Cape Town - Working-class women from across the Cape Flats demonstrated at the Constantia Circle on Monday, calling for an end to poverty, unemployment and patriarchy.
The group of around 50 women from various organisations said they were raising their voices against the invisible violences of hunger, poverty, unemployment and neglect from government.
“Our picket draws focus to the violence of food injustice in our communities and how it impacts women, in particular. At this picket, we raise our voices to the struggles we face and the need for equality, justice and access to dignity,” they jointly said.
“Food is increasingly expensive. Without jobs, we cannot access nutritious food. Without food, we cannot be healthy. Without health, we cannot survive. On top of the daily physical attacks we face from Patrick (patriarchy), Patrick also ensures we are not able to eat or feed our families,” they said.
The group of women activists meet twice a month to discuss and work through issues that face women and the communities they serve.
Xoliswa Ngqola of the Housing Assembly organisation said one of the key issues raised in each of their gatherings has been the increasing reality of food insecurity.
“After repeatedly being unable to feed my kids after school, I once resorted to keeping a pot of boiling water on the stove to let them think food was going to be ready soon. Each time they asked about the food that day, I would tell them that the food was not ready yet, and filled more water into the pot so it would look like something is cooking. They eventually fell asleep at night hungry, waiting for the food I could not provide for them,” said Ngqola.
This while Maureen Philander, a member of the Security and Safety Patrol in Delft, said the food crisis was causing a health crisis for their livelihoods.
“My body got very weak during Covid after I lost my job. I now need to take daily chronic medication for my illness, but I am also unable to many times there is no food to eat, never mind it being nutritious,” said Philander.
Salaama Abrahams of Bonteheuwel Development Forum said they wanted to expose the disadvantages of patriarchy this Women’s Month.
“We as the women came together to take Patrick by the horns and expose him for all our daily struggles. Patrick never gets the blame, and, in the end, Patrick comes in all forms of poor service delivery, poor health, poor education, poor land distribution and the list goes on,” said Abrahams.
Cape Times