Johnathan Paoli
During his concluding remarks at the last day of the ANC Women’s League conference, President Cyril Ramaphosa congratulated the nominees and set out several tasks for the League to highlight their integral role in the progress and development of gender equality and women’ rights within South Africa.
Ramaphosa said the League has to push for equal access to quality education and training opportunities so that more women are able to participate in the economy of the country, including ensuring that girls and young women participate in all levels of education, because “women can never be free until they learn, earn and thrive”.
In addition, the President pointed to the need to focus on promoting equal access to economic assets, and to fight against the barriers women face in accessing financial resources such as credit and loans.
Further to ensure equal access to financial services and to promote financial literacy, in order to empower women so that they can start their own business and make independent financial decisions.
Ramaphosa said this must happen over a number of areas, namely access to land, ownership, provision of housing and access to public employment programs.
“Land ownership and control is closely linked to a woman’s ability to exercise her rights, to make decisions, and to also have a say in matters that affect their lives and the lives of their families,” Ramaphosa said.
He emphasised that the ANCWL must champion equal employment opportunities for the women of the country in order to promote gender equality in the labour market, as an essential force for the advancement of women. While advocating against the discriminatory practices in the workplace calling for equal pay for equal work.
Ramaphosa urged the League to challenge all employers to ensure that women are valued in the workplace and for an end to all forms of harassment and discrimination in the workplace.
Entrepreneurship and business development was highlighted as conduits for a conscious and deliberate effort to support businesses owned by women, and referenced the government projected policy of pledging that 40% of procurement of goods and services in government be allocated to women-owned and led businesses.
Another task the President mentioned is that the country’s laws and policies must promote gender equality and women’s rights, and facilitate the transformation of social norms that must also change. He said traditions and practices that militate against the equality women enjoy must be stopped and the promotion of awareness and community engagement be encouraged instead.
A further task set out was the need for women’s access to healthcare, sexual and reproductive healthcare in order to plan their families and participate in the economy and not be oppressed by their reproductive roles within families.
In addition, the President outlined the need to provide adequate infrastructure for women, childcare facilities and affordable housing in order to reduce child and care-bearing burdens. This stands in line with the government’s gender responsive processes, which seek to understand the challenges women are facing in the economy.
The President went on to describe gender budgeting as an approach to take into account the needs and priorities of women, in order to analyse the impact of government budgets and to ensure equality and more importantly to empower women.
Lastly, Ramaphosa insisted that he would like to see the ANCWL promoting more collaborations and partnerships with a number of role-players, and that the ANCWL is not an island and required meaningful connections with others in the way forward for women.
“You must nominate and rise from this conference having elected your leadership, the leadership that will then take this glorious organisation of women forward,” the President concluded.
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