The question is often raised whether a free South Africa still needs a day solely devoted to women. However for the women of South Africa, 9 August will always represent the historic day when we made our voices heard and demanded equal rights. This day in particular, and the entire month of August also provides an opportunity to take stock of our achievements and reflect on what still needs to be done.
Without a doubt the lives of women have changed significantly over the past 20 years. Today women take their rightful place in Parliament, Government and civil society. Women representation in the National Assembly has moved from a mere 2.7 per cent before 1994 to the current 41 per cent women.
Our judiciary has also transformed. We moved from only two white women judges in 1994 to 61 women of which 48 are black. This constitutes about 30 per cent of the judges. In addition, women make up about 41 per cent of the magistracy.
Government is also proud of our advances made in the public sector. By March 2014 more than half of civil servants (57.6 per cent) were female and we continue to improve the representation of women (39.8 per cent) at senior management service level.
These are only a few examples of gender transformation, but the shift is visible everywhere. Even though women have over the years made great advances at managerial level, we still disproportionately occupy the lowest paying and unskilled jobs. In addition, women continue to bear the brunt of poverty and unemployment.
According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the Second Quarter 2014 the unemployment rate for women was 3.7 per cent higher than that of men. This gap is even greater among young women and men.
The Statistician-General Pali Lehohla commented on this, saying that the fact that men have a better chance in the job market suggests an "inherent discrimination" on the grounds of gender.
Unfair practices in the workplace were also addressed with concern by President Jacob Zuma on Women’s Day. “Women at work still experience discriminatory practices based on gender such as pay inequalities, sexual harassment and practices such as discrimination against pregnant women workers,” he stated.
Since 1994 government implemented a number of initiatives to create equal opportunities for women and fight gender discrimination. To further push transformation, the Employment Equity Act was recently amended and came into force on 1 August.
The amended Act now ensures “equal pay for work of equal value” and gone are the days where a woman earned less than a male colleague even though they perform the same duties.
Another positive development is that all sexual harassment cases, irrespective of the level of pay, can now be lodged with the CCMA for arbitration. This will facilitate access to justice and lessen the financial burden which comes with taking cases to the Labour Court.
Government is not only advancing women through legislation, but through practical initiatives. For example the 2013 Grant Thornton International Business Report found that only 28 per cent of top decision-making roles in local businesses are filled by women.
To correct this, the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), in partnership with a number of institutes, has trained 172 women to equip them with the necessary skills to serve on boards of directors of companies. The dti also established the South African Women Entrepreneurs' Network to support and train women in establishing, strengthening and sustaining their businesses.
On the other end of the scale, the dti has partnered with the Wholesale and Retail Sectoral Education and Training Authority in a R20 million project to uplift 1 000 informal traders of which 60 per cent will be women.
To ensure we reach 100 per cent gender parity in the long term, we continue to empower our girl children and young women through a good education. This still serves as the primary vehicle through which vulnerable children can break the cycle of poverty and obtain the means to participate meaningfully in the economy.
We are heartened by the high levels of enrolment by girls in primary, secondary and tertiary education. However, their progress is often stifled by a lack of opportunities once their studies are completed. We call on the business community to afford women equal opportunities to succeed and reach the top of their fields.
For the women of South Africa, 1994 brought equal rights and freedom, but not equality. Our journey continues and as we commemorate Women’s Month every year we must use the opportunity to take stock of our progress. We should nevertheless not limit it to August only but make it year-round endeavour. Let us work together to the women’s agenda forward!
Faith Muthambi is Minister of Communications
