Women’s Power Meeting – 7 August 2016

05 August 2016

Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement SA Press Statement

Women’s Power Meeting – 7 August 2016DSCF1438

As part of the commemoration of the 60 year anniversary since the heroines marched to the Union Building against the Pass Laws and for gender and racial equality on the 9th August 1956 Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement SA will hold a Women’s Power Meeting at the Surat Hindu and Association Hall in Prince Edward Street in Durban on the 7th of August.

We will be honouring the Heroines who marched in 1956. We will also be honouring Thuli Ndlovu, Nqobile Nzuza, Thembi Zungu, Bongi and Fikile Nkosi who lost their lives still fighting for dignity and equality for women living in the shacks.

The theme on the day is ‘Women can bring transformation’ As the country celebrates the 60 year anniversary of the famous demonstation of women’s power in action, 20 years of local government and 22 years of democracy we are reminded of role played by the heroines of the 1956 march. Abahlali acknowledges and respects the rights of women and encourages women’s full and equal participation in all aspects of politics. Women played a huge role in the realisation of this country’s freedom from apartheid and women play a huge role in the struggles of the oppressed today. Women’s power is at the centre of the politic of the strong poor.

The Abahlali baseMjondolo Women’s League wants to create awareness about issues that affect women’s lives on a daily basis. We want to educate women to be self-sustained. We want to encourage young girls to be able to be self-sustained. Women in shacks face many challenges such as patriarchy, impoverishment, ageism, parenting challenges, addiction, gender based violence and abuse and unlawful evictions. The Women’s League stands for the full equality of women in the movement, in our communities and in society.

In order to enhance the role of women in our communities, Abahlali plans to engage with the municipalities by being involved in all development that takes place in our communities regardless of political affiliation. We want community projects to be community driven and women must play a big role in these projects. As women we want to take part in economic development and urban planning in order to ensure that urban planning and economic planning are democratised. We need cities for all, land for all and an economy for all. Impoverished women who live in shacks and rural areas must be part of all the important dicussion about our cities, our rural areas and our economy. Conferences must be made accessible to the poor and there must not be a fee in order to be part of the conferences. These conferences are not accessible to poor women.

The movement has developed an ‘Operation Siyakhisana’ where women will take a centre stage. In order for women to conquer all the challenges that we face we need to educate ourselves on how to face these challenges. The women in our movement have started an investment scheme where they invest R1 a day. This is to encourage women to be self sustained and not rely on their male counterparts.

Women have been oppressed for too long. It is time that we rise and start doing things for ourselves.

WATHINT’ ABAFAZI WATHINT’ IMBOKODE UZOKUFA FINSH!!

Contact persons:

Zandile Nsibande – 062 947 1947

Sindi Mkhize – 073 7309 648

Joyce Majola – 073 043 5938