Assalaamu Alaikum – Universal Greetings of Peace to All!
We pay tribute to the thousands of women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 august 1956 in protest against not only the dompass, but an entire oppressive and apartheid system.
Their cry of: “Strike a women Strike a Rock!” continues to resonate not just in South Africa but around the world as people continues to face rape, terrorism and oppression as well as in Kashmir and Congo. But shockingly right here today the Marriage Bill was debated and once again Muslim women are disrespected and the Bill is set to harm their dignity
Muslims are set to reject this Bill
Al Jamaah calls for wider public participation on the Marriage Bill and not what the justice system has done – to invite Cosatu on a matter affecting Muslim Women. Where not Muslim women affected but Cosatu accepts Amendments.
Muslim Women must be respected in this Parliament it cannot be in the 31st Parliament our dignity continues to be harmed. Domestic and Gender-Based Violence in South Africa remain a huge concern and women no longer trust the justice system. The 2021 United Nation’s report on women’s rights has revealed low levels of prosecution and conviction in domestic violence cases and the police lack of will to enforce protection orders; notably not much since then has improved and rape continues to be an endemic in our country.
Whilst we celebrate Women’s Month under the theme: “Thirty Years of Freedom and Women Development” this is a sobering reminder of the many obstacles’ women, particularly the poor and disenfranchised women continue to confront daily. We have a serious lack of state-run shelters for women and children. South Africa has an obligation to ensure protection and assistance to victims of domestic violence; adequate funding must be allocated to NGO-run shelters.
Most women are unable to “Celebrate 30 years of Freedom and Women Development” as they do not have the freedom to safety and security. Gangsterism, drugs and other social ills are prevalent in poor communities and all these impacts negatively on the socio-economic lives of women. Most women are forced to carry the burden of managing their households while the Maintenance Court continue to fail them.
We further acknowledge the progress that has been made to facilitate women’s empowerment, the reality is, they continue to be the victims of unemployment, suffer job inequalities and reasonable access to financial aid which prevents women from fully participating in the economy.