In working to end violence against women and children, we need to ensure that men are centrally involved. Men need to organise themselves in a sustained campaign against gender-based violence.
Whenever you go through the length and breadth of our country... you see a long face: you will see the long face of an African woman because she's black, because she's poor.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the struggle and suffering of African women due to systemic issues of race and poverty.
Cyril Ramaphosa's quote draws attention to the visible despair experienced by many African women, emphasizing how their condition is shaped by both racial and economic disparities. It reflects on the broader socio-political context in which these women exist, illustrating the intersection of race and poverty in their lives, and serves as a poignant reminder of the social injustices that persist in the world.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech advocating for social justice, one might say, 'As Cyril Ramaphosa poignantly reminds us, the long faces of African women reveal the urgent need for change.'
More from Cyril Ramaphosa
All quotes →There are times when leadership needs to take a bold move forward. And there are times when the leadership needs to act on the basis of what the grass roots say. You need to have your political thermometer constantly in the political waters to know when to give leadership in what way.
We need to mobilise our structures and our supporters to oppose state capture and corruption in whatever form it takes.
Violence against women and children resembles an epidemic. It has spread through society, sparing no social group or class.
No man is born believing that he has dominion over women. Instead, this view is handed down from generation to generation and amplified through social custom, culture, and popular media.
We must listen to the concerns of our people without dismissing them. When people see something wrong, there is something wrong. When our people see corruption, it means there is corruption. When our people see that their resources are being stolen by certain people, it means this is happening, and we should listen.
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And why is it, thought Lara, that my fate is to see everything and take it all so much to heart?
The process of liberation brings with it a profound conflict. Having the project be clear is not enough. What is necessary is a spirituality of resistance and of renewed hope to turn ever back to the struggle in the face of the defeats of the oppressed.