As South Africa celebrates Women’s Month, the embassy of China and senior officials of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) gathered in Pretoria at a prestigious commemoration honouring women of both sisterly nations.
The month of August is set aside as Women’s Month in South Africa, marking the 68th anniversary of the historic march of thousands of South African women from all walks of life to the Union Buildings in 1956 in protest against the introduction of apartheid pass laws for black women in 1952.
The month-long commemoration in South Africa takes stock of achievements and the challenges that remain while mobilising support for the further development of women. President Cyril Ramaphosa led the annual Women’s Day celebrations earlier this month, held in Pofadder, Northern Cape.
On Tuesday, the mood was festive as Ambassador of China to South Africa, Wu Peng gathered women diplomats from the embassy and Dirco officials to celebrate South Africa’s Women’s Month.
“We saw how the South African gold medallist in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke, Tatjana Smith, and China’s silver medallist, Tang Qianting, embraced each other after the race. That was the most touching moment for me at the Paris Olympics,” said Wu.
“This is women’s warm interpretation of sportswomanship. It beautifully captures the warm friendship between the Chinese and South African people. In China we say, ‘women hold up half the sky’. With approximately 690 million women, China accounts for about 18% of the world’s women population.”
He said China has established a comprehensive legal system to protect women’s rights and interests, including more than 100 laws and regulations.
“The average life expectancy of Chinese women has risen from 37 years at the time of the founding of the People’s Republic of China 75 years ago to 80 years. China is one of the 10 countries listed by the World Health Organization as a high-performing country in terms of maternal and child health. Gender disparity in compulsory education has been essentially eliminated in China, and women make up over 40% of the workforce in China,” he said.
“In the 30 years since the founding of the new South Africa, the cause of women in South Africa has made remarkable progress. The latest number of the World Economic Forum show that South Africa is one of the top 20 countries in the world in terms of gender equality. Women hold more than 40% of the seats in both the South African Cabinet and Parliament, far exceeding the global average of about 20%.”
Wu said since his arrival in South Africa in June this year, he has interacted with many “outstanding” women diplomats in Dirco and he has been deeply impressed by the energy, confidence, professionalism and tenacity.
“Women are natural diplomats with unparalleled strengths in communication, mediation and relationship management. The women’s strength is often resilient and enduring, like a gentle stream that, drop by drop, changes the whole world,” he said.
“China and South Africa share a special historical bond, and the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between our two countries cannot be achieved without the strong support of women from both countries. All of you here today are committed to promoting win-win cooperation and actively facilitating exchanges between China and South Africa.
“It is you, with women’s power and your slender yet strong arms, who hold up the “half sky” of China and South Africa relations and worked to usher in the Golden Era of our two countries’ relations today. ‘She Power’ is unlimited. Let us continue to work hand in hand for a better life for all of us, for a brighter future for China and South Africa, and for the advancement of women’s cause worldwide,” he said.
Chief of State Protocol at Dirco, Ambassador Nonceba Losi told the gathering that although immense progress has been made since 1956, women from all walks of life are still subjected to inequalities, both in communities and the workplaces.
“Your Excellency (Ambassador Wu), allow me to begin my remarks by conveying to you, my appreciation for hosting this important event of honouring the remarkable achievements and the role of women of both South Africa and China,” said Losi.
“It is an honour to stand before you and everyone gathered today as we recognise the strength, courage, and passion associated with the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac, the contributions of women who have made significant strides in shaping the political climate, our societies, economies, and the future of our nations contributing to the livelihood of our people.”
She said Women’s Month in South Africa poses an incredible opportunity for the nation to honour and celebrate women.
Losi saluted the courageous women of 1956 who held hands against the oppressive apartheid regime, and the women of contemporary times who show resilience in current-day challenges.
“Women in China and South Africa have long been the backbone of our communities and their contributions in various fields, particularly in diplomacy, have not only propelled their own lives forward but have also brought about transformative change in our countries, regions and the world,” she said.
“As we reflect on these past and present achievements, it is also a moment to look forward to the ever-growing bond of friendship between China and South Africa over the years, which has transcended beyond bilateral ties to include regional and multilateral cooperation.
“It is through events like this that we deepen our understanding and commitment to each other, including between the Embassy and various government departments in Pretoria as espoused in our people-to-people high-level exchange mechanism which emphasises not only the role of youth but the centrality of women as we continue to deepen cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, tourism, agriculture and agro-processing, infrastructure development, energy, manufacturing, digital technologies, education, training, and development amongst others,” she said.
For the past 15 years in a row, China has been the largest trading partner not only for South Africa, but also for the Africa continent. On the other hand, South Africa has now been China’s largest trading partner in Africa for 14 years straight.
From January to May this year, the Chinese embassy said bilateral trade between Beijing and Pretoria reached US$23.5 billion. South African exports to China were US$15.3 billion, up 14% year-on-year.
