OR TAMBO ON WOMEN’S ISSUES

OR Tambo was very mindful of the rights of women. He commissioned a Code of Conduct that saw that women’s rights were respected and upheld by all in the organisation. He tried to ensure that the abuse of women was eradicated. He was a hero, a father, a man of great dignity, and a friend to all in the camps. He was confident, firm and fair when dealing with issues. His humility and compassion made him a father figure to all women in the camps. He called them “The almighty few”. By recognising their voices, he could name 522 women in the camps. OR Tambo always advised women on development and life skills, as well as constantly reminding them not to lose focus and applauded their sacrifice of leaving the country for the betterment of South Africa. He was very thoughtful – on foreign travels he would bring each woman an item that he knew each needed. OR Tambo was one of the key founding fathers of South Africa’s liberation and constitutional democracy. Today South Africa prides itself with layers of political, military, cultural and economic leaders who were mentored and developed by OR Tambo to occupy strategic leadership positions across gender.