South Africa cannot proudly say it has attained full emancipation if its populace is ignorant about gender issues, North West Premier Thandi Modise said at the provincial launch of the Commission on Gender Equity’s (CGE) report on Employment Equity and Gender Transformation in the workplace in Mahikeng today.
“We must all stand up and be counted in the call to confront gender imbalances without necessarily being feminists. The Employment Equity Act can be seen as a tool for the advancement of upwards mobility of women in the labour market to break the proverbial glass ceiling that have prevented women from identifying and exploiting opportunities for economic empowerment,” said Modise.
Modise said her administration is steadfast in promoting employment equity and will stop at nothing to ensure that women and people with disability are not given a raw deal.
“We are now going to reserve certain positions for women. We are not just going to employ them because they are women, they must be fully qualified for the job and we are certain that we have those women in the province,” reiterated Premier Modise, adding that the Act can empower society to change the stereotypes and transform the workplace if used correctly.
Elaborating on the rationale for hosting the Provincial Hearings on Employment Equity and Gender Transformation, Acting Chairperson Mfanozelwe Shozi said the Commission on Gender and Equality Act gives the Commission the power to monitor and evaluate the policies and practices of government, the private and other organisations to ensure compliance with the promotion and protection of gender equality in the country.
“The purpose and rationale of conducting the hearings was not to interrogate but to present the Commission with an opportunity to understand the challenges faced by the government departments and private companies when implementing measures for the advancement of women. We also wanted to gather information on best practices and lessons learned,” reiterated Shozi.
According to the Employment Equity Commission 2010 Annual Report, Black women made up 23,1% of top management in the public sector and only 3,4% of top management in the private sector. Black women constituted 19,4% of senior management in the public sector while they constituted 3,8 % in the private sector.
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Lesiba Moses Kgwele (Spokesperson)
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