The challenges faced by women have been exacerbated by COVID-19. This is according to the Deputy Minister Public Service and Administration Charlotte Pilane-Majeke. She was closing the Debate on Women’s Day in the National Assembly.
The theme for this year’s debate is “Advancing gender equality through inclusive economic growth and precepts of a developmental state.”
Pilane-Majeke says, “Research shows a disproportionate impact of COVID-19 pandemic on women as people who comprised most of the frontline workers in the health sector in education in the police, as forerunners also in the care and the responsibilities in the households. Economically, women have suffered severe economic and social impact from the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the virus.”
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Veronica Mente has also lamented the high unemployment rate among women, especially African women.
Mente has highlighted the recent release of the unemployment figures of the second quarter of 2021.
“The unemployment rate among black African women is 41% during this period compared to the 8% of white women; the 22.4% amongst Asian women and 29% among coloured women; black Africans remain at 41%, according to the expanded definition of the rate of unemployment among women. At 48.7%, was 81 percentage points higher than amongst their male counterparts in the second quarter of 2021.”
Women’s Month | How international brands utilise online services to boost their businesses:
Congress of the People (COPE) says women will not progress economically as long as they are seen as second fiddle in human life.
COPE Deputy Leader Willy Madisha raised his concern during the debate.
Madisha says yearly commitments made to address the challenges facing women only become a talk shop.
“For as long as the existence of women is left to play the second fiddle of the human existence, then their economic advancement will never be realised. I call on all of us to stop clapping hands and commit ourselves so that indeed we can be able to implement what we say we want to implement.”
