NEXT SATURDAY, 8 March, is International Women's Day. South African women have played, and continue to play, a prominent role in the struggle to overthrow the apartheid regime. be a more fitting tribute to International Women's Day 1986 then, Charter, of FSAW, Federation Women?
WE, the women of South Africa, alla mothers, working women and housewives, African, malan. Coloured, curoDcall hereby declare removal of striving oats, laws. regulations, conventions, customs that oscumulate azalust us women and that deprive us of our inherent It ally way right to the advantages, responsibilities, portunities that society offers to any one section of the o late.
do not wullcil form a society seperate from men. There is only one society. and it is made up of both women men. As une Drovicus anu auxicuc of our men and join hands with them to remove social evils ana vostacies to progress.
The level of civilisation which any society reached can be measured bv the degree of freedom that its members enjoy.
Measured by that stanCares South Atrica must be considered low of civilised nations We women share witt our menfolk the cares and anxieties imposed by poverty and its evils.
What could than to reproduce the Women's adopted at the 1954 founding conference of South African wives and mothers, it falls upon make small wages stretch a long way It is we who feel the cries of our children when they and sIck It 15 our lol to eep ane care for the homes that are too small, broken, and dirty to be kept clean. we know burden of Janu when husbands are the Lne what it is to (huts) sualitics UVC1apartbitakat ways, daughters becoming unwhilsi Hallica girls up education callille Privileges These evils that need not exist. hey exist because The society which we live is divided into poor and rich, into nonburopean and buropean. They exist because there are privileges for the few, 1983 meeting to celebrate international women's day discrimination harsh treatment Tor Ine many. We women have stood and will shoulder slaliu shoulder with our menfolk struggle against poverty, race ane As members of the national liberatory movein and through our various ol causallulls. march forward with our men the struggle for liberation anu defence working to keep high the banner of As women there rests upon also the burden of removing from our society the social differences developed basi times between men and women, which have the effect of liongeiety to which then belonged been destroyed as a result of the loss of tribal land. migration of men away from the tribal home, the growth of towns and industries, ine rise or a greal boay ol wage-earners on the farms and in the urban areas who depend wholly or mainly wages for a livelihood Thousands of African women, like Indian, Coloured women. are emploved today in factories, homes, offices shops, on farms, in protessions as nurses, an earlier and different state of society are still aponea to tem They responsible for their own erson and their children yer Ine law seeks to ei force upon them the status of a minor. Not only are African, Coloured, Indian women denied political rights, , but they South ATTICal. denied the Sallie status as men in such matters as the right to enter into contracts, dispose of property, exercise guardianship over their children. dagle women appeal to all progressive organisations, to members of the great national liberatory movements une uract unions and working class organisations, to the churches, caucated welfare organisations, to all progressive men women terests of the at heart, to join with LOTS greal noble endeavour.
We declare the following aims. This organisation is tormea for tne purpose of uniting women in common action tol the removal o all legal, economic, social disWe shali for women to obtain:
1 The right to vote and to be elected to all state bodies, without restriction or auschmomauon.
2 The right to full opporLunges with equal pay possibilities of promotion l all spieles I WOrk 3 Equal rights with men in relation to property, marriage, and children and for the removal of all laws and customs that deny women such equal rights.
4 For the development of every child through free, compulsory education for all; lor le protection of mother and child through homes, welfare Malcinil clinics, crèches nursery schools, in coun tryside and towns, through proper homes for all, and provision of inrougn water light, sanitation other amenities modern civilisallon 5 For the removal of all laws that restrict free hinder the right of free association and activity in democrac orasadors and the right to participate the work of these organisations.
6 To build and strengthen sector. national liberatory move ments, the organisation of women trace ons and through the peoples varica ur salsalvis 7 To cooperate with all other organisations that have similar aims in South Ahroughout the world. Africa well 8 To strive for permanen peace throughout the • The text is taken from an ANC pamphlet issued ires declared year Come in 1984 the Con Women'.
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