The Women’s Parliament has adopted a number of resolutions which are aimed at ensuring gender parity and promoting women’s rights.
“I am satisfied that we achieved what we sought to accomplish when we were planning this Women’s Parliament,” said Ms Nomaindia Mfeketo, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. She added: “We took resolutions that can be measured yearly and reporting to be done annually. We are going to take a process of tabling the resolutions in Parliament”.
The theme of this year’s Women’s Parliament was “Mainstreaming Gender Equality in all Sectors of the South African Society”. Three topics – participation and involvement of women in the mainstream economy, the proposed Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill, and the implications for women of the Traditional Courts Bill – were discussed.
Resolutions include:
- Ensuring that more land should be made available to women for agricultural activities that, and economic opportunities for women should be expanded so that they are able to market and export their products
- Support and promotion of people with disabilities, especially women, should be intensified
- Working hours for domestic workers and farmworkers should be regulated and government should ensure compliance by employers. Employers should also provide child care facilities.
On the proposed Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill, it was resolved that the Bill needed to ensure that there was 50% women representation in all three spheres of government. Turning to the Traditional Courts Bill, it was agreed that the amendment Bill was not acceptable in its current form but it would not be withdrawn.
Delegates felt that withdrawing the Bill would not serve any purpose because traditional courts were already in existence. Hence, it was resolved that the Bill should make it possible for women to be presiding officers in these courts.
