Women, as mothers, hold the key to a sound family life. And a sound family life is the key to so many things that we are striving for - successful education, the prevention of crime, stable and peaceful communities, to name but a few.
In motherhood women are unique. In ensuring healthy and happy families, women are irreplaceable. Therefore the National Party says that their interests should be carefully protected and promoted.
Women find themselves in the centre of the present debate on abortion.
The National Party's point of view in this regard is quite clear. We are strongly against abortion on demand. Strangly enough, those that advocate the right to life of murderers the loudest, often are the very same people that have the least to say regarding the life of the unborn child. Where does the State's responsibility to protect all life begin and where does it end Where does a women's right to have a say over her own body begin and where does it end?
I believe that the women of the National Party need to play a leading and constructive role in this debate and urge them to do so within the framework of responsible ethical and moral principles.
Women are also intimately involved in the battle against AIDS. The cold and unacceptable truth is that the percentage of pregnant women in our country who are HIV-positive has risen to almost 10% - and that at some of our hospitals this figue exceeds 20%. The implications of these cold statistics are such that it already poses a catastrophe for our country. If we do not immediately take hands to effectively curb aids it will indeed be a catastrophe with terrible implications for our country's health services, for our economy and for our country's future prospects - not even to mention the indescribable accompanyuing human suffering.