More than 70 women, mostly in the law enforcement and transport sectors, held their Women’s Month celebration on the last day of August at the Tshwane bus service (TBS) depot in the Pretoria city centre.
Gauteng traffic police, Gauteng Road Safety Promotions, Tshwane Women in Law committee, SAPS, Tshwane emergency services and correctional services organised the event with the aim of empowering women.
“We host this event to empower one another as women in the transport [sector],” Community safety head of public transport in the northern corridor Mmapitso Mothibedi said.
Mothibedi said the life of a woman was filled with both happiness and sadness.
“When difficult times come your way, do not underestimate yourself as a woman but keep your head up,” she said.
“Have faith in the Lord because he is always on your side.”
Mothibedi made these sentiments against the background that although the country attained freedom more than 28 years ago, some women still faced a lot of hardships and segregation.
At the event it was brought to light that women were still victims of gender-based violence (GBV), in the workplace and public spaces.
Social development GBV social worker Mpho Mazwi urged women not to tolerate abuse.
“When tolerating abuse, you become dependent to the perpetrator and he begins to control you,” she said, adding that he would end up deciding which places the woman under his control can visit.
She praised women who were employed or had other means of income such as bus drivers, citing that most women who became victims of abuse were often dependent on their abusers.
About half of the attendees were TBS female drivers and they shared their problems as women bus drivers.
Photo: Ron Sibiya
Bus driver Mapula Ntuli said it was common for them – women drivers – to be threatened more than their male counterparts.
According to Ntuli, some motorists – especially taxi drivers – undermine female bus drivers.
“Taxi drivers drive badly on the road and they totally have no regard for female bus drivers. When we warn them they show us the middle finger,” a frustrated Ntuli said.
Women’s Month is commemorated in South Africa annually in August with the aim of paying tribute to the more than 20 000 women who marched on the Union Buildings on August 9, 1956, against the extension of Pass Laws to women.
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