MEC Dube-Ncube: Time for women to conclude struggle against inequality is now

Women must be steadfast and claim their rightful leadership space in a patriarchal society. That is according to KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Nomusa Dube-Ncube who was speaking at the Women of Impact Seminar in Durban on 17.08.18. Dube-Ncube cautioned that the current generation of women will be judged harshly by history for setting future generations of women up for failure if they remain mere passive spectators to men and the patriarchal society we still see in South Africa today. “Times have changed dramatically in favour of women but I do not think we have occupied the space that we should be occupying. Take for example those who came before us who against all odds resisted to have their voices drowned out. They collectively faced the might of the apartheid regime and registered their concerns. Now our generation needs to do an objective introspection and ask some difficult questions - are we truly where we need to be?” - said Dube-Ncube. “One of the challenges we are facing is that we are bearing the brunt of poverty, yet opportunities are out there for us to turn our lives around. We do not want to work together and the pull-her-down syndrome is a hindrance for us to ascend to all the new economic opportunities that are now available. We need to close ranks, work together and support one another. We desperately need forums of this nature where we share ideas and map a way forward for aggressive women empowerment processes,” said Dube-Ncube. Dube-Ncube urged women to work together to nip in the bud the scourge of abuse of women. She said if women are not supporting victims of abuse and expose perpetrators, war against women abuse would never be won. “Enough is enough - women and our girl children are raped and killed. Perpetrators are usually men known to them; men who are their partners, husbands and uncles. These are people that should be protecting them but instead they do the opposite. We protect these p

Women must be steadfast and claim their rightful leadership space in a patriarchal society. That is according to KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Nomusa Dube-Ncube who was speaking at the Women of Impact Seminar in Durban today.
Dube-Ncube cautioned that the current generation of women will be judged harshly by history for setting future generations of women up for failure if they remain mere passive spectators to men and the patriarchal society we still see in South Africa today.
“Times have changed dramatically in favour of women but I do not think we have occupied the space that we should be occupying. Take for example those who came before us who against all odds resisted to have their voices drowned out. They collectively faced the might of the apartheid regime and registered their concerns. Now our generation needs to do an objective introspection and ask some difficult questions – are we truly where we need to be?” – said Dube-Ncube.
“One of the challenges we are facing is that we are bearing the brunt of poverty, yet opportunities are out there for us to turn our lives around. We do not want to work together and the pull-her-down syndrome is a hindrance for us to ascend to all the new economic opportunities that are now available. We need to close ranks, work together and support one another. We desperately need forums of this nature where we share ideas and map a way forward for aggressive women empowerment processes,” said Dube-Ncube.
Dube-Ncube urged women to work together to nip in the bud the scourge of abuse of women. She said if women are not supporting victims of abuse and expose perpetrators, war against women abuse would never be won.
“Enough is enough – women and our girl children are raped and killed. Perpetrators are usually men known to them; men who are their partners, husbands and uncles. These are people that should be protecting them but instead they do the opposite. We protect these perpetrators because in certain instances they put food on the table. We usually do this at the expense of children who in some instances are repeatedly raped,’’ said Dube-Ncube.
She commended government at all levels for the strides that have been made to empower women. The private sector was called upon to follow suit by elevating women empowerment high on its agenda.
Ends.