Remarks by the Minister of Human Settlements, Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, at the SAIEE Woman event, 07 March 2022
Programme director
Eskom CFO Mr Calib Cassim Eskom Group exective, Ms Elsi Pule SAIEE president Prof Sunil Maharaj
Director of African women in Energy and Power, Ms Bertha Dlamini Distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Let me start by expressing my regret for not being able to join in person. I would have loved to celebrate this year’s International woman’s day amongst women of your calibre.
Four years ago, when I had just been appointed the Minister of the then Department of Science and Technology, I had the opportunity to address the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE). The room was full of men and there were very few women. That occasion was another demonstration of the limited participation of women in the sciences. I am very pleased to be invited today to celebrate with women members of the SAIEE during this international women’s day. This shows great progress towards greater women participation in the engineering field.
For far too long women have been agitating for gender equality, for women to be treated with the respect and have opportunities opened to them in all spheres of our lives. Generations of women have come and gone, and each generation has waged a struggle for gender equality with courage and determination. These women amongst whom we can count Lillian Ngoyi, Albertina Sisulu, Winnie Mandela and many others, broke the barriers for us to get a place to stand and continue the fight for gender equality.
It is time for the current generation of women to start demanding women emancipation and to stand up and take what is rightfully theirs. It is time for us to make it clear to our male counterparts that gender equality can no longer be postponed, it must happen today. The world is facing an environmental catastrophe in the form of climate change and a potential nuclear war, and the voice of women is missing in the decision making on these issues. It is often said that it is the men who start the wars and it is the men who have been at the helm of economic activities that have brought climate change but it is the women and children who suffer the consequences of both these disasters.
Whenever women demand to be given equal opportunities a question is always raised about their readiness to assume bigger responsibilities.
This question is often asked by men who have decided to appoint themselves as our guardians. They believe that women are too emotional to make decisions, that women are too fragile to participate in competitive economic activities and that women are docile creatures who require a helping hand to reach the pinnacle their careers. Such men are quick to point out the dangers that awaits the women who ignore their guidance and dare take a single step by themselves.
It is not the first time that this question of readiness has been raised and as Africans we all too familiar with this question. When Africans resisted colonialism and demanded self- rule and self-determination, colonialists in each of the countries in the African continent asked the question: are Africans ready for self-government? How will they manage when Europeans withdraw? Africans rightly rejected this paternalistic question whose sole aim was to delay the liberation of Africans.
Yet it is the very same men who now ask of us to demonstrate our readiness as women to lead or to assume positions of responsibility. They for their part are asking the question: how will you as women manage the affairs of the country and big organisations without the guiding hand of the men?
We too, as women, must reject this ill-considered question, for it too is not meant for any other reason than to delay the achievement of gender equality.
However, we are mindful that this attitude that relegates women into second class citizens finds expression at all levels of society. Male decision-makers, in positions of influence, who refuse to rid themselves of sexism make decisions that reflect the gender bias placing women in a vicious circle.
Fundamentally, it is gender inequality that manifests itself various ways that is a huge stumbling block to women advancement. The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has also thrown into sharp relief the challenges faced by women in the workplace and in society in general these includes amongst others the following:
- Woman entrepreneurs are less likely to get loans from funding institutions than men
- Women remain less likely to participate in the labour market than men around the world
- Young girls are less likely to go school and get an education than boys. This because they are forced to take
- Women bear disproportionate responsibility for unpaid care and domestic work.
- Women still earn less than their male counterparts who perform the exact same jobs. The salary disparity does not only affect women at blue collar levels, women in high wage industries and occupations are also underpaid relative to men.
- Our childcare and school systems are not responsive to the needs working mothers. This is because most of the child care facilities are not affordable for women who still earn low wages compared to their male counterparts. With lack of affordability women are in most cases forced to quit their jobs so that they can look after their children.
- Women often find the themselves in jobs that are precarious with no job security so that when factories and other business were forced to shut down due to the pandemic, women were the most affected
A combination of these challenges places women in a vulnerable position. Thus, it is not surprising that the face of poverty in South Africa is a black woman. With the risk of climate change increasing women who, in the main, are still at the bottom of the food chain, will be the worst affected by this impending environmental catastrophe.
The only way that women are going to avert this disastrous prospect is by demanding to play a meaningful in the policy making around climate change. Women are ready and have always been ready to be equal players in decision-making related to climate change and sustainability.
Year after year we are told that we are making progress because more and more women have begun entering professions especially in the sciences. This indeed is a development that should be welcomed but as women she should be concerned that women always entering, they never become resident in these professions and take charge.
It was Karl Marx who made the fundamental observation that: “Philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways, the point, however, is to change it.”
The problem of gender inequality has been described eloquently in many research studies, by gender activists and organisations including the united nations.
Our task, if we are serious about achieving gender equality today, is to push the boundaries, break the barriers and change this unjust reality.
The democratic breakthrough of 1994 held a promise for the women in our country. Amongst other things the preamble of our constitution enjoined all South Africans, Black and white, men and women to “Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights;”
The theme of your gathering today which is also this year’s theme for the International women’s day, is a call to action. It is a demand for our democracy to deliver on its promise of the creating of a non-racial and non-sexist society.
This means that each and every woman has to stand up and become the agent of change. To achieve gender equality today will require every woman:
- To work to abolish the disgusting double standards that sees women who attempt to climb the career called denigrating names and subjecting them to invasive scrutiny that their male counterparts are never subjected.
- To be strong-willed, break boundaries, raise the bar higher and set new standards
- To ensure that gender mainstreaming becomes a reality in all areas of society
Both men and women have a role to play in ensuring that women are empowered to take their rightful place in society and to occupy leadership positions. As we celebrate this day, we are called upon to do our bit to change the reality that still reflects gender inequality.
The time is now to move the needle. Gender equality is not only essential for building a sustainable future it is a human right issue.
Happy international women’s day I thank you!
