President Jacob Zuma has highlighted the country’s amended employment equity laws, saying these are “a pre-condition for the achievement of sustainable development, economic growth and equality in the country, which is in line with the National Development Plan.”
He has added that, although South Africa has made significant progress in empowering women in the past 20 years, more work needs to be done.
Zuma was addressing crowds at Umlazi’s King Zwelithini Stadium in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
Zuma says: “We acknowledge with great pride the strides made in the past 20 years towards women empowerment, we also still face high unemployment, poverty and inequality that women still experience.”
The president acknowledged that government is on the right track towards solving challenges that women face, “Granted, there is still a long way to go towards full participation by women, but the trend is in the right direction. It is towards opening up the space for women and they are proving their capabilities.”
The President made mention of the challenges that women still face in the workplace as well as society: “ Women at work still experience discriminatory practices based on gender such as pay inequalities, sexual harassment and practices such as discrimination against pregnant women workers.”
Earlier, Zuma arrived to roaring applause as he made his way into the stadium.
– By Luvuyo Mdeni
