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As we celebrate International Women's Day globally, we remember those of our own continent who have been victims of conflict, domestic violence and war.

We remember the Chibok girls who have not yet been reunited with their loved ones. This year Nigeria again experienced abduction of schoolgirls – this time from the Government Girls Science and Technical College in Dapchi. Such incidents are a stark reminder that women continue to bear the brunt victims of conflict situations.

As Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Africa Region, we echo our 2018 International Women's Day theme: "The time is now: Rural and urban activists transforming women's lives”.  We must transform our societies so that we use dialogue and mediation, not guns and machetes, to deal with conflict.

We must transform lives so that we show we value the life of each of our citizens. We need to transform lives so that men and women can join hands towards building a non-sexist society. We need to transform lives so that rural women who have struggled for so many years to access land for production can become landowners in their own right. We need to transform women's lives by ensuring that they can access economic opportunities.

International Women's Day comes just days before Commonwealth Day, with its theme "towards a common future". For women, building a common future must find expression in what nations of the Commonwealth do to implement already agreed gender parity protocols and instruments.

We can build a common future where men and women enjoy full human rights. We can build a common future when our national budgets take women's needs into consideration when allocating resources for service delivery. In building a common future where gender parity becomes the norm in political party structures and political party election lists. So, we urge women to stand as candidates in forthcoming elections in Commonwealth countries, such as, Botswana, Nigeria, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland. We call on political parties and communities to give women opportunities to be their public representatives.

As we celebrate International Women's Day, we should reflect on progress we have made towards a better and equal society. We are encouraged by the contributions women parliamentarians have made to laws, the composition of the legislatures, to government and to the judiciary. This must inspire us to continue to strive for a society in which women occupy their rightful and full place in the public and private sectors of our countries.
 

Issued by Parliament of South Africa