Every Women’s Month we deliver eloquent speeches about how revolted we are by gender-based violence.
For a month, we speak about gender-based inequality and our commitment to its eradication – we tick the box, and then we move on to talk about heritage.
Regardless of the month, some of the realities South African girls and women face include:
- Being exposed to sexual proposition and body shaming wherever they go, including on social media.
- Women will earn between 20-35% less than men for doing similar work.
- During a pandemic there is more risk of women losing their job than men.
- And women who do more unpaid work at home; the cooking, cleaning and care for the young and old. Women do about 70% of this work.
Chairperson…
Society rightly demands professional police investigations and the hardest possible sentences for perpetrators of gender-based violence.
Bail is still being granted to abusers, rapists and murders with little to no real consequences to their actions. I remind this house, the President last year reiterated that the state should oppose bail for suspects charged with rape or murder.
Gender education must be embedded throughout the school careers of our children.
We need to address this form of education, so we can build a society of adults who are cognisant of issues around discrimination, violence and crime against women.
Honourable Chair…
Horror stories like the bodies of 5 murdered women discovered in the sugar cane fields of Mthwalume in KwaZulu Natal, requires a voice and action from all of us.
You don’t have to be Black to fight racism‚ you don’t have to be gay to fight homophobia‚ and you don’t have to be a woman to fight gender inequality.
Girls are aware of the system of patriarchy as they grow up. Even before they can talk they become aware of gender roles and hierarchies. They become aware of the tones of respect and disrespect, honour and abuse.
The role of men during this developmental phase is critical for the growth of girls who are empowered with self-belief and self-esteem.
GOOD is proud to be led by a women.
And we are proud of the leadership women have shown during the pandemic in countries that they lead.
As many say but few put into practise: We need more women leaders.
It begins with our attitudes at home.
I thank you.