Women's Dialogue
1 August 2007
We are meeting here today at the beginning of Women's Month to continue the
dialogue that we started in 2003 looking at what is being done and what more
needs to be done to make Gauteng a better place for women. In eights days time,
on National Women's Day, we will join the entire nation in paying tribute to
the women of the 1950s who played a pivotal role in our struggle for equality,
freedom and peace.
When we meet to remember the courageous action that women took on 9 August
1956, a question will arise as to how much we have done to bring about full
participation and full empowerment of the women of Gauteng in political, social
and economic programmes of their province.
Thirteen years into our democracy we now have concrete evidence of the work
we have done to involve women in policy and decision making on issues of
governance.
Many important gains have been made to empower women. A wide range of
Gauteng government programmes pay special attention to the needs of women,
especially African women and black women in general. Priority has also been
given to promoting women's access to economic opportunities.
However, there is a lot more work to be done before we can say that we have
truly achieved gender equality in our province and in our country. Too many
women, particularly black women, still live in poverty and suffer the
consequences of underdevelopment and deprivation. Too many women remain jobless
and have little access to skills and economic activity. Too many women are
still victims of violence and abuse.
That is why we must continue to have a platform such as this one for women
of our province to share their experiences on successes and challenges of
social, political and economic transformation. This dialogue has become much
more important now that we have engaged in the process of building Gauteng as a
globally competitive city region.
Building Gauteng as a global city region requires that we grow economically
so that we are able to address the pressing challenges of a lack of work
opportunities, underdevelopment and poverty in our province. But growth without
equality between all our citizens, between men and women, between the older and
new generations and between the poor and the wealthy is a recipe for
instability. Our strategy to make Gauteng a global city region therefore also
directs us to address issues of equity and social inclusion. This dialogue
should assist us to achieve this.
This conference is also important because it provides an opportunity to
report back and take stock of how far we have come since December 2003. It is
an opportunity for us to monitor each other's work, to give feedback and
evaluate what we have done as well as to plan ahead and identify what further
steps need to be taken to advance the position of women in our province.
In the last dialogue you identified three areas which you said needed more
focussed attention. These areas are:
* empowerment for small women entrepreneurs
* services for women who are victims of violence
* supporting women in the partnership against HIV and AIDS, including care for
families and children infected and affected by the epidemic
A number of initiatives have been undertaken by the provincial and local
government to promote the economic empowerment of women. As a provincial
government we have made a commitment that by 2009, 50% of women in senior
management positions will be women. We have said that of the 20 000 jobs that
will be created through the Expanded Public Works Programme this year, 40% will
be for women.
By the beginning of 2006, 63% of senior management was black and 30% were
women. Currently, four of Gauteng's 10 members of the Executive Council are
women. The province also has four female Heads of Department and a growing
representation of women at senior public service management level. We must
guard jealously the progress we have made in this regard and ensure that there
are no reversals.
We have also made a firm commitment that in the 2009/10 financial year 50%
of funding for small, medium and micro-enterprises will be allocated to
women-led job creation activities through Gauteng Enterprise Propeller.
Broad based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) is one of the key mechanisms
we have adopted to address the exclusion of black people from the mainstream
economy. It is central in bringing about significant increases in the number of
black people that manage, own and control the country's economy and it helps to
reduce income inequalities.
We have been using our buying power to promote BBBEE and small, medium and
micro enterprises (SMME), particularly those owned by women. The BBBEE strategy
requires the provincial government to procure 70% of its goods and services
from BBBEE companies in 2009.
By the end of 2006, Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) procurement spending
reflected that a total of 2 703 black vendors with direct ownership had
benefited from our programme. Of these, 1 433 were women owned. The total value
to business conducted with women-owned enterprises was more than R1,049
billion.
Rachel Tladi, one of the women who has benefited from our programme to
empower women in construction had this to say: "The Gauteng government through
the Department of Housing really showed us what women empowerment was all
about. It took the biggest risk by giving us such a huge project. It is an
opportunity of a lifetime."
Rachel's projects include the building of Ya Rona Clinic, Lusaka Library and
fencing in Toekomsrus and Kagiso Stadia. She says she has managed to employ
about 120 people, the majority whom are youth and women, as a result of the
projects received from government.
What is more encouraging is that Rachel says: "I also want to empower other
women as government had empowered me. My relationship with people that I work
with is fantastic because I respect them and I pay them on time."
The empowerment of women in the delivery of housing continues to grow. Since
2004, the government has awarded tenders worth over R359 million to women
companies for the construction of thousands of houses throughout Gauteng. Women
are also receiving assistance through the On-site Construction Contact Centres
launched in 2006
We are naturally concerned about fronting as it threatens the gains that we
are making. This conference must help us to fight corruption and ensure that
women are not used as tokens by those who want to undermine our empowerment
initiatives.
