ANC Women's League Is Steadfast In Advancing Empowerment

The African National Congress Women's League (ANCWL) says it will use its organizational capacity to ensure a ruling party majority victory in the 2014 national elections. South Africa will vote for new leaders next year., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

VIEWPOINT BY SISISI TOLASHE

ANCWL is steadfast in advancing empowerment

There has been an unnecessary furore caused by an unfortunate distortion that bordered on being imperious which portrays the ANC Women's League (ANCWL) as being "anti" women advancement. A response to a media question was twisted and then professed as a stance of the ANCWL on the State Presidential candidacy.

From the onset we must highlight that the ANCWL is a league of the ANC and thus women leading in the ANCWL are leaders of the ANC. We belong to an organisation that has unequivocally advanced the empowerment of women of all races in the echelons beyond government and politics in South Africa.

We take pride in belonging to an organisation that has made women, black women in particular, to move beyond trivial confines that were imposed by the apartheid regime.

The ANCWL through its rigorous commitment and consistent advocating of women empowerment has produced some of the outstanding leaders not only recognized in our country, but in the international arena.

Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma who leads the AU, Mama Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka, who occupies a strategic position in the UN, are but some of the women who have led the ANCWL and have championed the emancipation of not only women but all South Africans, despite race, class or creed. The issue, which has been blown out of proportion, is the one of having a female Republic of South Africa's State President.

The journalist asked why the ANCWL is not pushing for a female presidential candidate in the upcoming 2014 elections - assuming of course he has minimal knowledge of internal processes of the ANC as well as the ANCWL. All those who are familiar with politics and the workings of the ANC, understands that the ANC recently had an elective conference where a President was elected and the incumbent National Executive Committee.

South African politics are not like American politics. We don't parade "independent" candidates. Candidates for national elections are, by default, those who lead political parties. The ANC rightfully and constitutionally put forward the President of the ANC for election to the Presidency of the Republic and other political parties do the same. The ANC led government has had two Deputy State President and women have led strategic departments such as Defence; National Intelligence; Home affairs to name a few.

Some of these women, like Cde Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula have grown within the ranks of the ANWCL. It becomes rather unfortunate that the ANCWL‘s role is discounted when its core existence and role is evident daily in society. Ours is not to parade and count every woman that is a success story; however it is to remain grounded and ensure that we continue to fight against socio-economic injustices ravaging women and keeping them marginalised.

These injustices are perpetuated by economic disparities', resistance from the private sector to implement progressive government policies and at times our own women in society tacitly advancing some ills as a result of fear. The ANCWL continues to encourage many young women to swell its ranks and be part of building the organisation; taking it to greater heights.

However we maintain that the ANCWL remains a league of the ANC and subscribes to democratic centralism, the disciplines and principles of the movement.

We further say that if it wasn't for the ANC led government which recognizes equality, and total disregard for discrimination on the grounds of gender- many women young and old, black or white would have not been sitting in key strategic positions in Corporations or government. The struggle for the liberation of our people was not a gender based; men and women alike took bullets, lost lives and sacrificed without any gain to take this country forward.

The ANC led government has seen female Premiers leading the most strategic and economically viable provinces of this country including in the Western Cape. These are all efforts of many women who despite their marginalisation, brutal exploitation and discrimination in the past took to the streets and boldly defied the draconian rule of apartheid. The ANCWL continues to drive policies within the ANC that must emancipate not just women but our people. We encourage young women in particular to heed the call and join the ANCWL, as they will inherit it.

The organisation like any other isn't without fault. However, its evolution and ability to further attract more women from different races, backgrounds and class strata in society will be dependent on its ability to infuse young, feisty, radical blood. It is rather unfortunate that as we criticize the ANCWL, we conveniently forget that daily, there is a woman who received justice thanks to the intervention of the ANCWL. There is a woman who has access to basic care thanks to the ANCWL. There are women who lead in business and government, thanks to the conceited efforts of many women who are members of the ANCWL.

As we castigate the glorious and oldest movement of women, let's be mindful that it is the simplest and most grounded women that formed it and today its grounded women that keep its name flying high. It is very unfortunate that a propensity to sensational reporting has been the motivation behind ignoring the vast evidence of women emancipation under the banner of both the ANCWL and the ANC. The ANC government both provincially and nationally has empowered women more than any other in the history of our country and remains a subject of envy by even the most developed democracies.

The African National Congress Women's League calls on all women of SA and society in general to join hands with Women's League and other progressive women formations for the total emancipation of women during our lifetime. By so doing, we will be contributing into building a patriarchal free society.

--Sisisi Tolashe is the Secretary-General of the ANC Women's League