Presidency of the Republic of South Africa at the 53rd session of the
Commission on the Status of Women, United Nations Headquarters, New York
4 March 2009
Chairperson,
Thank you for the opportunity to address you all.
Chairperson,
Surely, the release from imprisonment on bail, of Human Rights activist
Madam Jestina Mukoko, Director for Peace Project in Zimbabwe, one of our own
must be a welcomed and celebrated move because it constitutes a signal that the
Unity Government is ready to take positive steps in steering the country of
Zimbabwe to a peaceful settlement. We think the international community should
adopt measures that would encourage Zimbabwe's political leadership and the
people on the ground to drive this process to a successful conclusion.
A conducive environment now exists for the punitive sanctions to be
lifted.
As South Africa enters its 15th year of democracy and prepares for its fourth
general democratic elections, our country is taking stock of many of the
accomplishments, challenges and lessons learnt with regard to building a
democratic and non-sexist society.
In this regard, we are examining our policies and practices in the area of
equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men in productive and
reproductive life, as well as and the equal participation of women and men in
decision-making processes at all levels. South Africa has furthermore assessed
current international debates drawing attention to the full spectrum of human
vulnerabilities as they relate to women's lack of access to and control of
resources, the impact of climate change, food security and the current
financial crisis, as well as the threat of conflict, and the building of
sustainable peace within the Continent and beyond.
What a breath of fresh air and excitement at the announcement by the
representative of the United States during Panel II interactive expert
discussions yesterday that the United States will prioritise Convention on the
Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). We thank the
United States for the progressive move to be partners in the elimination of all
forms of discrimination against women.
Having committed ourselves to the Beijing Platform of Action in 1995, we
continue to make substantial progress in implementing the commitments of the
Beijing Platform of Action. From a legislative point of view, we have enacted a
number of laws that protect women from discrimination, abuse and violence: the
Domestic Violence Act, Recognition of Customary Marriages Act, Maintenance Act
and the Sexual Offences Act, amongst others.
We have sought to strengthen women's employment chances and ensure their
retention in the labour force through the Employment Equity legislation and
other employment and Labour Laws. Although South Africa's Labour Relations Act
puts workers' rights high on our political agenda, there is a need to review
issues such as maternity and paternity leave in line with commitments we
continue to make globally.
We recognise that our society needs to address aspects pertaining to
increasing the role men play in the lifecycle during pregnancy to the delivery
of their babies, child-rearing, nurturing, bonding and in sharing of
responsibilities for household chores.
Chairperson,
Regarding the equal sharing of responsibilities, as well as care-giving in
the context of communicable diseases, including HIV and AIDS, non-communicable
diseases, trauma and violence, South Africa is striving towards a more
equitable approach to prevention, support and care, including nutrition,
treatment and continued ethical research in meaningful consultation and
involvement of women. We also believe that concrete recommendations and
mechanisms are further needed to ensure visible action with respect to breaking
down gender stereotypes and negative traditional and cultural practices to
ensure the empowerment of women and men in providing home and community-based
care.
Our delegation wishes to urge the international community to invest more
resources into basic science research in HIV and AIDS. We also propose that
more resources should be dedicated to research on affordable alternatives such
as complementary and traditional medicines, as well as nutrition. We are
particularly concerned about inadequate drug surveillance and pharmacovigilance
capacity, especially in the African region. We therefore call upon our
development partners to assist. Surely that must be our comprehensive and
collective shared responsibility between men and women of conscience.
South Africa's effort to reach the target of 50 percent representation of
women in decision-making positions and politics at all levels by 2015 has
gained momentum following the launch on 19 February 2009, of the 50/50 percent
Campaign. This is in line with the Southern African Development Community
(SADC) Protocol on Gender and Development. Through this Campaign, all political
parties are urged to review their electoral lists in order to achieve this
particular gender parity. The African National Congress (ANC) electoral list
for the forthcoming April elections reflects 50/50 per cent representation.
The intention is to ensure that we surpass the current 42 per cent
representation of women in Cabinet and the 33 per cent of women in Parliament
towards gender parity. This applies to the private sector and civil society as
well. We must continue to support women, and capacitate them to ensure that
they are retained in those positions.
Chairperson,
We will pay particular attention in strengthening our national gender
machinery through the establishment of a Womenâs Ministry to be located in the
Presidency, well-resourced and with defined authority. The public and private
sector have committed to mobilise additional resources to ensure financing for
gender equality through financing womenâs empowerment programmes.
The current global financial crisis highlights the need for greater
participation for women in financial decision-making, recognising that the
gender dimensions of the consequences of the global financial crisis will have
on our women and girls in particular have not received enough attention. The
South African Government has initiated engagements with business and social
partners to design mechanisms to retain jobs and mitigate the impact of the
downturn. The challenge however, remains the effective involvement and benefits
by women.
In conclusion Chairperson,
My delegation supports the deliberations regarding the priority theme of
this session, specifically as it promotes and raise awareness of the role of
women and men in all spheres of life, which supports key areas of economic
growth, creates a policy environment as well as opportunities to support the
development of women and men. Our vision is to create an enabling environment
where women and men meaningfully participate in ensuring that the work in all
sectors of society is valued.
I thank you.
Issued by: The Presidency
4 March 2009
Source: The Presidency (http://www.thepresidency.gov.za)
