Issued by ANC Women's League
14 October 2003
The ANCWL NEC held its first strategic retreat from Sunday 12 October - Tuesday October, 2003 in Gauteng.
Key in the deliberations of the retreat was an intensive deliberation on the resolutions of the NASREC national conference, putting together action plans as informed by conference. The retreat also engaged on a team building exercise so as to build a cohesive force that shares a common vision in providing leadership not only to our members but also to women in the country, the continent and world over.
The resolutions that were deliberated on amongst others were Organizational Challenges facing the Women's League, Progress towards the establishment of Women's Movement in the country, Social Transformation, Women's Economic Empowerment, International Relations, Media and Communications and Governance and Legislature. Critical on organizational challenges was on how to build a strong organization at all levels especially focusing on political development of the member and responsible leadership, this will ensure the involvement of all members of the organization in the life of the organization, communities and the ANC. Having recognized that conditions dictate a need for the co-ordination of women's common programmes and campaigns, the retreat agreed to engage all progressive women's organizations and alliance partners on expediting the process of a women's movement. Working together with government and non-government organizations on ensuring that all poverty alleviation programmes especially in the rural areas reach out to those who are deserving as part of Social Transformation. The retreat also agreed on exploring and working on various programmes towards the empowerment of women including the establishment of a woman development fund. We endorsed the Financial Sector Campaign led by the SACP and we will give our support through working together with them. On the International Relations the ANC WL as the Secretary General of the Pan African Women's Organization (PAWO) in the SADC region will be hosting the Continental Conference in the year 2004 and will use the conference to influence women in the continent to utilize PAWO as a tool to fight poverty, the scourge of HIV/AIDS and promotion of peace in the continent as our contribution to the NEPAD programme. On Governance and Legislature the ANC WL recognized the good work that has been made by the women public representatives and the successes made on the empowerment and development of women. We further endorsed the list processes as currently in process with out us demanding a parallel process as the ANC WL.
Having met at the time when the ANC is faced with alleged challenges of internal turmoils, the ANC WL reiterates that the ANC remains a formidable, united force capable of leading the people of South Africa and capable of discharging the responsibilities bestowed on it. We further want to convey our position that we believe in the leadership of the Presidency of the ANC and that of the country. We call on the Unity of the ANC, its allies and progressive forces in pushing back the frontiers of poverty and ensuring a better life for all. We are quite confident that with the capacity and our expertise of all of the ANC WL cadres, we will deliver the women's vote for an ANC overwhelming victory.
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