Programme Director,
Ms Riah Phiyega, Chairperson, Presidential SOE Review Committee
Honoured guests,
Ladies and gentlemen
I stand here before you, humbled by your invitation and inspired by your commitment to give concrete expression to the objective of women empowerment in your sector.
As we mark the centenary of the oldest liberation movement in our continent, we must also remind ourselves that the struggle for liberation was the struggle for the emancipation of all our people, including women.
As we participate in this important dialogue on State-Owned Enterprises, we must not forget the pledge we made during our struggle for liberation that we will never consider our freedom won and our democracy achieved until the women our country are liberated from the suffocating claws of patriarchy, gender-based violence, economic exclusion and all forms of abuse and discrimination.
Today, we stand proud as the women of South Africa for the sacrifices and heroic battles waged by the heroines of our struggle for women emancipation and gender equality. We are inspired by women leaders such as Charlotte Maxeke, Ruth Mompati, Ida Mntwana, Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Sophia de Bruyn, Rahima Moosa, Frances Baard, Dorothy Nyembe, Albertina Sisulu, Adelaide Tambo, Ray Alexandra, Dulcie September and many others. They remain an inspiration to all of us. We must salute all these women for their sacrifices and dedication to the struggle for a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic society.
Programme Director, 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.
While significant strides have been made since 1994 to empower women and promote gender equality, more work still needs to be done. As we collectively intensify our efforts to push back the frontiers of women marginalisation and gender inequality, we must also ensure that the majority of women have the opportunity to taste the fruits of freedom and democracy.
Today’s dialogue takes place a day after International Women’s Day. It also takes place during the centenary of our liberation movement and eighteen years since the dawn of our freedom and democracy. This context compels all of us to reflect on the progress we have registered to rid our society of sexism, gender inequality and women abuse, and to ponder the road that still needs to be traversed.
Indeed, there is consensus across the board that 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. This historic moment compels all of us to reflect on the progress we have registered to rid our society of sexism, gender inequality and women abuse, and to ponder the road that still needs to be traversed.
As government, we are also painfully aware that financial dependency on husbands, fathers, partners and family members has increased women’s vulnerability to domestic violence, rape, incest, abuse, and murder.
One of the fundamental causes of the perpetuation of inequality and discrimination of the vulnerable groups is skewed implementation of policies. In this instance, the call to action is to ensure that the national budget, among other things, becomes an instrument of transformation and gender equality. The budget must translate government policies into action.
It must give concrete expression to government’s commitment to promote gender equality. We are convinced that a gender-responsive budget can be a tool to promote women’s socio-economic rights.
Addressing the International Women’s Day event in New York yesterday, the United Nations Secretary General, Mr Ban Ki Moon challenged all governments, civil society and the private sector to commit to gender equality and the empowerment of women as a fundamental human right. As the South African government, we welcome the Secretary General’s challenge. We commit to do more than what we have already done to advance the goal of women empowerment.
He challenged all of us to ensure fair and equal representation for women. He finds it disheartening that at times, women themselves, help to justify why there are no women in decision-making roles. That is why we have to change not only men’s mindsets, but women’s too.
As government, we are extremely concerned about the slow pace women empowerment both in the public and private sector. Women representation in senior management levels of companies should not be seen as an act of charity. It is an economic imperative.
As we gather here to exchange views and ideas, we must confront the critical question: What more can we do to improve the participation of women in State-owned enterprises (SOEs)? This is particularly critical because SOEs have the potential to become engines of economic growth and development at the disposal of the democratic state.
As the developmental state grapples with the challenges of eradicating poverty, inequalities and unemployment, the role of SOEs become even more critical. They need to be led by people who understand and embrace the vision of a developmental state. Women have first-hand experience of how poverty and unemployment can ravage families and take away their dignity. They are best placed to redirect SOEs to address these triple challenges of our time.
We must use SOEs to accelerate the participation of women at the highest levels of management. Programme Director, transformation will not take place on its own. We need to set firm targets and firm timeframes. In this regard, the proposed Gender Equality Bill will help speed up women empowerment by institutionalising the 50\50 requirement. Unless this is done, twenty years down the line, we will still be lamenting about the slow pace of transformation.
As more and more women take up positions of decision-making in these organisations, they must ensure that SOEs become no-go-areas for patriarchy and gender discrimination. Women must use their positions of influence to empower other women. Women in positions of influence must play the roles of agents of change.
As part of our monitoring work, we will be paying focused attention on SOEs. We will monitor the extent to which SOEs advance the objective of women empowerment and gender equality. While this will not be a name and shame exercise, the result of our monitoring will have to indicate how each SOE is performing in relation to women empowerment.
We must 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. And SOEs must show the way!
I thank you
