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"Soliciting male colleagues: support in pursuit of gender equality"

Programme Director
Members of the Plenary Defence Staff Council
Chief Director: Transformation Management
Commissioned and Non-Commissioned Officers of the SANDF members
Distinguished guests
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen

I am pleased to address you this morning as once again we continue to seek lasting solutions to the imbalances of our society. I am particularly pleased because the theme of this year's conference is indeed germane and perhaps long overdue. In the same way as apartheid contorted the whole nation, gender inequality is to a greater extent responsible for the abnormalities in our society.

South African women have always championed the struggle against any form of discrimination. They have wrestled the tyranny of apartheid and assisted in delivering South Africa from bondage to freedom. In 1956, they objected to the dehumanising tendencies of apartheid and marched to the Union Building to challenge the pass decree.

Over the years, women have highlighted the injustices of gender inequality. They continue to emphasise that South Africa will not achieve full democracy for as long as certain sections of our society remain discriminated and denigrated on the basis of their gender status.

It is indeed befitting that we celebrate the contribution of women to the development of our country. Correctly so, the South African government has declared August as a National Women's Month in their honour and to highlight the significance of gender equity. This national awareness has since generated greater national engagement on gender equity.

However, as the theme of this conference imply, women cannot fully succeed in the quest to subvert gender stereotypes and to promote gender equality on their own. Gender inequality is an imperative that equally affects everyone, and requires a collective effort to address it. This means that men must embrace the movement for gender equity as it benefits all of us.

The quest for gender equality requires the support of male colleagues, fathers, brothers, uncles and husbands. It is indeed vital that all must understand that the achievement of gender equity is not a loss for men and victory for women. This imperative is about men and women being given equal opportunities, rights and resources to enable them to realise their full potential.

Men's participation in the movement for equality would assist in subverting societal stereotypes and creating role models. Men should assume as their responsibility the task of teaching our boys the dangers of chauvinistic and patriarchal discourses that for many years dominated the ideological space in our society.

I am pleased that in the Department of Defence (DOD), this great movement for gender equity has already begun to pay attention to the fact that men must be involved in gender transformation. The men and women in the DOD are beginning to understand that gender equality is in everyone's interest.

The leadership cadre in the DOD is working hard to ensure that collectively men and women participate in promoting gender equity. We understand that in order to create an enabling working environment and a healthier society, it is important that men and women work together to further advance gender equity as enshrined in our democratic constitution.

In formulating policy and activities for the pursuance of Military Strategic Objectives, care should be taken to ensure that a gender perspective is incorporated. This ensures that both men and women acquire the same exposure and experience. It enhances greater synergy and trust amongst all our men and women.

In the DOD women and men are subjected to the same training and as a result, they are held to the same standards. Therefore, it is essential that women be afforded the same opportunities as their male counterparts, not only in their preferred mustering, but also during the promotional planning.

We are positive that these policies are receiving maximum support from both men and women in the DOD and that we will maintain enhanced performance and efficiency in the working environment.

The impact of gender mainstreaming in the DOD has also contributed immensely in our effective participation in peace missions. Women play a pivotal role during peace missions operations. As you are aware, in today's armed conflicts the estimated causality rate for civilians is 90% of which 75% are women and children. In times of conflict and pandemonium, women have always been targeted for specific crimes such as rape and assault. It is therefore crucial that women must work hand in hand with their male counterparts to assist in restoring the victims' dignity.

During peacekeeping operations, women create a secure environment and restore hope in the minds and hearts of the population in various areas of our deployment. History has proved that most victims of violence in various areas of our deployment find it easy to communicate with our female soldiers.

In the past two decades, we have noticed a tremendous change from the definition, nature and organisation of security. In responding to the changed security environment, the government of a democratic South Africa has adopted a broadened conceptualisation of security. The broader definition of security views the engagement of women as a critical segment and beneficiaries in the human security discourse.

It is for these reasons that in regional, continental and international structures, we, as South Africans, have always emphasized that Africa's quest for peace is inextricably linked to the quest for gender equality. This continent cannot talk of peace when women are still subjected to all forms of structural and physical violence, gross human rights violations and denied participation in all spheres of life.

Our commitment to gender mainstreaming and the contribution of South African women in peace missions continue to receive positive feedback from the African Union (AU) and United Nations (UN). As a result of their contribution and commitment to gender equity, South Africa is one of the countries that have been chosen as a pilot country for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution, which deals with gender mainstreaming during peacekeeping missions. This resolution is aimed at increasing the number of women peacekeepers.

Let me remind you that we have a task at hand to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which includes amongst others the alleviation of poverty by 2015.

Gender mainstreaming is critically important in achieving the MDGs because the improvement of the status of women will indeed translate to the improvement of all in the society. This is because women continue to be the primary care givers in our communities, churches and families.

In conclusion, I trust that you are finding this conference to be stimulating and that during your discussions you will be able to find ways to enhance men's full participation in promoting gender equality.

I want to conclude with a quote from a poem by Maya Angelou (1928):
Still I arise
You may write down in history
With your bitter twisted lies
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still like dust I'll rise.

Malibongwe!

I thank you!

Issued by: Department of Defence
21 August 2008