Programme Director
Deputy Minister of Social Development, uMama Maria Ntuli
CEO of the National Development Agency (NDA), Ms Vuyelwa Nhlapo
CEO of the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), Ms Virginia Petersen
The women and young girls of Soweto
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen
Thank you for joining us as we celebrate the Women’s Month. In the portfolio of Social Development, we thought it best that because it is led by four women; we should come here and interact with women and young girls in this community.
We also found it fit that we should take advantage of this platform to highlight the initiatives and plans that we have to contribute towards the objectives of women empowerment.
As Social Development, we have decided on a number of plans that will help bring the much needed relief in the lives of women.
As you know, according to the Social Assistance Act, when women apply for the old age pension, not only does South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) look at their own income, but also that of their spouses. The same happens to men who have working wives. However, the taxation legislation ignores income of the spouse. This practice excludes thousands of poor women from accessing the old age pension.
We will review the practice of taking into account the income of men when women apply for the old age pension. This is an unfair practice since people are taxed as individuals. I have already directed officials to change the means test so that the income of one’s spouse not taken into account when considering eligibility for qualification. The aim is to ensure that a woman who has a spouse with income, also get access to old age pension.
The Old Age Pension currently covers over 2,7 million men and women over the age of 60 years. Of these, women constitute more than 1,7 million while just over 880 000 beneficiaries are men. This is one of the many ways in which government seeks to ensure the economic empowerment of women.
Women have always found themselves in disadvantaged positions that compromise them in many respects. They were discriminated against in education and employment especially in sectors where they do the same jobs as men. In addition, child bearing was not catered for as there was no paid maternity leave, nor job security.
In this year’s Women’s Month, it is therefore fitting that the consideration of a spouse’s income be removed to enable many women access to the old age pension. I have directed officials in the department to complete policy options to this effect and seek the National Treasury’s support to fund such a policy change.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am also pleased to announce that out the 350 active projects funded by the NDA; about 80% of them are run by women. Most of these projects have created job opportunities for many other women and enabled them to participate in the mainstream economy. As a result of the job opportunities, many women who were previously marginalised are now able to provide for their families. During this financial year, the NDA will prioritise the funding of civil society organisations that work in the sector of gender-based violence.
The Department of Social Development has noted with concern the report released by the Human Rights Watch this week which highlights human rights violations of farm workers in the Western Cape. Of major concern to us is the practice of the dope system in which workers are paid or incentivised with alcohol. This practice which emanates from the apartheid era is inconsistent with our desire to build a caring society.
It also undermines government’s efforts to fight against alcohol and substance abuse which is a major social problem in our country. Because this is a major contributory factor to family disintegration, domestic violence and many other social ills, government has launched the Anti-Substance Abuse Campaign which is led by an Inter-Ministerial Committee. A key element of this campaign is the prevention of alcohol and substance abuse.
We hope the Western Cape Provincial Government has noted the report and will take necessary measures to protect the human rights and dignity of farm workers. We will engage with all the relevant stakeholders, including the Provincial Substance Abuse Forums, as part of our strategy to implement the resolutions of the recent Anti-Substance Abuse Summit.
We are also concerned about adoption agencies that continue to prioritise inter-country adoptions at the expense of national adoptions. These agencies are driven by the motive for financial gain and have very little regard for the well-being and the interests of children involved. Our adoption strategy, approved by Cabinet last year, clearly states that we should give priority to national adoptions.
The Children’s Amendment Act states that a child has a right to know and to be cared for by his or her parents. It is for this reason that we provide Child Support Grants to eligible children so that their primary caregivers can provide the necessary care and support. Inter-country adoptions are for children who cannot be placed in a permanent family setting in their country of origin. It should not be the first, but the last option. We will take necessary measures in accordance with the Children’s Act to ensure that those agencies that conduct inter-country adoptions do so with the best interest of the child at heart and not driven by financial gains. We are convinced that this is the right step towards ensuring a caring society.
Thank you.
