By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Minister for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, says Women’s month is an opportunity to pay tribute to the role played by women in the decades of struggle against all forms of discrimination, subordination and exploitation.
Addressing the media launch of the 2024 Women’s Month, Chikunga said this is the time for the country to reflect on its missteps, with the aim of correcting them.
The campaign is launched under the theme “Celebrating 30 Years of Freedom Towards Women’s Development”.
The 30-Year Review Report shines the spotlight on some of the commendable progress achieved in ensuring gender equality and social mobility, Chikunga said.
The representation of women in senior management positions in the private and government workforce has increased from 20% in 2001 to 36% in 2021, the Minister highlighted.
Chikunga said on Thursday that the country should be proud of its transformation efforts.
The Minister said the year 2024 marks 101 years since women were allowed to enter the legal profession as practitioners.
We have every reason to be proud of this transformative achievement. On that note, on behalf of all women in South Africa and the continent, we wish to congratulate Chief Justice Designate Justice Mandisa Maya.
“This is a monumental achievement for the people of South Africa in pursuit for justice. Chief Justice Maya stands tall as an inspiration to all South Africans, especially women from all walks of life,” Chikunga said.
Chikunga also congratulated Tatjana Smith, who won South Africa’s first gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“In the same breadth, let me extend my heartfelt congratulations to Tatjana Smith, who won South Africa’s gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics,” said the minister.
“We wish Tatjana and the rest of South Africa’s team the best of luck.”
Chikunga also paid tribute to the first cohort of Solar Mamas, who are young South African women, who recently completed their initial training in India.
“The Solar Mama Project aims to cultivate emerging industrialists through Infant Industries Development, Product Development, Market Access and Expansion to domestic, regional and global value chains and networking.”
This will continue to be our flagship project after reconceptualization, taking into consideration lessons learnt from the first cohort. We congratulate this group of 22 young women from the Provinces of Limpopo, North West and Free State,” Chikunga said.
Chikunga said the year 2024 is significant as it marks several milestones in the struggle for the emancipation of women and their pursuit for the right to self-determination and self-actualization in all areas of human development.
The Department’s Director-General, Mikateko Maluleke weighed on Miss South Africa finalist Chidimma Vanessa Adetshina participation in the pageant.
Maluleke, said Adetshina has the right to choose her own nationality.
The 23-year-old finalist was born in Soweto to a Mozambican mother and a Nigerian father.
Speaking at the launch of Women’s Month on Thursday, Maluleke said nationality is no longer determined by the father.
“The law in South Africa allows the child to attain citizenship through the mother. We no longer have the law that says only the father can give the child citizenship. There are two things in South Africa: either the mother is South African, or both parents were permanent residents of South Africa at the time when the child was born.
“That child must choose to use the right and decide to be permanent in South Africa; you cannot use that right as joint citizenship. The question that needs to be asked is, is the mother South African with Mozambican descendants? Is she really South African or not? Those are the responsibilities of the Department of Home Affairs.”
The Miss SA organisation confirmed this week that finalist Chidimma Vanessa Onwe Adetshina is eligible to be part of the pageant. It said in a statement that she has met all the requirements to participate.
“All documentation provided by the entrants is screened and vetted. Chidimma is a South African citizen, her mother is South African, and her father is Nigerian,” reads the statement.
However, the Patriotic Alliance, in a statement on Wednesday, said it has noted the concerns around Adetshina being one of the finalists in the beauty pageant.
“Conflicting reports are circulating, including whether her mother has in fact ever been South African. The contestant herself has also not clarified this issue. And this does not give the people of South Africa comfort,” reads the statement.
The political party further accused the Miss SA organisers of being quick to support Adetshina’s candidacy and declare it legitimate.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have strongly condemned the xenophobic attacks against Chidimma.
The EFF said Adetshina meets all the eligibility requirements and criticised the Afrophobic nature of the backlash, highlighting the hypocrisy in how past contestants of foreign descent were treated compared to her.
The statement pointed out that past contestants like Vanessa Carreira, whose parents are Portuguese and Angolan, did not face such scrutiny, revealing a clear case of afrophobia.