Honourable House Chairperson
Honourable Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Women
Honourable Members
Distinguished guests

Chairperson – I stand here today to table this budget vote at a time when the nation is in mourning the brutality against women.

In the last few weeks – we have seen increasing brutality and violence against women and children.

These brutalities must rank as the highest form of betrayal for women and children to be killed by men – often their boyfriends – fathers – husbands and uncles who are supposed to love them.

These are violent crimes of power and control over women’s bodies – and should be understood within patriarchal social realities. No woman or human being deserves this level of cruelty.

Society as a whole must unite in fighting gender-based violence. It is in our power and within our means, even in the smallest of ways to contribute to the fight against the abuse of women and children.

This year coincides with the celebration of 100 years of our struggle icon OR Tambo.

In invoking the spirit of OR Tambo – we should remain constantly concerned by the extent to which our economy is inclusive of women. This concern would help us measure and assess our progress in relation to gender transformation and empowerment of women. In the words of OR Tambo at the conclusion of the Conference of the Women’ session of the ANC in Luanda in 1981:

”The mobilisation of women is the task, not only of women alone, or of men alone, but of all of us, men and women alike, comrades in struggle. The mobilisation of the people into active resistance and struggle for liberation demands the energies of women no less than of men. A system based on the exploitation of man-by-man can in no way avoid the exploitation of women by the male members of society. There is therefore no way in which women in general can liberate themselves without fighting to the end the exploitation of man by man, both as a concept and as a social system”.

The freedom that we enjoy today – which we must never take for granted – is an outcome of selfless efforts of freedom fighters which include women led by OR Tambo.

Vision 2030 of the National Development Plan and the UN SDGs – sets targets for addressing persistent discrimination against women and addressing patriarchal attitudes and access to education. The department will monitor the extent to which employment is expanded to provide work for the unemployed, with a specific focus on young women and women.

Further, our programmes are structured to respond to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals – particularly Goal 5 which seeks to achieve gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls.

The primary mandate of the department is to lead, coordinate and oversee the transformation agenda on women’s socioeconomic empowerment, their rights and equality. The department has received an unqualified audit for the Financial Years 2014/2015 and 2015/16 respectively. We will continue to strive to achieve clean audits for the remaining final years of this term.

Today we are tabling the budget allocation for the Financial Year 2017/2018 – which is a total of R206.1 million.

The net budget is R127 million allocated to Compensation of Employees; Goods and Services; Transfer and Subsidies; and Capital Payments.

The R78.2 million is a transfer payment to the Commission for Gender Equality – a critical institution of our Constitutional Democracy.

The money for this Financial Year is allocated across three budget programmes as follows:

• Social Transformation and Economic Empowerment with an allocation of R9.6 million;
• The Policy, Stakeholder Coordination and Knowledge Management, with an allocation of R26.7 million;
• Administration with an allocation of R83 million.

The departmental restructuring has prioritised the need for management competency to drive our programmes. This was necessary to address a misalignment of a department with higher percentage of lower skilled employees.

When the department was formed, its ICT was linked to The Presidency. We have now established our own separate ICT unit with separate ICT licencing – and we are confident that this will improve the performance of our systems.

After restructuring, the percentage of Administrative Staff across the department now constitutes 18%. Middle Management constitutes 20% and Senior Management represent 62%.

Overall – the structure of the department is now streamlined into two line-function programmes to deliver efficiently on the mandate. With the limited resources that we have – we may not be able to fully realise OR Tambo’s vision outlined in 1981.

We will focus on amongst others government’s implementation of the 9-Point Plan in unblocking obstacles to the financial inclusion and empowerment of women. Elements of the 9-Point Plan that the programme will be focusing on include Monitoring Ownership and Management Control – Development Finance and Enterprise Development – Access to Credit, Land and Property.

In his State of the Nation Address this year, The President called on Government to continue prioritising women’s access to economic opportunities – and in particular – to business financing and credit.

In collaboration with research institutions, we will assess the contribution of government incentive schemes to the empowerment of women in terms of employment, socioeconomic empowerment and development.

We hope that this study will shed light on areas of our economy where women are less involved. The findings will help us understand the extent to which our economic growth is inclusive and shared – and to help government to implement appropriate measures for redress.

