Lerato Mbhiza
The Minister of Human Settlements, Mmamoloko Kubayi, has called for a policy review regarding joint home ownership to respond particularly to cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) or divorce.
Kubayi muted fully-subsidised government homes also known as Breaking New Ground (BNG) to help women in their fight against GBV while commemorating Women’s Month whose theme this year is:“Accelerating Socio-Economic Opportunities for Women Empowerment”.
“A government that cares must respond to women’s pressing needs. This includes reviewing our policies in response to today’s challenges facing our nation such as GBV, which compels women to flee unsafe and abusive households to protect themselves and their children.
“When you as women run to us, we must be able to provide. Those engagements have ensued to look at what we can do and how we can assist women, especially in response to cases related to GBV.”
Kubayi commended women’s contribution to housing through the provision of sustainable human settlements, while also acknowledging the remarkable work by women in the sector to ensure that “we leave up to the ideals of the Freedom Charter that there shall be houses, security, and comfort,” she said.
The Department of Human Settlements, has over the years, created over 3 million housing opportunities to provide decent and affordable housing to millions of South Africans, Kubayi said.
“Behind every housing unit that this government has delivered, there is a woman. Women have played several roles in our housing projects. Their contributions speak volumes. They have assisted us to deliver on our mission which is to improve the quality of household life”, added Kubayi.
Kubayi also paid tribute to a generation of women who broke barriers for future generations and laid the foundation to fight for gender equality, for women to be treated with the respect they deserve and to have opportunities and contribute to the best of their ability, in all spheres of life.
While women have played an active role in the sector, there is still extensive work to be done in a coordinated fashion to ensure that women enjoy equal economic opportunities as their male counterparts. “We must be deliberate about transformation.
“I call upon Provinces to use this month to reflect on how much has been done to enable women to access at least 40% of work opportunities. Let us use this month to change the status quo. We must walk tall in their footsteps and wage the struggle for gender equality with courage and determination.
“It is for this reason that the Department of Human Settlements will this month convene a Women in Human Settlements Indaba to discuss opportunities aimed at empowering and increasing the economic participation of women in the sector.
“The Department will also highlight some of the opportunities, interventions by the government and strides that have been made to advance women’s interests with particular focus on access to market, finance and leveraging on innovative building technologies”.
INSIDE POLITICS
