Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma explains gender remarks

Minister in the Presidency Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has explained comments she made during a panel discussion at an ANC Women’s League dialogue on International Women’s Day in Johannesburg on Thursday night.

She said she called on leaders in government to use gender budgeting as a tool for the economic emancipation of women.

"Gender budgeting is a way for governments to promote equality through fiscal policy. It involves analysing a budget’s differing impacts on men and women and allocating money accordingly‚ as well as setting targets - such as equal school enrolment for girls - and directing funds to meet them‚" Dlamini-Zuma said in a statement.

The ANCWL being an organized body of women within the African National Congress needs to put forward policies that lead the emancipation of women‚ the statement said.

"This is a concrete issue we can mobilize around as women the 2019/2020 budget must incorporate gender budgeting. As we go and check our voting credentials this weekend women within the ranks of the ANCWL will use gender budgeting as a mobilization tool‚” said Dlamini-Zuma.

Earlier‚ SABC reported that senior women in the ANC had debated whether women should boycott next year’s general elections.

It reported that Dlamini-Zuma suggested that the vote should be tied to a budget for gender parity

The broadcaster quoted her as saying: “We will vote for the ANC but we want a gender budget for the next year. We will vote for the ANC but that’s one of our conditions and that’s our demand for the next election.”

“The budget must be desegregated to say what of this budget is going to women‚ young women and of course the youth? But let’s start with women.”

Thandi Moraka‚ deputy secretary general of the ANC Youth League‚ also spoke up during the debate.

“If we can take a resolution as women to say that we are not going to vote in this upcoming general election‚ the ANC is going to lose. And we don’t want to do that. Just for us to show how powerful we are‚ Mam’ Bathabile‚ you can issue an instruction to say: All women‚ stay at home‚ don’t vote.”

On Friday‚ Dlamini-Zuma said she was calling for gender budgeting‚ not a withdrawal of votes.