The International Women’s Day remains a paramount day to commemorate the efforts and to encourage women to keep fighting for their rights in all spheres of life. It is for that reason the Swaziland Rural Women’s Assembly collaborated with like minded organizations to celebrate international women’s day under the theme, “Innovation and technology for gender equality towards ending all forms of violence against women and girls”.
About 300 hundred people came together to commemorate the International women’s day which consisted of the majority of rural women members, partners and municipality workers. The commemoration pointed out that in as much as women should be celebrating the work they have done to improve themselves, homes, communities, workplace and many other achievements they have gained, but they still face the scourge of Gender based violence and climate change. These disasters take women\’s efforts back into society.
A brief report of the root causes of gender based violence was delivered and we demanded that the government must:
- Provide machinery for women to advance their businesses and remain competitively capable legal and otherwise
- Capacitate women on new technological advances and strategies especial in the era of 4th industrial revolution
- Create policies that will protect women and girl on online violence
- Land data digitization to prevent fraud and violence against women
- Way of reporting cases should be improved and incorporate technological advancement
- The government was urged to declare GBV as an emergency.
The Swaziland Rural Women Assembly continues to recognize and pledge to stand side by side with all women from all walks of life, in particular the rural women. We call for concerted efforts in meeting the above demands. We salute all women who stand for all before and milk in their experiences such that today we stand bold because of their efforts.