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Speech at Conference on Women in Writing
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Speeches and Media Releases
 Sports, Arts Culture

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 EASTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
 SPEECH BY MEC BALINDLELA
AT A CONFERENCE ON WOMEN IN WRITING
12 JANUARY 2001

1. INTRODUCTION

Chairperson, our facilitators from within and from beyond the borders of our Province of the Eastern Cape, officials of government and 
government institutions, Ladies and gentlemen, It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to this project of the Department of Sport, 
Recreation, Arts and Culture, which seeks to ensure that women take their rightful place in the mainstream economy of South Africa. 
Chairperson, ladies and gentlemen, we all know that women have made a significant contribution towards the socio-economic development in 
this country.

It is pleasing to note the strides that our democratic, non-racial and non-sexist government has made to ensure that the dignity and self 
worth of women is restored. The constitution of the Republic of South Africa and a broad range of pieces of legislation and policy 
documents that have been formulated are evidence of this fact. It is however sad to note the slow pace at which the progressive government 
policies are implemented by both the public and the private sector. I therefore view this gathering as an attempt at finding strategies of 
fast tracking the process of economic empowerment of women.

2. THE POLICY OF THE DEPARTMENT

As an integral part of an inclusive policy evaluation process, the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture seeks too ensure that 
every citizen in the Eastern Cape, particularly the previously marginalised, is afforded an opportunity to realise his or her full 
potential in sport, recreation, arts and culture.

The Department locates the project of "women writers In a multilingual society" within the framework of Reconstruction and Development 
Programme (RDP) which seeks to address the question of meeting the basic needs of our people, building the economy and developing the human 
resource of our Province.

3. CREATION OF A FAVOURABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT

The Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture continues to create a favourable environment and necessary conditions for the 
development of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture in the Province. A broad range of strategies have been employed with the purpose of 
realising this goal.

3.1 Cultural Industries Growth Strategy

The Department supports the Cultural Industries Growth Strategy which seeks to conscientise the communities about the boundless 
opportunities of economic advancement through the Cultural Industries, namely : music, crafts, publishing and film and television.

A seminar that was held in Grahamstown on 22-23 March 2000, emphasised the need to develop the cultural industries, and to build the 
capacity of the small enterpreneurs in the areas of marketing, quality control of their products and pricing. Co-operation amongst artists 
and crafters was encouraged for the purpose of interchange of skills and information.

The conference focusses on one of the areas of Cultural Industries, viz. publishing. At the end of this month we shall focuss on film and 
television.

3.2 The Wild Coast Spatial Development Initiative (SDI)

The provincial government identified the craft, heritage and tourism industries as important drivers for economic development within the 
Wild Coast Spatial Development Initiative. The Department is in partnership with the SDI project of the Centre for Investment and Marketing 
(CIMEC). Funds were made available for the development of business plans in respect of Arts, Crafts and Culture, and the building of the 
capacity of arts entrepreneurs in areas such as product development and marketing.

3.3 Cultural Tourism

The Department has created a favourable environment for the development of Cultural Tourism in the Province. The Department acknowledges 
the fact that Cultural Tourism is currently a major growth area and focal point in tourism worldwide. Hence the aggressive steps at 
developing the museums and heritage sites which are tourist attractions.

3.4 Provision of infrastructure

The Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture has made a significant contribution towards the development of infrastructure in the 
Province. Sports facilities and Community arts Centres have been erected. Museum exhibitions and Heritage facilities were also constructed.

3.5 Legislation

In June the Provincial Legislature passed the Provincial Arts and Culture Council Act that establishes a Provincial Arts and Culture 
Council which will advise the MEC on funding and general policy matters. The council will also, on behalf of the MEC disburse funds to 
needy cultural workers, organisations and associations.

An invitation is extended to you to submit applications for funding of your projects to the ECPACC. Your applications will be considered on 
merit according to the set criteria which is available for public scrutiny.

Another piece of legislation that the Department has put in place is the Language Bill. This Bill has undergone various stages of fine-
tunning and improving, and it will be legislated before the end of the next session of the Provincial Legislature.

4. THE CONFERENCE

This consultative exercise is in keeping with one of the Departments key principles of collaboration. The Department is well aware of the 
fact that working together in a collective manner, has many gains, for example, it can give us a global view of the issues or problems in 
question and therefore afford us leverage over our daunting and seemingly insurmountable challenges.

As the whole thrust and accent of the conference is on the economic upliftment of writers in general and of women writers in particular it 
is expected that all the market opportunities of writing will be amply demonstrated.

The Department firmly believes that the information gained from this conference will give us, as language workers, an ammunition to break 
the stranglehold of poverty, ignorance and discrimination. This knowledge is expected to equip us to commit ourselves to active 
participation in the social and economic transformation of our society.

5. CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES

The key objectives of the Women writers conference are the following :-

* To provide a forum for a critical dialogue on issues that pose challenges to writers in general and to women writers in particular.
* To create a platform on which language workers can come together with the intention of sharing common problems, setting common goals and 
mapping a clear wayforward.
* To profile and highlight the economic benefits of writing in a multilingual society.
* To raise peoples awareness of other areas of writing, such as writing for magazines, newspapers, television, radios etc.
* To demonstrate how writers can benefit from information technology.
* To discuss practical problems that are found in intercultural communication and to seek ways and means of addressing them.
* To look at the international perspectives on women in writing.
* To review the linguistic situation in the new South Africa in the light of the officialisation of the hitherto marginalised indigenous 
languages.
* To take a look at the role of women in writing in South Africa in the light of the body of legislation that has been produced on gender 
equity since 1994.
* To look at publishing policy and practice and to see if it is conducive to the development of indigenous literature.
* To take a look at the socio-cultural aspects of our African life e.g. marriage, religion

The Department firmly believes that the conference will provide prospective female budding writers an opportunity to broaden their 
knowledge frontiers in the area of writing.

6. CONCLUSION

Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture is committed towards the creation of the condition, 
and the provision of infrastructure that is favourable and conducive for the development of the people of the Province of the Eastern Cape, 
particularly women, so as to improve the quality of life of all the people of this beautiful Province of the Eastern Cape.

I thank you

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