Women in the transport sector met at Putco bus depot, west of Pretoria, on Tuesday to commemorate Women’s Month and encourage one another to fight inequality and segregation that seek to portray women as less competent than men.
In South Africa, Women’s Month is commemorated in August to pay tribute to the more than 20 000 women, who marched to the Union Buildings on August 9, 1956. The fearless women marched to the seat of power to protest the extension of pass laws to women of colour.
The 76th anniversary of the march allows the nation to reflect and measure the progress it has made in transforming society.
This puts scrutiny on the unequal power relations between women and men, gender oppression, patriarchy, sexism, racism, ageism and the creation of a conducive environment for women to take control of their lives.
Addressing more than 80 women comprising the members of Gauteng traffic police and Putco bus drivers, Gauteng traffic police acting deputy director Lizzy Mabelane said although the government has created the environment for women to thrive, a number of them were still victims of gender oppression, among others.
Mabelane said being a woman did not mean being less competent than a man and that was a notion they still need to challenge wherever it manifests itself.
“Women can drive heavy vehicles and arrest anyone violating the law,” she said.
She added that it was important to note that the positions of truck or bus driver, police or traffic officer had been for many years portrayed as jobs for men.
“However, women have now proven that they are competent and sometimes can perform their duties better than men,” she said.
“Nothing is impossible because, as a woman, I drive a bus, I can arrest anyone violating the law and I can prevent crime.”
Provincial traffic police chief inspector Sinah Lekganyane said in the past women were not recognised and, for this reason, the women of 1956 had to stand up to make themselves heard.
“The women of the previous years paved the way for us. They fought against being unrecognised,” she said, adding that they needed to follow in their footsteps.
She said women were exceptional and should be proud of themselves.
Motivational speaker Chaplain Cathy Boya said women are important.
“A woman is an incubator, a beacon of hope in a hopeless situation, a reflection of beauty, discipline and dignity,” Boya said.
She said a real woman was supposed to ooze goodness.
“You are supposed to speak hope in a hopeless situation and you can only do that if you understand who you are.”
Bus driver Thembi Masombuka said women drivers faced a lot of challenges including not being accepted as colleagues by some men or respected by passengers.
“I have been working here for 17 years but some men still treat me and other women as newcomers. Some passengers undermine us just because we are women.”
She said she, however, loved her job and was willing to do it until she retires.
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