While significant strides have been made in South Africa to empower women and promote gender equality, more work still needs to be done. This was said by Ms Lulu Xingwana, Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities in New York (United Nations) ahead of the presentation of the country report to the 56th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
The Minister is expected to present the country statement later today on the progress South Africa has made in empowering women.
“South Africa has some of the most progressive policies that are aimed at advancing women empowerment and gender equality. However, the challenge remains the capacity to translate such policies into implementation”.
The Minister said that the majority of women and girls in South Africa live in rural areas where poverty and underdevelopment define their daily existence. “The rural profile of South Africa continues to be one of female-headed households, growing poverty, human rights abuses and increased gender-based violence, unemployment and high prevalence of HIV and AIDS”.
“In this regard, the department is currently formulating a Strategy on Rural Women’s Development in which we are partnering with the Department of Rural Women and Land Reform. The Strategy is intended to accelerate the implementation of measures aimed at improving the lives of rural women”.
She said that government was painfully aware that financial dependence on husbands, fathers, partners and family members had increased women’s vulnerability to domestic violence, rape, incest, abuse, and murder. The department identified women economic empowerment as critical to promoting gender equality.
“We will monitor the extent to which women benefit through the preferential procurement system in government. The department will furthermore continue to encourage companies and organisations of women to register on government entities and departments’ supply chain databases”.
“We will continue to strive relentlessly towards translating the many progressive pieces of legislations, policies and Constitutional provisions to advance the goals of women empowerment and gender equality”.
Last year, the department launched the Techno-Girl project which seeks to change the face of the South African market where there is lack of significant representation of women in the professional and scientific professions. The project encourages girl children to pursue fields in Science, Maths, Engineering and Technology where women have historically been under-represented.
“The department believes that promoting access to educational opportunities and skills development is the key to addressing the socio-economic conditions of women in the long-term.
By launching this critical project, we seek to expose girls, through job shadowing, to the world of work and to increase the knowledge of girls on the careers that they are exposed to”.
Enquiries:
Cornelius Tanana Monama
Tel: 012 359 0222
Cell: 082 578 4063
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