President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged South Africans to accelerate efforts to empower women economically and to tackle complex barriers such as poverty, inequality and unemployment that continue to hinder their development.
The President was speaking at the recent National Women’s Day commemoration held at the Nkowankowa Stadium in Tzaneen, Limpopo.
President Ramaphosa saluted the achievements of South African women over the years, including their pivotal role in transforming the nation and contributing to socio-economic development.
“This celebration is also a clarion call to accelerate the role of women in the economy and empower them, as well as to tackle the complex barriers which hinder their development,” President Ramaphosa said.
He highlighted government measures to increase women’s participation in the workforce, bridge the gender pay gap, and promote greater inclusion in every sector of the economy, including leadership positions.
“Over a quarter of top managers in the private sector are women. Today, South Africa ranks second out of the G20 countries in terms of female representation. Forty-two per cent of Members of Parliament are women — a higher proportion than in a number of developed countries,” the President noted.
He added that women in South Africa today continue to reap the benefits of the changes brought about by the brave actions of the women of 1956.
The President also reflected on government’s achievements, including accelerated access to basic services, social welfare, and economic opportunities for women which have lifted millions out of absolute poverty.
“The Employment Equity Act and other progressive laws have paved the way for more equitable representation of women in the economy — and by this, one must include all women, whether they are black or white.
“The proportion of women in the workforce has been increasing. The empowerment of women contributes to sustainable development, inclusive growth, and the cultivation of resilient communities.
“About 40 per cent of preferential procurement in the public sector is awarded to women-owned businesses. Women-owned SMMEs are also supported through the National Empowerment Fund, the Small Enterprise Finance Agency, and the National Infrastructure Fund,” the President said.
March for women’s rights continues
In her opening remarks, Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga encouraged women to continue to march for their rights as the 1956 women did when they marched to the Union Buildings — with a particular focus on tackling gender-based violence and femicide.
“The march must continue till we are free. We still live in a society where there are women trapped in abusive relationships,” Minister Chikunga said.
Every year on 9 August, South Africans from diverse backgrounds, races and cultural groups come together to celebrate National Women’s Day.
On 9 August 1956, a significant number of women launched a campaign to end the pass laws imposed by the government at that time.
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