"Yet rural women's poor access to infrastructure in rural areas limits their opportunity to reduce poverty and hunger.

Thus, the sad reality is that rural women continue to fare far worse than any sector of our community and this an indictment not just against South Africa but internationally," he said.

Phosa was speaking at the funeral of human resource executive Thokozile Kathleen Ngakane in Randburg.

Ngakane died of cancer on August 2, she was born on June 10, 1958 in East London in the Eastern Cape. She worked in the office of the ANC secretary-general in Zambia.

He said Ngakane made a meaningful contribution to the ANC in exile.

"We acknowledge the work that she did in Zambia and I am reminded that my inextricable link with Kathleen is that we both had a stint in the German Democratic Republic. She was some years ahead of me but I honour her as a fellow student and comrade," said Phosa.

"We have come to pay our respects and to express our sincere appreciation for her contribution to our lives, our movement and indeed, to our country. The Thokozile we knew had a deep sense of life, of fun, and adventure. She lived her life to the fullest in her work, and with her friends."

Phosa said it was fit that her life ended in August which was women's month.

"Thoko, who lived to serve people and who epitomised the values of the African woman... would certainly have appreciated the rightness of this fact."

He described her as the spiritual daughter of the ANC.