The struggle in this country, I believe,
will be won by the women. I am fully
convinced that the role of the women
in the struggle of my people is a major
one, and despite all the repressive laws
they face they have emerged as an
outstanding group in fighting for the
cause of the black people in this
country."
Winnie Mandeli
WHAT DOES APARTHEID MEAN?
are forced t o live in areas set apart by
can't vote for a common parliament
that decides the overall direction of
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have separate and inferior services:
schools, hospitals, housing, recreation
have poor health
have no right to join the political
parties of their choice - many political
organisations are illegal and leaders
have been killed or imprisoned
have low pay and poor work
from the barren land. They also care for
In contrast to this, white South Africans
of the government, work where they
want and fill virtually all the highly paid
managerial, administrative and creative
jobs. A white person would never sweep
the streets or collect rubbish.
They have one of the
highest standards of living in the world
with well-equipped schools, hospitals.
WHAT DOES APARTHEID MEAN
Black women suffer intensely under this
to live in urban areas. They also bear
virtually all responsibility for childcare
and housework.
as workers, many jobs are closed t o
them. Most of their work i s limited t o
domestic, agriculture or factory work
for the b v e s t wages.
a'' the anxieties and strains when
are hungry, ill, malnourished or die. They
have towalk miles t o find water and wood
Or to find
if 'Omeone is
Life
is often very l ~ n e for
l ~ women- and
and emotions' Wess is high.
Sometimes the grossly inadequate state
pensions are the only source of income
tion is inefficient and corrupt, often the
~ ~Namibiaand
t h
south ~
fare divided
~
i money
~ never
~ arrives- Many people eligible
are never given
by the South African regime into bantustans and 'white areas'.
Women try all sorts of ways t o support
themselves and their family: for example,
BANTUSTANS
WHITE AREAS'
In these partsof South Africa and Namibia
are the fertile farm lands and rich white
cities. Here there are more possibilities of
finding work. Even though i t is illegal,
many women leave the bantustans t o look
for work in these parts. They are forced
t o leave their children behind in the care
of older children, friends or relatives. I f a
woman is lucky enough t o find a job, this
information is stamped in her pass and
allows her to be in the area. She then
cannot choose where t o live. Because she
is black, she is forced t o live i n either a
black township, a precarious squatter
camp, a single-sex hostel or in the back
yard of a white employer.
Most women work as domestics and those
who live in hostels or backyards cannot
have their children t o stay with them. So
some women only see their children once
a year. It i s even illegal t o have a husband
stay overnight. Some women live in the
bantustans and commute 100 miles each
day t o work in 'white areas'. They catch a
bus at 3am
children are asleep when
they leave and return t o the bantustan. If
a woman loses her job and can't find
another, she i s forced to return t o the
bantustan.
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a
In the township life is hard, with
housing shortages, no electricity, very few
schools and clinics, and no recreation
facilities. In hostels, women have no
privacy, often sharing a room with three
others. Visitors are not allowed in through
the gate. Surrounded by high fences and
with gates locked at night, these hostels
resemble prisons.
Many women work on the rich white
owned farms. The work is hard and
back-breaking. Women oftenwork up t o
17 hours a day for a meagre 5oP. -rhey
have no social life and very little contact
with their children.
* join the underground structures of the
Namibia
is treated like another province of South
national liberation movement of ANC
Africa. Despite U N Security Council reso(African National Congress) in South
lutions for South Africa's withdrawal, it
Africa
refuses t o leave. There is a war going on * join swAP0 (south West Africa
in Namibia. Over 100,000 South African
People's Organisation) in Namibia despii
troops terrorise the 1% million black
constant harassment, detentions and
Namibians. For black women this means
death
an extra burden. Black women are the
victims of harassment, torture, sexual THEANTI-APARTHEIDMOVEMFNT
abuse and rape by thesouth African army: WOMEN'S COMMITTEE (AAMWC)
"You find SA police patrolling the
streets and their work i s t o shoot on
the spot.. .our women have been
raped, whipped in public, tortured
almost t o death."
Ellen Musialela
(SWAPO Women's Council)
One-third of all criminal cases now being
brought before Namibia's courts involve
the armed forces. A large proportion of
these are t o do with rape and assault on
black women; 42% of cases in the supreme
court involve rape charges. Soldiers have
been known to threaten t o shoot women
who resist.
This women's group was set up in response
to South African and Namibian women
asking for international support and solidarity with their struggles. Our aims are
to inform women in this country about
the lives of Namibian and South African
women, to publicise their struggles and
ways of fighting back against the South
African regime. We appeal towomen
Britain t o join our campaign and t o show
solidarity with the women of Namibia
and South Africa.
13 Mandela Street, London NW1
ODW. (Tel: 01-387 7966)
WOMEN ORGANISE IN MANY WAYS
VHAT WE CAN DO
Women
work together to set up squatter camps
and build their own homes in the face
of housing shortages
organise protests when bus fares, rents,
food prices rise
stand together to resist forced removals
to barren countryside
march against passes
* strike against low wages and join trade
unions
organise public meetings despite threats
join the Anti-Apartheid Movement
boycott South African and Namibian
goods (food, clothing, jewellery)
r don't bank with Barclays Bank - writ(
t o Barclays protesting about their
massive investments in South Africa:
Barclays helps finance the war in
Namibia and props up the South
African economy (Barclays leaflets
available from A A M office)
t- systematically picketlpetition outside
supermarkets and shops selling South
African and Namibian goods
k pressure the British government to
impose sanctions on South Africa;
write to your MP
k protestto the British government abou
i t s contract for uranium from Namibii
write to families of women political
prisoners (list available from AAMWC,
support ANC and SWAPO by collectini
material aid and money for the project
they are running
if you belong t o a group - church,
women's, trade union, mother &
toddler, local women's centre, etc you could pledge to collect a 'materia
aid kit' (contact AAMWC, SWSC or
A N C Women's Section for details)
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arrest
form women's Organisations the
Federation of South African Women,
has been in existence
for
since the 1950s
help organise mass funerals for the
NAMIBIAN WOMEN HAVE
victims of police and army massacres
AN EXTRA BURDEN
form support groups for parents whose
children are detained under security
Although Namibia i s a separate country,
legislation
South Africa has illegally occupied it and
form vegetable-growing co-operatives
imposed apartheid laws upon black people.
in rural areas t o ease poverty and
hunger.
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affiliate their women's groups to the
UDF (the United Democratic Front
was formed in 1983 to campaign for a
non-racial and democratic South
Africa)
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