Providing business skills is one way of ensuring that small, medium and
micro enterprises are able to stand on their own. Since the launch of the
Gauteng Enterprise Propeller in April 2005, over 400 SMMEs have been given
training in key areas such as productivity enhancement, quality assurance,
developing business plans, marketing and human resource development. An
additional 1000 aspiring and existing entrepreneurs have been trained. Of those
assisted, 88% are black owned and 52% are owned by women. An SMME portal has
also been set up to link SMMEs to economic opportunities and more than 2000
SMMEs are already registered on the portal.
Skills development is crucial in our efforts to build Gauteng into a
globally competitive city region. We have developed a Gauteng Human Resource
Development Strategy to turn young people and women into a pool of skilled
human resource capital that will drive our economic growth and social
transformation.
By the end of 2006, the Gauteng Provincial Government had achieved its
target of ensuring that 8% of its eligible workforce is in learnerships and
internships. A total of 5 381 young people have been given internships and
learnerships opportunities. Of these, 99% were black and 68% were women.
Through the Gauteng Agricultural Development Strategy we are succeeding in
bringing previously disadvantaged sections of the population, including women
and the unemployed, into the value chain of mainstream agriculture in the
province. Many women have already become successful farmers.
Sue Jackson is one of the women who have benefited from the implementation
of this strategy. Her organic farm has a turnover of R4 million a year and - in
addition to supplying Pick 'n Pay, Shoprite and others - she exports some of
her products to Dubai. Last year she won the Female Farmer of the Year.
Women are reaping the fruits of intervention programmes such as Women in
Agriculture and Rural Development (Ward) and the Micro Agricultural Finance
Institution of South Africa (Mafisa) programmes.
An amount of R10 million in agricultural project's funding has been made
available to further women empowerment in the agricultural sector in
Gauteng.
Through the help of the provincial government women are also succeeding in
breaking into the male-dominated transport industry. Many women have
successfully entered the taxi and bus industry and others have won tenders to
transport children to and from school.
Hundreds of others are benefiting through the construction of the Gautrain
rapid rail link. About 366 are women, 11% of whom are in management positions
are employed in the Gautrain Project. By the time the project is completed,
many more women will benefit through new skills development and job
opportunities emerging from broader socio-economic development.
Seventy-nine young women have already enrolled and are currently actively
participating in a learnership programme in scarce skills including mining and
blasting, fitting and turning, mill righting and business administration. A
total of 120 women will be taken through learnership programmes during the
construction phase of the Gautrain rail link.
Fighting poverty remains our top priority. For those who are unable to
benefit from economic opportunities - the poor, children, the elderly and
people affected and infected by HIV and AIDS - the government is committed to
providing immediate relief.
Last year we launched the Gauteng Social Development Strategy to ensure that
we balance economic growth with sustainable social support for those who are
unable to work and have special needs.
A comprehensive and integrated food security programme has been introduced
focusing on increasing local food production through support for farmers,
especially black and women farmers, and food gardens, continued school feeding
programmes and improving nutritional status through supplementation and
awareness programmes.
There are over 80 developed projects across the province to establish
homestead food gardens. Women directly benefit from an additional 150 community
food garden projects.
Women have also benefited from government programmes to widen access to
essential services for poor households as well as the provision of free basic
services such as electricity, water and sanitation and through municipal
indigent policies. Of the registered indigent households, 1 225 854 (96%)
households are receiving free basic water and 1 150 416 (78%) households are
receiving free basic electricity.
Education remains a key pillar in our efforts to reverse inequality and
improve the standard of living of the people of Gauteng. Several programmes and
policies aim to improve the quality of education, including the 'No Fee
Schools' policy, the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Strategy, the School
Nutrition Programme, Scholar Transport programme and initiatives such as the
Blue IQ Smart Young Mind Challenge and the Sci-Bono centre.
Girl learners in Gauteng are increasingly benefiting from the provincial
government's efforts to give every girl-child access to quality public
education. An important part of this is the strategy to improve maths, science
and technology education. A girl-learner mathematics and science project aims
to maximise the girl-child's learning in this critical area.
Although poverty continues to prevent many young girls from realising their
dreams, we are optimistic that we are succeeding in making Gauteng a better
place for girl to receive education.
Since 2004, the provincial government has made great strides in improving
the health of women and children in Gauteng through a range of programmes.
Strategies and programmes arising from the Saving the Mother Report have been
implemented in maternal and neonatal care units established in 2004, focussing
on preventing and reducing avoidable deaths of mother and babies.
Cervical cancer screening has benefited 266 843 women since the inception of
the programme in 2000. More than 21 000 mammograms were performed to improve
early detection of breast cancer since 2004. These screening services afford
women the opportunity to be offered early treatment and follow up.
A new breast cancer clinic opened at Helen Joseph hospital last year will
improve access to surgery for breast cancer patients in Greater Johannesburg
and Soweto.
