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Educate a Man and You Educate anIndividual

Educate a Woman and You Educate a

Nation.By Laird Forbes

Nation Building and dispelling prejudice. Womenand youth come together on 9 August to discuss issues

pertaining to women.

This message was made clear whenSouth African women and the youth

met for a dialogue on 9 August 2005 in

Midrand. The dialogue, jointly hosted cultural organisations the Freedom

Park, AROSA (SA Renaissance

Organisation of Southern Africa),

IKSA (Indigenous Knowledge Systems of South Africa) and SACAR (South

African Chapter of African

Renaissance), was aimed atenlightening the youth on the role of

South African women during the

Struggle for Liberation.

Attending the dialogue, youth from

various cultural organisations ATKV

(Afrikaanse Taal en-KultuurVereeniging), IKSA and AROSA along

with the representatives from theKhoisan community where given the

opportunity to pose questions to the

panel of women.The panel comprised of various

prominent women Dr Chiepe, former

Foreign Minister of Botswana, MsQueneth Magwasa, National Womens

Coalition and Vesta Smith of South

African Womens Federation.It is well-known that South Africans are

ambivalent to the enormous role womenplayed during the Liberation Struggleand women of today ignore the huge part

they can play in reconciling a nation.

Womens Day is all about celebrating

the strength of the South Africanwoman. They played a key role in the

Struggle. With this dialogue we hope to

educate the youth about that role andequip them with a better understanding

of where South Africa is headed. They

have a wealth of personal experiencesand through the day we hope they will

communicate them to us, said Tsepho

Masiane of AROSA, summarizing the

goals of the four partners.

Topics relating to gender equality and

the rights of women in cultural practiceswere debated during the various

breakaway sessions. On questionsconcerning the feelings of women during

the Struggle, many related their

experiences of imprisonment for monthson end and their attitude towards the

infamous dompas (permit of

residence). Many shared theirexperiences on the 1958 march to the

Union Buildings by women of all races

demonstrating against the Apartheid

system.

We underestimate the youth. The

questions they posed were drawn fromgreat insight and knowledge. This

function was not a waste of time, and the

youth can take the information back theircommunities, said Dr Wally Serote in

his closing address.

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