NOW that Women's Month is drawing to a close I thought I should reflect on it to see where we are and what we can still do.
It takes special women to come together, challenge a racist regime like those women who marched to the citadel of apartheid power and burnt their dompases (reference books, now known as IDs). Collectively, they were showing the apartheid state their contempt for the unjust laws that saw our people perpetually persecuted and undermined.
The victory of that endeavour lay more in the fact that women united across colour lines to fight a common enemy. It's not every day that women fight their battles together. They seem to thrive on tearing each other's hair out.
That is why the National Women's Coalition in 1992-93 was such an important factor in determining the future of women in a democratic dispensation.
It was just great to watch those beautiful women put aside their political ambitions for a common goal, once again across the colour spectrum.
A couple of years ago the women of this country re-enacted the burning of the offensive dompas. This was important for our youth's education and character-building. They had to see this first-hand on television so they could get answers telling them about their history.
Today women are no longer vocal. They do not orally pass on our history and we battle to find writers to put it down. We don't have to march to Pretoria but we can talk and do things that advance our cause as a nation.
For me the Nigerian expression that a child belongs to the village is as relevant today as it was when I was a child. Women in our communities were mothers to everybody. That is why the youth's behaviour then was not as irresponsible as it is today. We need to find the courage to do our best so that tomorrow's generation can strive for greater excellence.
It is crucial not to leave our men behind because if we do they will not be part of that growth and empowerment that will liberate us intellectually.
I hope women all over the world had a blessed Women's Month. I want my sisters to enjoy what is left of it, prosper and continue to nurture, motivate and raise a winning nation and be the best we can be, or kanjani ...
Remember our women's ways
NOW that Women's Month is drawing to a close I thought I should reflect on it to see where we are and what we can still do.
It takes special women to come together, challenge a racist regime like those women who marched to the citadel of apartheid power and burnt their dompases (reference books, now known as IDs). Collectively, they were showing the apartheid state their contempt for the unjust laws that saw our people perpetually persecuted and undermined.
The victory of that endeavour lay more in the fact that women united across colour lines to fight a common enemy. It's not every day that women fight their battles together. They seem to thrive on tearing each other's hair out.
That is why the National Women's Coalition in 1992-93 was such an important factor in determining the future of women in a democratic dispensation.
It was just great to watch those beautiful women put aside their political ambitions for a common goal, once again across the colour spectrum.
A couple of years ago the women of this country re-enacted the burning of the offensive dompas. This was important for our youth's education and character-building. They had to see this first-hand on television so they could get answers telling them about their history.
Today women are no longer vocal. They do not orally pass on our history and we battle to find writers to put it down. We don't have to march to Pretoria but we can talk and do things that advance our cause as a nation.
For me the Nigerian expression that a child belongs to the village is as relevant today as it was when I was a child. Women in our communities were mothers to everybody. That is why the youth's behaviour then was not as irresponsible as it is today. We need to find the courage to do our best so that tomorrow's generation can strive for greater excellence.
It is crucial not to leave our men behind because if we do they will not be part of that growth and empowerment that will liberate us intellectually.
I hope women all over the world had a blessed Women's Month. I want my sisters to enjoy what is left of it, prosper and continue to nurture, motivate and raise a winning nation and be the best we can be, or kanjani ...
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