Women will get more economic empowerment, and protection, from government: Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday all government plans and budgets will have to include gender-specific delivery targets.
This is in terms of a Gender-Responsive Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing Framework recently approved by cabinet.
“These commitments will be written into the performance agreements of ministers, premiers, directors-general and all senior managers in the public service,” he told a #WomensDay2019 event at the Vryburg showgrounds in the North West, in a speech shared by the presidency.
Ramaphosa said further: “As we expand our work in special economic zones, we will have a specific programme to support women’s participation across the value chain, and bring more women into the Black Industrialists Programme."
“This programme, although only five years old, has already achieved its five-year target for women entrepreneurs. It has approved R6.6bn for women-owned businesses against a target of R4.4bn.”
Over the last four years, state-owned companies had spent a total of R100bn on goods and services from women-owned businesses. And in the last year, he said state-owned companies had enrolled over 2,700 female students in training programmes to become artisans, technicians and engineers.
Ramaphosa also acknowledged government’s and society’s responsibility to end gender-based violence.
“As men we become partners in abuse when we remain silent as other men use money or violence to dominate their girlfriends and wives.”
Ramaphosa said the Domestic Violence Act was under review to strengthen its provisions around domestic homicide and the enforcement of protection orders.
The proposed amendments will also include previously marginalised victims such as members of the LGBTQI+ community.
A steering committee will soon begin provincial consultations on the National Strategic Plan to end gender-based violence, he said.
The department of justice is also in the process of amending the National Policy Framework on the Management of Sexual Offences, said the president.
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