South Africa has made significant progress in implementing the Beijing Declaration on the status of women and was already meeting international targets on universal access to primary education and representation of women in political decision-making positions, says Minister for Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya.
Minister Mayende-Sibiya was delivering a country statement at the United Nations Session on the Status of Women in New York today. The session is reviewing progress in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration since its adoption 15 years ago (1995) and its linkages with the Millennium Development Goals.
SA has sent a high-level delegation to the meeting including Ministers of Agriculture and Energy, Deputy Ministers of Communication, Correctional Services, Social Development and Water Affairs, MECs for Health and Social Development in Free State and Limpopo and multi-party Members of Parliament. There are also representatives of the Commission for Gender Equality and the Human Rights Commission. Minister Mayende-Sibiya presented the country-statement in her capacity as the head of SA delegation to the meeting.
“South Africa has met the target for Millennium Goal two on Universal Access to Primary Education. Current data indicates that the gender parity index is consistently greater than one in favour of girls at secondary school level,” said Minister Mayende-Sibiya. Minister Mayende-Sibiya said there was however a need for government to put special measures to increase the number of young women enrolled in areas such as mathematics, science and technology.
On political representation, South Africa is one of six countries in the world where women held more than 40 percent of parliamentary seats according to the report issued by UNDP and UNIFEM (title: Making MDGs Work Better for Women). According to the report, South Africa is at number three with 45percent following Sweden (47 percent) and Rwanda (56 percent).
Minister Mayende-Sibiya identified violence against women and girls remains a major concern for government. She said legislative framework was being further strengthened to address challenges of violence including the development of legislation to combat human trafficking.
South Africa will tomorrow be presenting its Thuthuzela International Network to the UN meeting. The programme involves the establishment of one stop comprehensive service centres for survivors of domestic violence, rape and other sexual crimes. The programme has been hailed in the UN Secretary General’s report as a model for best practice in responding to gender-based violence.
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