“Working together to enhance women’s opportunities to economic empowerment” is 2011 Women's Month theme.
On 9 August 1956 between 10,000-20,000 women of all races marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria and demanded eqaulity for women. It was the largest demonstration by South African women. It gave women a sense of power and sistahood and it gave the then Government something to think about - for a heartbeat or two- before they continued to impress further laws that would further violate the rights of women and keep them subordinated to their government/men.
It is with joy that 55 years later women can walk the streets safely without passes - or can they? Over and above the crime of "corrective rape" that targets openly lesbian women , women's spaces are restricted and no woman can walk around safely- not even in her own home. She may not need a pass to walk the streets. But women are as unsafe now as they were in 1956. Today South African women cannot walk any streets for fear of being raped, sexually violated or trussed into a police van for sex working.
I rejoice in the theme of "economic empowerment " for women. Financial literacy is one of the essential foundational legs to free women from continuing patriarchal bullying and direct risk to HIV/AIDS and build an economically sound country. I plan to use this as a theme for the many platforms I will be speaking from during this month.And one cannot talk about women without talking about men. I am strongly supporting the inclusion of men at Women's Month events.
I invite you to join me. I invite you to create your own forums, gatherings of women, women and men together. Talk about the previously unspeakable: money ... and sexuality. You can't have one without the other...
Happy throughful, provocative Women's Month 2011.
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