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Manifesto
| WOMEN FORWARD (WF) is an independent, non-sexist (for women and men) and non-racial (all races) political party representing women's interests at all levels of government nationally, provincially and locally. We seek to promote, enhance and support women's leadership qualities as part and parcel of our daily lives from within the family life into the public sphere, mainly parliament and government. |
VISION
Women Forward is working towards peace, dialogue and a more inclusive world because there is enough for everyone. |
WHAT WOMEN FORWARD BELIEVES IN:
- Being the most effective change agent in South African politics from 2009 onwards.
- Standing for gender equality and women empowerment because it pays off for everybody.
- Voting for Women Forward will change your life forever.
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HOW YOU CAN ASSIST TO ACHIEVE IT
- Women create dialogue across ALL divides. WF will involve people from all races, sexes, political divide, beliefs and origins.
- Women feed everybody: WF will strive to end poverty, corruption and unfairness.
- Women are nurturers: WF will attend to health and education as part of active community life.
- Women share: WF will distribute resources equitably while creating opportunities to maximise growth for all through education and skills development.
- Women are peace-markers: WF will work tirelessly to end political uncertainty and violence against women and children.
- Women do not bear children to kill them in the end: WF will not involve SA into any wars that dehumanize all of us.
- Women are protectors of the environment: WF will protect all living species against unwarranted greed.
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WHY WOMEN FORWARD:
From now onwards to mobilize your friends, family and communities to support women's initiatives everywhere and finally vote Women Forward in 2009 elections who will ensure that the society benefits. |
WHEN DO WE GET INVOLVED
From now onwards to mobilize your friends, family and communities to support women's initiatives everywhere and finally vote Women Forward in 2009 elections who will ensure that the society benefits. |
HOW DOES WOMEN FORWARD PLAN TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS.
By involving energy from everyone (from child to granny in all of SA) at community levels because we all share a common humanity (ubuntu). We all want to excel in our lives as human beings. Why not you?
- By working closely with government, business, willing citizens of SA, women community groups and NGO's to create corridors of prosperity in every sector of our lives. We have enough in this country to make it the best there is in the world! Youth is our main target. They need to be skilled academically, socially and emotionally because they are our future.
- By involving all those who want to bridge the gaps of divisions in our society.
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VIOLENCE AND ABUSE
The abuse of women and children in particular, is simply the symptoms of a sick society in desperate need of healing and cleansing. We cannot create second 'prisons' (centres for abused women and children) to protect the vulnerable people in society. This removal from normal life whilst alternatively not imprisoning the perpetrators is totally wrong. Let the abusers be the ones who leave the home not the abused! WF appeals to all sectors of our society to protect, treat and care for vulnerable individuals as their own in the various communities. Ubuntu must prevail. Let us not abandon them to a life of suffering and abuse while we are available to lend a helping hand. Each one of us can contribute to liven up their lives for the better. The Justice System needs to work 24/7 until all the perpetrators of such violent crimes against the vulnerable are locked away behind bars. Information as to abusive incidents, the whereabouts and identified perpetrators must be accessed by every means possible and immediate and effective remedial action be taken. WF has launch the campaign of: 'It's not over until it's over' which follows up after a 16 Day Campaign. It's only one month and already over 6 000 reported cases nationwide of abuse against women and children since 10 December 2008 (after the campaign of 16 days). Is it feasible to wait for another November to highlight the evil that lurks in our society? And children since 10 December 2008 (after the campaign of 16 days). Is it feasible to wait for another November to highlight the evil that lurks in our society? The time for action is now! tomorrow may be too late! It would mean more abuse and more lives lost! |
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
Women are the backbone of society! Empowering women is the best way to create sustainable livelihoods for all of us in our communities. We are aware that when women prosper economically, families and communities automatically prosper. A great deal must be ventured to create sustainable means to support women's economic development. Enterprising schemes where women and youth empowerment can be stimulated will be looked into. There are many models like those employed by the WDB and the Grameen Bank that have made a HUGE difference in people's lives throughout the world. Why can't South Africa do the same? Stokvels will make it possible for women to look at creating their own bank where they will borrow against their own savings and make their businesses work. The Departments of Economic Development, LED programmes at municipal level, DTI and many others will be challenged to widen their scope and influence of economic empowerment. Working from the grassroots up will the only way to spread the resources for economic empowerment to those who need them most at the levels where they are really needed ands where they can be viable and made to work. India has created many women's banks that have managed to cut the red-tape of the stumbling block for women to access micro-finance, particularly at rural levels. These women- owned banks have made it easier for these women to prosper in a way that was never thought of before…but it's happening! |
POVERTY
