Minister Bathabile Dlamini calls on South Africans to ensure that Gender Equality remains everyone’s responsibility

Minister Bathabile Dlamini calls on South Africans to ensure that Gender Equality remains everyone’s responsibility

The Minister in the Presidency Responsible for Women, Ms Bathabile Dlamini, has called on all South Africans to celebrate the achievements of Women on International Women’s Day. The Department of Women recognises this important day designated to elevate the status of women who have triumphed over numerous political, economic and social hurdles to achieve success.

Under the theme ‘Think equal, build smart, innovate for change’ International Women’s Day 2019 turns the spotlight to social protection systems for women, women’s access to public services and conceptualising infrastructure to achieve gender parity.

Over the past 25 years women have played a critical role in nation building and strengthening state institutions in South Africa. Today women continue to face deeply patriarchal systems which manifest in new ways and forms. Government and civil society must continue to squash misogynistic ideas that seek to relegate women to second class citizens. This International Women’s Day, the Department of Women calls on South Africans to remember strong women leaders like Sophie de Bruyn, Albertina Sisulu, Charlotte Maxeke and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

International Commitments

As government and civil society delegations prepare to travel to New York for the 63rd Commission on the Status of Women (CSW63), the focus on social protection systems, and access to public services will be an apex priority in discussions and debates held by UN member states.

Africa’s own Agenda 2063 states that the continent must end all harmful social practises and remove all barriers to quality health and education for women and girls.

Africa will speak with one voice at CSW63 affirming that African women must have equal economic opportunities including rights to owning productive land, access to financial services, as well as equal access to market participation. South Africa will continue to lobby for inclusive radical economic transformation that sees women trade as equals in free markets.

Access to services

In October 2018 government convened the Presidential Health Summit in which access to healthcare services was debated and numerous solutions were put in place to improve health systems in South Africa. This is one area in which improving access to health services for women contributes to improved social protection systems.

In establishing the Gender Advisory Committee government will look at the gains made in improving the lives of women over the past 25 years.

The department continues to work towards strengthening the National Gender Machinery – Organs of state and civil society that champion women’s rights and empowerment of women in all spheres of society.

The launch of the Sanitary Dignity Programme aims to empower young girls through the distribution of free sanitary pads. Period poverty in South Africa results in young girls missing school every month, and having to suffer the indignity and emotional trauma of not having the means to adequately respond to their menstrual cycle. The Sanitary Dignity Implementation Framework aims to ensure that production, distribution, storage, education on menstrual health management, as well as access to sanitation and disposal rests in the hands of women. 

“Our work in the department aims to co-ordinate efforts by implementing departments to ultimately achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5 which speaks to Gender Equality and Women Empowerment. Importantly for South Africa, SDG5 talks to ending all forms of violence in public and private spaces for girls and women. More and more, we are seeing incidents which expose how girls and women are not safe in religious, cultural and educational spaces,” said Minister Dlamini.

Last year Government together with non-governmental organisations convened the Summit on Gender-based Violence and Femicide. The unrelenting attack on our nation’s women is shocking.

During the State of the Nation Address President Cyril Ramaphosa committed to a national response to ending gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide. Government provides Shelters and Places of Safety for abused women, like the Thuthuzela Care Centres. The Gender-based Violence Command Centre is a dovetailed service offered to victims of abuse. Trained social workers are able to mobilise all services required to support victims during their time of need. The President launched the Gender-based Violence Robot which is a mechanism through which women and men are able to evaluate the health of their relationship and to know when to seek help (available on our website). GBV must become a household conversation. Perpetrators must have no place in society and men must stop others from harassing or denigrating women.

The department will soon convene the Gender-based Violence Hearings which will begin a process of healing for women who wish to step forward and share their experiences with other women who need support but may be too afraid to speak out. As the department, we encourage all South Africans to form a part of this conversation under #HearMeToo.

This International Women’s Day it is important to note that women continue to face discrimination, abuse and harassment, and despite this women work harder in mines, and in boardrooms, in business, and in sport, in the informal economy and in our homes; and in the care-economy where women work more than twice as hard as men.

“For government to ensure change in the living conditions of women, departments need to be more gender-responsive in their budgeting and auditing. All programmes of government must reflect gender and I call on all Director-Generals and Heads of Department to ensure performance assessments of senior managers reflect gender audits,” said Minister Dlamini.

The Department of Women calls on civil society to celebrate the achievements of women, especially against the backdrop of the challenges women face on a daily basis.  “We must teach our children to see the world through a gendered lens and to really understand gender equality. Do not gender activities like domestic work, sports and recreational activities. Most importantly, we must not rob young girls of their childhood by confining their activities to domestic chores,” said Dlamini.

The department wishes to join other government and civil organisations in wishing all

Important numbers to note:

Police: 10111

Stop Gender Violence: 0800 150 150

Gender Based Violence Command Centre: 0800 428 428 or Please Call Me - *120*7867#

Childline: 0800 055 555

Enquiries: Shalen Gajadhar on 060 979 4235 or shalen.gajadhar@women.gov.za

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