Remarks by the Minister of Tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi- Ngubane, at Women in MICE, online, 11 March 2021
Programme director
Co-hosts of the launch MICE: Thami Nkadimeng and Shanna Jacobsen
Good morning
Let me start by congratulating the organisers of this event, Meetings magazine and 3S Media, for successfully hosting this event under these challenging conditions. I know you had to postpone the 2020 awards because of the pandemic but this year regardless of the pandemic, you’ve decided to go ahead with the virtual launch of the
2021 instalment of this prestigious event. This is a clear demonstration of your tenacity and courage as women in the tourism sector.
Thank you for inviting me to join you for this virtual launch of the 2021 Women in MICE Awards. It is an honour for me, as women in the tourism sector to join you for this launch of an instrument designed to celebrate the industry’s top female players.
Three days ago, we celebrated International Women’s Day under the theme “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.” The formulation of the theme is premised on the two facts: first that we are living in a world where women and men are unequal mostly for the benefit of men and secondly, that we are living in a world where the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc in every corner of the world. This is also an acknowledgement that women, together with men, have work to do to reconfigure the world so that men and women can enjoy equal access to resources, equal access to opportunities, equal pay for work of equal value, equal treatment in society and access to many other capabilities that make for a just society.
In as much as we appreciate the challenges that still face women in our society, and they are still significantly many, it is also important for us to acknowledge the progress that has been made. In a report titled: “Progress of the World’s Women 2019–2020: Families in a Changing World” released by UN Women led by former
Deputy President Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka identifies the following areas of progress for women:
- “Progress is notable in women’s increased access to resources, through earned income, social protection, and asset ownership. This has triggered some shifts in the balance of power within the home, giving women greater economic security and weight in decision-making processes, and helping them buffer their families from economic privation.
- “Over the past three decades, significant changes have occurred in whether, when, and with whom women and men form intimate partnerships. Women and men across all world regions are delaying marriage. This has enabled women to complete their education, gain a stronger foothold in the labour market, and support themselves financially.
- “All over the world, birth rates are declining, albeit at different rates across regions. On the one hand, this shift indicates that women are exercising greater agency and voice in decisions regarding whether and when to have children, and how many. In practical terms, smaller families can be less costly to maintain, and women’s care and domestic work burden within them may be smaller.”
It is upon this progress that all of us as women should stand together to fight for our rights and gender equality. As I have already mentioned, we are living under the dark cloud of a pandemic and I have joined here today to speak about a subsector of the tourism sector that has been one of the most affected by the pandemic. The restrictions that have been put in place to curb the spread of the pandemic have curtailed the meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE) sector.
Given the many challenges that women are facing in our society, especially the persisting inequalities, it is not hard to conclude that the impact of the pandemic on women-owned businesses is far worse than those owned by their male counterparts. This is because access to instruments that enable businesses to survive at a time like this such as business loans are not easily accessible for women. This challenge arose sharply during this pandemic. Unavoidably, it highlights the importance of women coming together and working to tackle this challenge head-on.
Our experience with the virus thus far has showed us that the spread will come in waves, some more devastating than others. It has also taught us that the mutation of the virus will remain a risk for dealing a deadly blow to the pandemic. However, government is quite confident that the experience we have acquired in the past year will help to navigate these uncertain times. Easing and tightening restrictions might be with us for much longer than we would until such a time that we are able to achieve herd immunity in our country. With this level of uncertainty, it is difficult to prescribe a solution to how business can navigate these challenging times.
Businesses have to be innovative and develop new business models that will help them to stay afloat as the virus spread fluctuates. The MICE industry has to develop new ways of providing services in the midst of a pandemic in a way that is sustainable.
Because of the mass gathering limitations brought about by the restrictions which have been imposed worldwide, we have witnessed a shift in the MICE sector. Technology has become a major factor on how MICE products are delivered and to an extent there are areas in which this shift might be irreversible. However, the MICE industry stimulates the rational use of cultural and natural-recreational resources to meet the needs of the consumers. There are certain human experiences that the MICE sector provides that technology so far has not been able to mimic and this aspect will keep the MICE sector strong for a foreseeable future.
It is for this reason that the MICE sector is part of the intervention areas in the Tourism Recovery Plan. The plan is a roadmap that will help the tourism sector navigate the pandemic and ultimately embark on a growth trajectory in the post- pandemic period.
The plan is anchored on three pillars which include:
- Protecting and Rejuvenating Supply – focusing on business continuity risks, aligning the value-chain to new biosecurity standards, preserving air access, as well as investment facilitation e.g. TEF and market access.
- Reigniting demand – this will require a robust domestic marketing strategy, the agility to respond decisively to an uncertain global environment and responsiveness to changes in consumer preference.
- Strengthening Enabling Capability – implementing mechanisms to increase ease of travel through activities such as the piloting and roll-out of the proposed e-visa system to simplify the visa and entry process into the country.
In addition to the recovery plan, we have embarked on an overall review of the policy framework that guides the tourism sector in South Africa. We have appointed a review panel which is helping us to review the 1996 Tourism White Paper in light of the global developments that have come about in the last 20 years and these include technology, changing consumer needs, climate change and other.
This brings to the issue of gender mainstreaming. Gender mainstreaming is an approach to policy-making that takes into account both women's and men's interests and concerns. It means integrating a gender equality perspective at all stages and levels of policies, programmes and projects. This is done as recognition that women and men have different needs and living conditions and circumstances, including unequal access to and control over power, resources, human rights and institutions, including the justice system.
Gender mainstreaming will be at the centre of both the Tourism Recovery Plan and the Tourism Policy Review. We want to pay more attention to the needs of women in all aspects of our programmes and policies so that we can create an inclusive sector. The tourism sector is dominated by women at a lower level and this dominance must be reflected at all levels. I want to invite to fully participate in the policy review process, so that our policies that will guide future of tourism reflect your voice.
Once again let me congratulate the organisers for this long overdue launch. Malibongwe!
I thank you.
