RI women must unite to fight for rights: S. African activist
RI women must unite to fight for rights: S. African activist
Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta
A South African activist has urged Indonesian women to unite to
overcome problems that impede democracy such us poverty and
gender equality.
Yvette Lillian Myakayaka-Manzini, deputy president of the
African National Congress (ANC) Women's League, told a seminar
here on Thursday women could begin by initiating grass-roots
women's movements to push for state reform. This would ensure
they were included in the decision-making process, she said.
"Indeed I believe women have to play an increasing role in the
unfolding world democracy. More than ever before we live in a
very dangerous world, in which institutions such as the United
Nations have been weakened, and women, who constitute more than
half of the global population, cannot just sit and watch.
"We need to act in unity to overcome poverty, underdevelopment
and inequalities," she said at South Africa's Women's Day
Seminar, which was sponsored by the South African Embassy and the
State Ministry of Women's Empowerment.
Myakayaka-Manzini, who also heads the ruling party's
international affairs department, shared her experiences when, as
a party member, she had to fight for women to acquire a 40
percent representation in the South African cabinet and 30
percent in parliament.
During the apartheid government, only white women had the
right to vote.
"The formation of the African National Congress was to address
the extension of human rights, including the right to vote, of
all South Africans. But when the ANC was formed in 1912, women
were not allowed constitutionally to be full members of these
organizations. Women were regarded as auxiliary members with no
voting rights," she said.
The female members continued to participate in the party and
in 1913, they formed their own organization, the Bantu Women's
League named after the first ethnic inhabitants in the terrain
known now as South Africa. Charlotte Maxeke was the first leader
of the league.
This league was then transformed into a larger grouping,
admitting women as well as men. In 1948, the ANC Women's League
was formally launched. In 1954, the Federation of South African
Women was set up with the league as its leading component.
"From its founding, the league had a vision of uniting South
African women across the color barrier and thus worked to create
such a body," said Myakayaka-Manzini, who joined the party in
1975.
The struggle had borne fruit, she said. The league's most
important achievement was its success in incorporating the issues
of gender discrimination and their resolution into the South
African Constitution, government policies, laws and special
programs.
After the second democratic election in 1999, women achieved
33 percent representation in parliament of 490 members, compared
with only 0.08 percent in 1994.
She said in the 1999 elections, nine out of the 27 ministers
appointed were women along with eight of the 14 deputies. In 2004
election, 11 women were appointed to cabinet and 21 were made
deputies.
Indonesian Minister for Women Empowerment Sri Redjeki
Sumaryoto, who also spoke at the seminar, said gender imbalances
and discrimination against women in this country would led to
more violence and exploitation.
"We need to immediately resolve (this problem) in order for
women to be able to enjoy their human rights and fundamental
freedoms to achieve gender equity and equality," she said.
Smita Notosusanto, the executive director of election watchdog
the Centre for Electoral Reform, and Kamala Chandrakirana, the
head of the National Commission on Violence Against Women, both
called on the House of Representatives to pass bills drafted to
protect women.
The bills, which are scheduled for a second deliberation,
cover human trafficking, violence against women, women's health
and the protection of migrant workers.