Poverty of spirit amongst the people that is destroying the fabric of our society. Material poverty is real but that can be overcome when we address the issues of spiritual poverty. Once we have a mindset to prosper above all odds and accept challenges to defeat the status quo of gender prejudice women will be on their way to successful living. Feeling for one another (ubuntu) has diminished drastically although it is still found to a certain extent in rural communities. Let us learn how to share even when there is a lack. This mindset needs to operate at family levels so that society can be positively affected for betterment. Ensuring that all government services reach those who are most vulnerable (orphans, the elderly, widows, the unemployed, youth etc…). however, this must not be achieved hrough handouts which create dependency but through community led programmes that will be sustainable and monitored for effectiveness. Women will be encouraged to lead such projects in their communities. EPWP, small industries, community gardens, home-based care, arts & culture, tourism projects Internet/broad-based connectivity for youth, community banking (through stokvels) Grameen Bank model/WBD. In general, we, as a society could benefit tremendously from making do with what we already have. South Africans like other fellow Africans in the continent are blessed with rain and sunshine 365 days a year. At this stage, we could do so much as agriculturalists than astronauts. Our children's view of the world must be directed towards careers that will benefit us more in a sustainable fashion as country and continent. We are the bread basket of the world! If that is not wealth on its own, then I wonder what else is…? |
MAKING GOVERNMENT WORK
Making government work is the most fundamental change that can be effected with visible results within a short period. Government has abundant resources that can be deployed effectively to improve the livelihood of the people. This will relieve the stress we see evident in our communities. Much can be achieved if government networked effectively with community structures led mainly by women. Structures like SAWiD can become effective service delivery partners that will address the needs of the people in all communities. As most women in these structures work as volunteers, they could easily be employed by government for effective service delivery throughout the country. Government needs to employ professionals for effective service delivery. It can even go one step further to employ concerned people who truly care about the plight of the communities. Government can change how it operates by creating more opportunities for young people to enter at lower levels and groom them up the ladder as they gain experience. We need a government that will work 2-shifts to address the backlogs we are currently burdened with. Lessons can be borrowed from other countries who had/have had to deal with similar challenges like ours. We can pilot some of those models and see how well they can be adapted to South Africa conditions. Similar projects can then be employed and strategised to achieve required outcomes in the various sectors of community enterprise. |
HEALING
There is a dire and urgent need to heal ourselves as individuals. This will reciprocally heal society at large. There is too much pain in our society that needs to be 'exorcized' to render us as 'freer beings'… Once we arrive at this level, doors of unparalleled opportunities will be thrown wide open for people of renewed minds to enter and thrive. Ask women to lead the communities in this campaign. Kuyayiwa kuyokhalwa uma sekukubi! WF will bring community leaders, pastors, all caring people from all sectors to visit prisons, centres for abused women and orphanages to reclaim our marginalized people back into our society. Let those responsible for such acts of abuse and community destruction see it in themselves to change their hearts and minds . WF has an Elders' Circle that has assisted in providing direction for the good that all role players bring into our society. Bring back the debate on peace, stability and communal harmony at all levels. Let the Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM) and other such movements take centre stage in our reconstruction of our society. This will bring back family discussions on the role of the elderly in our society, issues of respect and responsibility (both personal and communal). Change yourself and the world changes for you! Change starts within an individual! Women of South Africa unite! It is our time to make a difference. Who but a woman can bring effective change to our family, our community and our country? |
EDUCATION
Central Issues With the education system in total disarray, we envisage a practical skills development plan to enhance continuous human development. This is not only restricted to schools, universities and technikons - but bridges the wide spectrum of children and adult education. Demographic, technological, and industrial change, the evolving of information economies, and of global markets blend to make lifelong learning essential to international competitiveness. |
Social Issues
We need to operate on a basis that is conducive to the changing secular climate so that we do not get 'stuck in a traditional groove.' Although the message remains the same, our methods must change to accommodate technological advancement in every aspect of human existence. We understand that knowledge is the accumulation of facts but that wisdom is the application of knowledge. To this end we are establishing an educational culture to eradicate illiteracy and promote literacy to render every South African an integral part of nation building by applying his/her knowledge to the multi-faceted careers and tasks at hand. |
Political Issues
We are gearing up a movement to remove vat on books so that the 'person in the street' is able to afford good, educational, practical, and life enhancing books. In the new economies the old distinctions between vocational and leisure-based learning blur, and in information-rich societies there is a powerful case for investment in any kind of learning people can be persuaded to undertake. Adult education for most people will continue to involve the struggle for skills in reading, and access to wider learning opportunities. In the industrial world, new technologies hold the prospect of offering individuals and communities access to unrivalled stores of knowledge, and the growth of information industries suggests the risk that access to those sources may privilege those who can afford to pay. Whatever the structures, it is imperative that the 'powers that be' address these pertinent issues with all the available resources and with the urgency that it richly deserves. |
Other Thoughts
With the scarcity of professional personnel to man the Public Service Domain we would sanction any short-term and medium-term goals and would like to suggest the following to under-gird this endeavour.
- Learners must be informed about the various career prospects in Grade 10 where prospective students could choose their subjects to coincide with the required syllabus. For example, Engineering academics should visit schools to apprise students of the advantages and the opportunities that engineering offers and to get involved in informative educational dialogue.
- The above would facilitate early grooming into the profession and would also assist in specialising according to personal abilities and passion.
- Aptitude tests should be run for aspiring learners in Grade 9 in order to establish suitability of candidate to pursue an engineering career or otherwise.
- The whole exercise must be practical and not political.
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