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Emalahleni Executive Mayor urges women to participate in main stream economy

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Emalahleni Executive Mayor Conny Nkalitshana has urged women in Emalahleni to organise themselves to participate in the main stream economy such as mining, energy and construction as the country celebrates Women’s Day.

Nkalisthana says the gender stereotypes need to be eliminated and gender should balance in all sectors of employment opportunities.

Nkalitshana is worried that the percentage of women in the country who are in male dominated fields remain very low.

She says it is imperative as the country celebrate Women’s Day to push for additional women participation.

“We encourage our young women and middle age women to participate meaningful and make sure that they take their place, there’s nothing that would deterred women from participating in any position, women are as equal to the opportunity as men are and as women in leadership we have to proof ourselves make it in the world, we have to work three times more than our male counterparts, I’m saying if we have done it other women can do it as well.”

Meanwhile a KwaZulu-Natal based NGO that works to increase access to sanitary pads – Project Dignity- says, a shortage of sanitary pads for underprivileged girls in South Africa impacts their education.

Founder, Sue Barnes says this can impact a girl’s attendance at school by up to 25% a year. Barnes says inadequate sanitation facilities is also a concern.

“Female poverty is a huge problem in SA. There are about 7 million girls in SA, and that is girls between the ages of 13 and 19 that do not have access to sanitary pads because they do not have funds to buy them or they cannot get to the store to buy pads, if you look at how much is a taxi ride to get to a shop to buy pads. They can’t afford it and they are not going to school in their menstrual state because they do not have pads so it is a huge problem.”

In a related video: Women playing meaningful roles in South African football: Shauwn Mkhize

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