Story audio is generated using AI
Deputy minister of women, youth and persons with disabilities Steve Letsike was given “the emerging leader award” at the World Pride human rights conference in Amsterdam on Wednesday.
Letsike described the honour as a big responsibility, saying the title represented the amount of work required as a leader.
“This award is not just about me, it’s about the responsibility, the duty and really the community in South Africa, in Africa, and other parts of the world that recognises and sees the work and also values it.”
According to the deputy minister, this prestige honoured years of work and sacrifice in her career.
“Having led in the social justice movement and having the privilege of now taking public office, and the LGBTQI community, its allies and now the global community seeing your work is a good thing. This is work that one has to take with diligence and huge clarity because we have a duty to still serve people.”
The awards were being hosted for the second time, with the inaugural ceremony hosted in 2024 by the International Lesbian and Gay Association conference and the UN Development Agency.
The deputy minister reflected on the history of intolerance and the journey of the fight to advocate for gender rights.
“You’re not just representing yourself, you are carrying the invisible voices, you carry the neglected and marginalised — but also you carry the hope. In the South African story, where our history has so much context of intolerance, denial, oppression — the choices we made going into democracy have ultimately seen so much progress.”
Despite not having achieved full gender equality, Letsike insisted that the gains of freedom ought not to be undermined.
“We might not be where we want to be, but we cannot also have the temptation that democracy has not delivered progress. Here we are; we can see and count and have evidence that tells a story of those who have been reached through education and health, and we need it for all.”
Letsike described the political landscape in SA as interesting and complex, saying it depended on the ideology that one has.
“If you understand the idea that liberation, freedom and human rights belong to all, you will not actually exclude others. But you have other political parties whose intention it is to still divide people, and at the heart of it is to undermine our constitution.”
Letsike did not exempt her own political party from the scrutiny towards the treatment of queer and marginalised communities.
“Even when you take an old liberation movement like the ANC, growth and progress is measured by consistency. It doesn’t mean that there will be perfection. It does not mean that there won’t be people that are problematic within. But a principle of the party still stands, and those who lead must provide that clarity,” she said.
TimesLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.