THE NEED for women to be assertive in their drive for equality in the society, was again reiterated by several women leaders at South Africa's National Women's Day celebrations at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston, on Tuesday.
The celebrations were a joint effort of the local Bureau of Women's Affairs and South African High Commission to mark the day, part of South Africa's ten-year celebrations of democracy.
Dr. Brigalia Hlope Bam, chairperson of the Electoral Commission of South Africa and guest speaker at the function, noted that Jamaica will not be forgotten for the support it provided South Africa in its fight for freedom. She added that Women's Day in her country was especially significant since it marked a special day in the country's development.
"It is a defining moment, the culmination of decades of struggle by women of South Africa against oppression. Women had for decades been fighting against systems of oppression in all its forms," she said.
IMPORTANT ROLE
Dr. Bam noted that the women in South Africa played an integral role in securing the country's democracy and continued to play an important role in the country's development through their role in Parliament which is made up of 50 per cent women.
During a panel discussion that was also a feature of the day's activities, several presenters, including Prudence Kidd-Deans, a Senator in the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), noted that women in Jamaica needed to unite and press for change if any difference is to be made. "There must be no ambiguity in our goals. We must focus on the cause that unites us," she said.
Another panellist Nadia Westcarr, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Youth Ambassador, pointed out that it was essential women be given an equal standing since a country's advancement can be measured by the status of its women.
