A woman’s place is in her home. A woman’s place is in the workplace and in the community. On the streets and in public parks. In politics and leadership. In grocery stores, classrooms and on college campuses. A woman’s place is everywhere, and in every space, she has the right to feel safe and welcome.
Yet, gender-based violence and sexual violence, both in urban and rural settings, are an everyday occurrence for women and girls in every country around the world. The empowerment of women is about dealing with the legacy of apartheid and the transformation of society, particularly of power relations between women, men, institutions and laws.
During apartheid era, oppression occurred on a daily basis and women enjoyed almost no rights. It was a society characterised by repression, subjugation and tyranny. SA’s democratic breakthrough in 1994 represented a new dawn to an inclusive society that cares for all.
Although progress is evident this far, but we need to be mindful that we can still do more to substantially transform society and the economy. We all have a role to play, to speed up transformation across society by joining forces to ensure that we address the many challenges faced by women and girls. Without doubt our society has undergone a sea change since 1994, but it is not enough.
It is not enough for a woman to make a formal wage, only to find that her husband resents her newfound independence and uses violence to express his frustration. It is not enough for a woman to raise her voice on issues that matter to her in the workplace, but to be silenced and marginalised in community decision-making. It is not enough for a woman to see health and safety promoted in the workplace, but fear for her personal safety on her route home.
It remains a sad fact that many women are still confined by both their circumstances and the prevailing patriarchy in society. Therefore, we must continue to fight the stark gender disparities that are evident across the many areas of national life. Education remains essential and so is ensuring that girls and women have greater access to basic and higher education. There is also a pressing need to ensure that our economy is inclusive and offers women a chance at success.
While poverty is often seen as a contributing factor, gender-based violence does not simply disappear when an economy grows and women are engaged in the labour force. Gender-based violence also exists in the workplace. Women continue to experience harassment, verbal abuse, or physical abuse at work.
It is true that, gender-based violence is multifaceted, and shift across time, settings, and social levels. Prevention therefore requires multiple, coordinated actions tailored to local contexts. These interventions must also involve men, who are critical in tackling underlying drivers of violence, such as deep-rooted social norms and workplace power dynamics, which perpetuate the view that women are second-class citizens. We must continue to celebrate our achievements in advancing women’s economic empowerment – without losing sight of the challenges that remain, also continue to build a better tomorrow. Achieving this new tomorrow relies on the combined will of all in society; the government cannot do it alone and the voices of men in building a new compact are especially important. Together we have the power to overcome all our challenges and build a better future.
When women are empowered we see that families thrive, communities are safer, and economies grow. Through the inclusion of more women in the economy we can also stop generational poverty and in the process stimulate economic growth. Hence, it is imperative that we empower women through safe water availability.
Although gender equality is enshrined in Section 9 of the South African Constitution (RSA,1996), women in rural areas continue to experience availability of safe water. Henceforth, improvements in rural water supply offer not just practical changes in health, education, wellbeing, and time-savings for women and girls, but also provide opportunities for women’s engagement and empowerment as users, managers, and change agents in the public and private sector. By adopting the dual objectives of empowerment and water supply, practitioners have an opportunity to challenge gender inequalities and improve the quality of life for women, their families, and their communities.
• Ngcobo is a senior communicator at the department of water and sanitation
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