Since the first women's dialogue in 2003, we have taken serious to prevent
the spread of HIV and AIDS in our province. The prevention of mother to child
transmission programme has been rolled out throughout the province covering 223
primary health care clinics and community health centres offering ante-natal
care services and all hospitals with ante-natal care services. The number of
women accessing this service has increased from 87 546 in 2004 to 124 398 in
2006.
Post-exposure prophylaxis, introduced to provide a preventative treatment to
rape survivors, is now available in 57 facilities throughout the province. In
addition, the provincial government runs and funds a wide range of programmes
to prevent HIV and AIDS, encourage voluntary counselling and testing, to
prevent discrimination and provide treatment and care for those infected and
affected by HIV and AIDS. These programmes all have a considerable impact on
women.
Demand for the HIV and AIDS comprehensive care, including the provision of
anti-retroviral treatment (ART) programme has grown since its inception in
2004. Up to April this year 78 102 people were on treatment, including 7 990
children.
We however must try to understand all the conditions that make the spread of
this disease to continue. We must examine why is it that behaviour is not
changing in proportion to the amount of time and resources we have dedicated to
education and awareness about this disease.
Violence against women at home, in the streets and at work remains a major
challenge confronting our province and our country. Early this year, we
launched the Gauteng Safety Strategy and the Take Charge campaign to ensure a
sustainable reduction in crime throughout Gauteng. The strategy and campaign
both pay careful attention to violence against women and seek to address issues
of safety that women have to contend with.
While women continue to carry a disproportionate load of disease, trauma and
poverty, we are succeeding in providing them with the necessary support and
means to emancipate them from these shackles.
Trauma centres and victim empowerment centres have been established across
the province, and the training of police officers, forensic nurses and other
role players has been prioritised to ensure that victims of domestic violence
and other sexual offences are assisted in a humane and sensitive way and to
improve successful prosecutions against the perpetrators.
We must continue to look for ways to engage men in finding solutions to this
challenge. I am certain that no man in his right senses would keep quiet while
his daughter, sister, mother or wife was violated. As violence against women
often happens at homes and is perpetrated by people known to survivors, men
also need help in improving conditions that ensures safety of women in their
homes.
Women also stand to gain from the 32 sporting hubs which are being developed
in the province to promote seven priority sporting codes - athletics, cricket,
rugby, boxing, swimming, football (including women's soccer) and netball.
Gauteng has the most well developed creative economy in the country and is
home to the largest concentration of cultural enterprises in South Africa.
Research has shown that over 40% of all creative enterprises are found in the
province. The Gauteng Creative Industries Development Framework is further
promoting creative industries to, among others: maximise the sector's
contribution to the economy, job creation, community development and urban
regeneration. Women will benefit from the growth of the creative industries,
which creates many opportunities for small and micro enterprises and reinforces
job creation and opportunities in related sectors such as hospitality, tourism
and food and beverages.
Close to 90 percent of jobs in the craft sector benefit women. Plans to
promote and expand the arts and craft sector in Gauteng will therefore also
contribute significantly to the economic empowerment of women.
Good governance and democracy are thriving in our province because of
participation of women. Women played a pivotal role in the consultations to
review the province as part of the African Peer Review Mechanism process. They
play a key role as Community Development Workers, as members of the Gauteng
Youth Commission and in Ward Committees across the province.
This Women's Dialogue is also an example of the role women are playing in
our province to review political, economic and social transformation and in
setting priorities to achieve to make Gauteng a better place for women.
In addition to the Women's Dialogues, women have opportunities to raise
concerns and suggestions through women focussed izimbizo. Through these
initiatives women in our province are shaping a better future for themselves
and the next generation.
Gauteng continues to honour many unsung heroines who have dedicated their
lives to social progress through the annual Women's Awards for Outstanding
Women Achievers. In addition, the Gauteng Local Government department
introduced the Women in Local Government Awards to recognise outstanding women
councillors and officials contributing towards good governance and improved
service delivery in their local areas.
As a provincial government we have a policy framework to achieve gender
mainstreaming and the empowerment of women, taking into account issues raised
by women themselves. The policy outlines the province's vision of gender
equality and aims to enhance government's capacity to address gender
development challenges.
All departments have dedicated gender empowerment programmes and projects
that are adequately resourced. We must evaluate whether these structures are
succeeding in ensuring the mainstreaming of gender issues in each department
and suggest what we need to do for further strengthen them.
The task before you as you start the dialogue is a daunting one. I have no
doubt that you will execute it with commitment and dedication. The many women
in our province who are still shackled in poverty, whose rights and dignity is
trampled upon daily are looking up to you to come up with suggestions that will
make Gauteng a better place for them as well. I wish you fruitful
deliberations.
Issued by: Gauteng Provincial Government
1 August 2007
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government (http://www.gautengonline.gov.za)
