A MOB of women protested outside the premises of three companies in Jacobs on July 12, demanding jobs.
The frustrated protesters, coming from various suburbs in the south of Durban, accused the companies based in Jacobs Industrial Area of giving jobs to outsiders and neglecting the fence-line community’s own women.
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Woman With Voices (WWV), a burgeoning organisation advocating for women’s rights and opportunities, spearheaded the march.
It was an early start for the protesters who came from diverse backgrounds to voice their collective concerns. Roselyn King, chairperson of WWV, addressed the issues faced by women in the community to the three companies and said, “We have been neglected in our community for a very long time. We need to be recognised as women from the Durban South Basin, standing together as one to voice our concerns. We are being isolated from jobs and business opportunities.”
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King emphasised the organisation’s rapid growth, highlighting its current membership of 213 women who believe in WWV’s ability to initiate change.
“When you have a strong woman in your family, you have a strong foundation. We are taking it upon ourselves as mothers and women in the community to let our voices be heard,” said King.
She expressed frustration over women being limited to roles in soup kitchens despite their qualifications. “Jacobs Industrial Area has been here for a long time, and they have been taking people from other communities instead of utilising the fence-line community. We need to be heard and have a chance. We have so many young women who have achieved amazing results and have high qualifications but are sitting with no opportunities,” said King.
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The march was organised to present a memorandum to three companies in Jacobs, demanding labour, skills development and community support. The memorandum called for inclusion in opportunities arising in Durban South Basin and emphasised the need for companies to give back to the community, schools and organisations in need.
King praised the positive reception from certain companies for welcoming and recognising their memorandum. She added that the march was deemed a success and said there is hope for a positive future.
“We achieved all the things we initially wanted to achieve. This is just the beginning, and I wish to see this organisation bring about true change for the community, especially for its women,” said King.
She believes the WWV’s march is a significant step towards addressing the gender disparities in job and business opportunities in the Durban South Basin.
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