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South Africa Looks to Russia for Women's Empowerment Lessons at first BRICS Women's Forum

19:07, 20 September 2024

Muhammad Nooh Osman

Writer/Editor

On September 18–20, the 4th Eurasian Women's Forum is taking place in Russia's St. Petersburg. Dedicated to the participation of women in global cooperation, the event also includes the first BRICS Women's Forum. The forum involved high-profile participants from many African countries.

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The South African Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth, and People with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga,highlighted the importance of collaboration in advancing women's rights and empowerment in an interview with Sputnik Africa on the sidelines of the 4th Eurasian Women's Forum and the first BRICS Women's Forum in St. Petersburg.

The forum, which South Africa played a key role in establishing, serves as a platform for BRICS nations to address women's issues and seek collaborative solutions. Chikunga emphasized the significance of the forum in advancing women's representation at the highest levels of government.

"We thought that at the level of ministers we must have such a forum," Chikunga told Sputnik Africa. "And we are therefore here to endorse that exactly. We await with anticipation the summit in October that will be attended by heads of state of all BRICS member states. And we want that to be a part of the Declaration so that it is recognized at the level of BRICS, at the level of heads of state."

Chikunga also expressed South Africa's interest in exploring areas of cooperation with Russia and noted the possibility of future agreements between the two countries in this area.

"We are here to look at areas where we can cooperate with Russia on matters related to women," she explained. "And we will speak about skills, upskilling, and reskilling of our women from South Africa, things that we can share and learn from one another."

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Minister Chikunga commended Russia's commitment to promoting women's roles in society, citing the Women's Business Council led by President Putin personally as evidence of this dedication. She acknowledged Russia's political will in advancing women's rights, stating that "it's one thing that we may also have to learn from them."

However, she also emphasized South Africa's progress in advancing women's representation in key political institutions, noting that while there is still progress to be made, "we're not doing that bad."

Regarding the role of African women in preserving traditions and values, Chikunga stressed the importance of retaining those aspects that empower women.

However, "anything that undermines a woman cannot be preserved," she stated. "It has to be changed because there isn't any culture that is static. Cultures do change; they evolve."

Chikunga concluded her message with a powerful call to action for women: "It's in our hands as women to liberate ourselves, to emancipate ourselves, to be our own liberators, and the rest will follow us."