We will also be looking into integrating gender into national plans programmes and budgets.

We will engage the Department of Public Service and Administration on the correct location and functions of the Gender Focal Points.

The department has established a multi-departmental National Task Team to develop a policy framework for the provision of free sanitary towels to indigent girls and women. The Task Team is led by the Director-General and has since started work on a draft policy framework on government provision of sanitary dignity products.

Our policy proposal is informed by the premise that no woman would have to make a choice between sanitary towels and a meal.

Our Business Case proposes an integrated public policy to support sanitary dignity products to indigent girls and young women – learners in government schools – students in TVET Colleges and Universities – and women in the care of the State.

During the 16-Days of activism – H.E. President Zuma launched our National Dialogues as #365 Days of no Violence against Women and Children in the Limpopo Province.

The objective of our National Dialogues is to strengthen community participation and for us to address the magnitude of Violence against Women – to understand its manifestations and causes and to enhance community action.

Lessons from our pilot in the Limpopo Province have revealed some social challenges confronting our communities – amongst others: high rate of unemployment – incest – alcohol abuse with men spending more time in Shebeens – the belief that raping an elderly will cure AIDS – men refusing to go for various medical tests – all of which contribute to violence against women.

In partnership with Ekurhuleni Skills Development Center – we have identified 20 young unemployed young women from indigent families who are in training as we speak.

We will be rolling out Dialogues in Mpumalanga Province.

Our Techno Girl Programme continues to create opportunities for girls on job shadowing in partnership with private sector companies, state agencies and organizations during school holidays.

Today the programme has produced over 12 000 young women who have been absorbed by different industries. Partners agreed that there would be continuity in supporting the girls beyond high school to ensure sustainability of the initiative.

In celebrating Africa Month, tomorrow, our Take a Girl Child to Work programme in partnership with Cell- C will include participation of school girls from SADC countries to ensure that young people embrace the theme of togetherness – we are one! We will be hosting Miss Lesotho, Miss Namibia and Miss Botswana an Miss South Africa role models.

Two girls from each SADC country will be coming to job shadow and learn from us. A total of 36 girls from Gauteng province – and two girls from each province will be participating.

The programme to “take a girl child to work” intends to advance the girl-child through job shadowing. The theme for this year is “Dream, Believe and Achieve”.

The Campaign is in line with Goal Five of Sustainable Development Goals to promote women empowerment and gender equality. Over the years this Campaign has assisted the girl-child to make informed choices on their future careers.

Last year, a record 720 corporates partnered with Cell-C to host an estimated 50 000 schoolgirls from Grade 10 – 12.

I wish to commend Cell-C for their continued efforts to uplift and empower young girls. Equally I also wish to commend all the companies that are participating in the campaign and wish to encourage others to join. Corporate South Africa’s valuable contribution to the education of our nation makes us proud.

We will be celebrating Women’s Month in August this year as a tribute to the more than 20, 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 in protest against the extension of pass laws to women.

The 2017 celebration will take place under the theme “Women United in Moving South Africa Forward.” Whilst there is good reason to celebrate – it must be borne in mind that there is more to be done in order to address the plight of women.

The national celebrations will be held in the Northern Cape Province and all efforts will be made in highlighting the plight of women in that province.

The Women’s Month programme will also include the provincial chapter of the National Dialogues on Violence against Women being rolled out in the Northern Cape.

This government has made remarkable advances in promoting and advancing the interests of women across our society – in terms of political representation – in our judiciary, where 36% are women – in corporate boards and in overall improvements in livelihoods for women and mothers in our rural areas.

The discourse on women participation in our economy must fit into the minds of all decision-makers. It is about accepting the same qualities in women unconditionally as they are in men.

Recent studies have found correlations between full participation of women in the economy – growing family incomes and economic growth.

The pool of companies with diverse boards has grown enough to establish evidence and not rely on untested assumptions. It is not only about women in corporate boards – it is equally about women as executive directors involved in day-to-day operations of a business.

It is the position of this government that – it is only through full engagement of the talents and skills of women in the workplace that will grow our economy and become more productive and prosperous as a nation.

We acknowledge that women remain economically marginalised and underrepresented in such spaces as academia. We have fewer women professors nationally – fewer women in business – and in the construction and other technical industries.

