NN 27/2024
VROUEDAG 9 AUGUSTUS 2024
BOODSKAP VAN WAARDERING
Beste Dameslede
Dit is ‘n voorreg om vandag hierdie boodskap aan ‘n gewaardeerde groepering van die onderwysprofessie te bring.
Augustusmaand, en meer spesifiek, 9 Augustus, is vir ons land, en veral vir ons dames in die breë onderwyssektor, besonder betekenisvol. Die SAOU bring graag, met die volgende boodskap, hulde aan ons dames in die onderwys.
Toe Margaret Thatcher Eerste Minister van Groot Brittanje was, het sy na bewering gesê “As jy oor iets gepraat wil hê, vra ‘n man. As jy iets gedoen wil hê, vra ‘n vrou”. Sy was ‘n formidabele internasionale leier, en by vele geleenthede by die aanspreek van die uitdagings van haar rol het sy moed, standvastigheid en deursettingsvermoë aan die dag gelê. Sy het duidelik die rol van die vrou in die samelewing helder verstaan.
Vandag vier ons Suid-Afrikaanse Vrouedag. Alhoewel die Vroue-dag vieringe in VSA, Australië en Groot-Brittanje nie op dieselfde dag plaasvind nie, verenig dieselfde tema ons, naamlik: – “Vroue vir geslagsgelykheid, en ‘n inklusiewe en veerkragtige samelewing”. As lede van ons professie het u onmeetbaar tot die bevordering van billikheid en inklusiwiteit in ons skole en in die wyer samelewing bygedra. Die wyse waarop u die daaglikse uitdagings wat veranderinge meebring hanteer, getuig van u veerkragtigheid.
Ongeveer 120 jaar gelede het Vrouedag in die VSA ontstaan. Tot vandag toe oefen die internasionale vrouebeweging ‘n belangrike invloed uit op die wyse waarop die drie fasette van hulde aan vrouwees gevier word: hetsy Vrouemaand, Vrouegeskiedenisdag of Vrouedag self.
Die tema vir die maand ontstaan by die nasionale organisasie - so ook die kleure. Vandag se kleure is pers en groen – pers vir regverdigheid, waardigheid en lojaliteit, en groen vir hoop.
In Suid-Afrika is vroue in die meerderheid in ons samelewing, asook in ons beroep. Sodoende het vroue ‘n belangrike rol in ons skole en ook in ons samelewing te vervul. Sleutelwoorde vandag is gelykheid en billikheid en ons kan sien wat die strewe van ons damesonderwysers oor die jare was om billikheid in die skole te bewerkstellig. Daardie strewe is nog nie verby nie, maar vordering is gemaak.
Inklusiwiteit of aanvaarding was nog altyd een van u hoofkenmerke om by die veranderende situasie in skole aan te pas. U veerkragtigheid het die kontinuïteit van gehalte in talle skole in ons land help bewerkstellig.
Ek salueer u voortgaande bydrae tot ons professie en sluit af u met die woorde van Misty Copeland, die ballerina: “Wees sterk; wees vreesloos; wees beeldskoon en glo dat alles moontlik is wanneer jy die regte mense by jou het om jou te ondersteun”.
My beste wense aan u almal.
Dr LH Swanepoel
SAOU President
WOMEN’S DAY 9 AUGUST 2024
MESSAGE OF APPRECIATION
Dear Female members
It is a privilege to bring this message to our female members of the SAOU today.
The month of August, and more specifically, August the 9th, is particularly significant for our country, and especially for our ladies in the broader education sector. The SAOU would like to pay tribute to our ladies in education with the following message.
Margaret Thatcher while Prime Minister of Great Britain is reported to have said “If you want something to be talked about, ask a man. If you want something to be done, ask a woman”. She was a formidable international leader, and on many occasions showed courage, fortitude and endurance as she faced the challenges of her position. But it is clear that she had a lucid understanding of the role of women in society.
Today we celebrate South African Women’s Day at a different time from similar celebrations in the USA, Australia and Great Britain. However, we are unified by the same theme, namely – “Women for Gender Equity, an Inclusive and Resilient Society”. As members of our profession, you have contributed immeasurably to advancing fairness and inclusivity in our schools and in the wider society. You demonstrate resilience on a daily basis as we meet the challenges of change in our society.
Women’s Day was driven from the United States about 120 years ago. Up to this day the international women’s movement has an important influence on the way in which the three facets of paying tribute to women are celebrated, namely: be it Women’s Month, Women’s History Day or Women’s Day itself.
The theme for the month originates with the national organization, as do the colours. The colours for today are purple and green – purple for justice, dignity and loyalty, and green for hope.
In South Africa women are in the majority in our society and in our profession, and so doing women have an important role to fulfil in our society and in our schools. The key words today are equity, or fairness – and we have seen the striving of our female teachers over the years to achieve fairness in the workplace. That struggle is not yet over, but progress has been made.
Inclusivity or acceptance has been one of your major qualities as we come to terms with the ever-changing situation in our schools. And it is your resilience – your ability to bounce back – which has ensured continuity of quality in so many of the schools in our country.
I salute you all for your on-going contribution to our profession, and can do no better than to leave you with the words of Misty Copeland, the ballerina: “be strong; be fearless; be beautiful and believe that everything is possible when you have the right people there to support you”.
I wish you all well.
Dr LH Swanepoel
SAOU President
