Women arrived dressed in their finest traditional attire with their faces painted colourfully. Liberation songs and chants highlighting the plight that women have endured were sung. Young girls danced to the beat of drums and were joined by their mothers and grandmothers on stage.
Masifunde Education and Development Project Trust collaborated with the Rural People’s Movement last week to host a diverse range of women from the Eastern Cape region. The women gathered at Marselle Hall at Kenton-on-Sea where a wide range of socio-economic and political issues related to government framework policies on women’s rights were discussed.
The Chairperson of the Unemployed People’s Movement, Nomfuneko Sokhunjwa, argued that women are tired of receiving handouts and food parcels as they would prefer to be equipped with tools that would empower them professionally. “They must give us an opportunity to work, because they don’t even bring the food parcels every month,” said Sokunjwa.
Representing the Regional Women’s Union was Nozamile Magadla. She said that even though women were the majority voters during elections, they were still marginalised as men dominate many sectors of society. As such she felt that women's rights highlight the victimisation of women rather celebrates them. “Rape and murder have increased in the rural areas over the years. Women still continue to be victims,” said Magadla.
There were no spectators at this event, as even the guests were allowed to form part of the activities. They sang, danced and shared the experiences they have gone through as women and young girls. The celebration was all the more made joyous through traditional dance performances. The teachers from the local schools who were on strike also attended the event with their learners who arrived dressed in their school uniform, said programmes co-ordinator Nomonde Waka-Kalipa.