However, I wish to acknowledge the increasing number of women in higher places – and in women ways – replete with intellectual beauty.

The Judicial Services Commission recommended that President Zuma appoint Justice Mandisa Maya as the first female President of the Supreme Court of Appeal.

We wish her well and success in this critical role in one of the three branches of our Constitutional Democracy. This should help inspire young female law students, advocates and attorneys – to aim higher and believe they too – can make it.

I would also like to applaud all the women who were recipients of the National Orders conferred by President Zuma on Freedom Day this year.

Earlier this year – representatives of Member States gathered at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for the 61st Commission on the Status of Women to evaluate progress on gender equality – identify challenges – set global standards – formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and the advancement of women worldwide. The Commission deliberated under the Theme of “Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Changing World of Work.”

The CSW61 Session concluded with a set of Agreed Conclusions in which South African insisted on the inclusion of critical issues such as sexual harassment, women rights for labour associations, access to broadband by women and girls, addressing the SDGs as a whole as these are barriers to women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work.

In preparation for the 2018 CSW 62nd session, the department will work in collaboration with other government departments, Civil Society Organisations and private sector to advance our national interest and views for the purpose of influencing the global agenda on the theme “challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls”.

In parallel with the 61st Commission, UN Youth Forum held a successful second sitting focusing on issues relating to education and skills development – access to finance and economic opportunities – combating alcohol and substance abuse – and dealing with issues of HIV/AIDS.

While South Africa participated for the first time this year, we need to ensure international exposure and participation of South Africa at the UNCSW Youth Forum on the empowerment of young women as leaders. The department will liaise with the private sector as well as government departments to identify youth participants at this newly-established forum.

The SADC meeting of the Ministers Responsible for Gender and Women’s Affairs held in June 2016 in Gaborone, Botswana, made recommendations, now approved for amendments to the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development which include the prohibition of marriage of girls below the age of 18. Therefore, noting that the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development is a legally binding instrument and South Africa is expected to align its marriage Act which currently provides for parental consent for person under the age of majority to marry.

Further - South Africa signed the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child in 1997 – and we subsequently ratified the same in the year 2000. Amongst others – the Charter seeks to protect children against harmful social and cultural practices – and prohibits the betrothal of girls and boys. It also calls upon governments to enact legislation to specify the minimum age of marriage to be 18 years and make compulsory the registration of all marriages in an official register

It is important to emphasise our commitment to regional legal instruments to address discrimination and violence against women. We will be working with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development on amendments to review the reservations placed by South Africa on the Maputo Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.

The protocol enshrines the principle of non-discrimination on the grounds of race, ethnic group, colour, sex, language, religion, political or any other opinion, national and social origin, fortune, birth or other status.

Furthermore, the 2017 African Union theme “Harnessing the Demographic Divided through the Youth” in line with Malabo declaration theme “Creating Employment for Accelerating Youth Development and Empowerment” To harness demographic dividend from the young women populations we should ensure that young women have access to developmental finance and developmental opportunities. We should ensure that at national level we create opportunities through vocational and technical training and the removal of barriers that prevent the female youth from labour force participation.

In addition, the Department will be engaging the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to address some of the deficiencies of the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act of 2000. This is necessary to prevent and prohibit unfair discrimination and harassment in relation to women – promote equality and eliminate unfair discrimination and also prevent hate speech.

May I take this opportunity to thank the Director-General, Ms Jenny Schreiner and her team for their continued support and their sterling work in repositionaning the department to meet its new mandate.

In Conclusion:

As we look on the years since the establishment of this department, we are alive to the reality that we are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished.

Allow me, chairperson to remind this house of the message by President Oliver Tambo on the occasion of the 72nd Anniversary of the African National Congress when he said:

“Our struggle will be less than powerful and our national and social emancipation can never be complete if we continue to treat the women of our country as dependent minors and objects of one form of exploitation or another. Certainly no longer should it be that a woman`s place is in the kitchen. In our beleaguered country, the woman`s place is in the battlefront of struggle.”

Freedom would be meaningless if the majority of our citizens cannot walk freely in our streets. Freedom will be meaningless if our children cannot play freely in their neighborhood. Freedom will be meaningless if the home is no longer a safe place to be.

I thank you!