remarks, and I quote:
I see in the introduction we speak of three hundred years
of colonialism and racism. But we say nothing about a
millennium of male domination. And what about the sexism we
encounter in our daily lives today inside the organisation?
It’s not just inequality in structures that we are talking
about. It’s the culture, the values and the things people
just take for granted in their daily lives that are keeping
us back.
The dream of realising a world that would not only denounce
racial domination but equally put in efforts to undo male
domination was beginning to take form. Dreams act as a compass
to choose a path among many options. They shape our choices and
ultimately link to a purpose in life. This dream formed as a
basis for our progressive Constitution that is recognized
worldwide. Hon Speaker, ultimately the text of the
constitutional guidelines was changed to speak not only of 300

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years of racial domination, but served as a benchmark which
denounced a millennium of male domination.
Gender-based violence is a profound and widespread problem in
South Africa impacting on almost every aspect of life. It is
systemic and deeply entrenched in institutions, cultures and
traditions. While government’s posture towards gender-based
violence has been a commitment towards primary prevention
through awareness creation, community engagements and holding
perpetrators accountable, we must emphasize that there is no
single factor alone that is a direct cause of gender-based
violence. It is caused by a combination of drivers operating at
different levels of the social ecology, which is why the
approach to gender-based violence cannot be one dimensional. It
affects society as a whole and as such, requires collective
efforts from all sectors of society. This stance recognises the
complexity of gender-based violence and highlights its deep
rooted nature in relation to the history and socioeconomic
realities of South Africa.

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In this regard, through legislative reforms, specific programmes
and to an extent, public private partnerships, the ANC-led
government has continuously prioritised the improvement of women
access to justice and economic opportunities.
During our elections campaign trail, the ANC made a commitment
to our electorate towards prioritising gender mainstreaming
across all sectors of society. The most important being that of
building safer communities and safer lives. We committed to
equip police and courts to support survivors of gender-based
violence. In keeping with this commitment, President Cyril
Ramaphosa, on Thursday night delivered his second state of the
nation address and noted that ending gender-based violence is
an urgent national priority that requires the mobilisation of
all South Africans and the involvement of all institutions.

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- Fall '08
- Finklerberg