The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) is deeply concerned at the statement attributed to MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu, depicting women as being incapable of managing finances. This kind of statement is clearly out of keeping with the number of women internationally and in the continent, in the public and private sectors, responsible for doing exactly this task. Or women who successfully manage to juggle demanding household budgets and ensure their families' priority needs are addressed, despite scarce resources, or women-headed cooperatives which have secured lucrative tenders to supply goods to state institutions.
Such statements, if true, beyond being inappropriate, are demeaning to women and serve to perpetuate negative gender stereotypes relating to women's roles and abilities. We call on MEC Mabuyakhulu to either denounce or apologise for these allegations.
Issued by: Commission for Gender Equality
11 March 2010
