South African President Ramaphosa Vows Unwavering Commitment to Women's Empowerment & Gender Equality

During his speech honouring South Africa's national Women's Day, President Cyril Ramaphosa underlined the government's steadfast dedication to furthering gender equality and empowering women. In order to enhance the lives of women and girls across the country, the president emphasised the need to mobilise all facets of society.

President Ramaphosa noted in his speech the progress achieved in boosting the representation of women in different decision-making positions, such as the fact that in South Africa today, half of the Cabinet ministers are female. Additionally, he mentioned how far institutions like the judiciary, the armed services, the police, and municipal councils had come towards gender parity.

The president did, however, recognise the ongoing difficulties that women in the nation continue to confront, notably in terms of economic empowerment. Despite notable advancements in political representation, according to President Ramaphosa, the South African economy is still primarily controlled by males. He voiced worry about the large percentage of unemployed women, the prevalence of lower-paying jobs, and the disproportionate amount of unpaid care duties that women shoulder.

President Ramaphosa emphasised the persisting problem of poverty, food insecurity, and hunger among women and emphasised the need for more measures to address these imbalances and improve the lives of women from a variety of backgrounds. He emphasised the significance of passing laws and policies that give women's rights and opportunity first priority.

In order to promote equitable employment opportunities, fair remuneration, and more assistance for female entrepreneurs, the president reaffirmed the government's commitment to assisting women-owned enterprises. Notably, the government has a target of at least 40% of public contracts going to female-owned companies. President Ramaphosa stated that more needs to be done to support women's economic empowerment, despite the fact that progress has been achieved in this regard.

Additionally, President Ramaphosa cited important programmes like the National Empowerment Fund and the Small Enterprise Finance Agency, which have supported small and medium-sized enterprises in a way that has helped to create jobs and opportunity for women to sustain themselves. He referred to the African Continental Free Trade Area as a possible route for increasing the access of women-owned enterprises to new markets.

The president also emphasised the opportunity for the green economy to empower women and foster entrepreneurship, particularly in the area of renewable energy. In order to better assist women's economic empowerment, he urged the corporate community to work with small enterprises as part of their green economy objectives.

President Ramaphosa concluded by urging concerted efforts from all social partners, including the corporate community, to accelerate programmes that financially empower women and effect long-lasting change.

Although South Africa has made admirable strides in increasing the presence of women in the public sector, the path to real gender parity still has to be travelled. South Africa came in third among G20 nations in terms of the percentage of women in the top five grades of its public service, behind only Canada and Australia, according to the Global Government Forum's 2022 Women Leaders Index.

Despite the high ranking, Zukiswa Mqolomba, the deputy chairperson of South Africa's Public Service Commission, noted that the government has not yet met the goal for gender parity that Nelson Mandela established three decades ago. Mqolomba pointed out that in order to achieve real equality and get rid of the patriarchal and chauvinistic characteristics that impede women's advancement in leadership positions, both the government and society still have work to do.

Mqolomba emphasised the importance of women's participation at decision-making tables in her exclusive interview with GGF, asserting that their exclusion is harmful to true representation and equitable growth. She emphasised the need for a culture transformation in institutions to create an atmosphere where women can thrive and lead successfully while praising the African National Congress' dedication to encouraging women leaders.

President Ramaphosa's speech on Women's Day serves as a call to action for society to support the cause of women's empowerment and gender equality, acknowledging the advancements made and the problems that still need to be overcome.