The National Movement of Rural Women (NMRW) is a

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

grassroots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...

organization founded in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

in 1990. It was formerly known as the Rural Women's Movement (RWM). The purpose of NMRW was to give a voice to rural women in South Africa. Many women in the 1990s were not able to inherit land or speak freely about problems they faced in the community. In addition, until 1994, married black women were considered minors by the law. NMRW has also been a champion of the recognition of

customary law A legal custom is the established pattern of behavior that can be objectively verified within a particular social setting. A claim can be carried out in defense of "what has always been done and accepted by law". Customary law (also, consuetudina ...

. NMRW has helped women set up their own methods of employment and to resist oppressive traditions in customary law. NMRW is headquartered in

Marshalltown Marshalltown is a city in and the county seat of Marshall County, Iowa, United States, located along the Iowa River. It is the seat and most populous settlement of Marshall County and the 16th largest city in Iowa, with a population of 27,591 at ...

History

The Rural Women's Movement (RWM) was launched in 1986, in Mathopestad, funded and organised by

Black Sash The Black Sash is a South African human rights organisation. It was founded in Johannesburg in 1955 as a non-violent resistance organisation for liberal white women. Origins The Black Sash was founded on 19 May 1955 by six middle-class white ...

and its sub-committee, TRAC. The aim was to unify rural women facing forced removals, and give them a voice. TRAC employed

Lydia Kompe Makwena Lydia Komape-Ngwenya (née Ngwenya; born 6 August 1935), also known as Lydia Kompe, is a retired South African politician, activist, and trade unionist. She represented the African National Congress in the National Assembly from 1994 to ...

, a

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

ist and rural women's advocate, to coordinate the RWM. In 1986,

Nomhlangano Beauty Mkhize Nomhlangano Beauty Mkhize was a South African activist, politician, shop steward and wife to late Saul Mkhize. She was born in Sophia Town and she was forcibly removed to Meadowlands in Soweto and that's where she met her husband. Early years ...

was elected chairperson. RWM worked as an umbrella organization to "mobilize over 500 women's groups." With help from the Transvaal Rural Action Committee (TRAC), in June 1991, RWM drafted an organizational constitution. RWM had several objectives in place by 1993, including increasing women's participation in village meetings or ''

kgotla A ''kgotla'' (English pronunciation or ) is a public meeting, community council, or traditional law court of a Botswana village. It is usually headed by the village chief or headman, and community decisions are always arrived at by consensus. ...

s'', meeting with the government, changing "oppressive traditions," access to land for both single and married women, and women's representation in negotiations and government. Because it was taboo, according to custom, for women to speak out in public meetings, those who "did speak out were often beaten by their husbands for doing so and over 50 per cent of RWM's membership faced

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

." Another issue faced by RWM was illegal land sales and levies charged by traditional leaders. In 2008, RWM obtained a lease for a farm near Mpophomeni township where they would be able to build a training facility. Later, the RWM changed its name to the National Movement of Rural Women (NMRW).

References

Citations

Sources

External links

Official site
1990 establishments in South Africa Women's organisations based in South Africa {{Authority control