Government should channel finances towards gender equality and women's empowerment programmes, says Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi.
Senior education official Angie Motshekga is the new president of the African National Congress’ Women’s League (ANCWL). Motshekga, who hails from Soweto, was elected president yesterday at the league’s national conference having received 1826 votes.
The National Gender Machinery launched its 50/50 national campaign, which aims to increase equal representation of women in decision-making positions, on Thursday.
Government is considering a law that will force companies and the state to implement 50/50 gender equity, according to the Minister in the Presidency Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.
South Africa has soared to third place, behind Rwanda and Sweden, in global rankings on women representation in Parliament after last week's elections, a report released by Gender Links on Tuesday has revealed.
South Africa's newly elected president Jacob Zuma has appointed 14 women ministers with 12 as deputies. According to media reports in the country, Zuma made sweeping changes to the cabinet making almost half of the ministers he announced on Sunday.
Women are still strikingly underrepresented in the world’s parliaments: their share of representatives is less than a fifth. However, the situation shows signs of progress in developing countries.
Chief electoral officer Pansy Tlakula called on Friday for a quota system to improve women's representation in the public and private sector. She said the Independent Electoral Commission was not happy with the number of women candidates in local government elections to be held on May 18.
Since the first democratic elections in 1994, women representation in Parliament has soared, owing partly to the ruling party's 50/50 principle at national and provincial spheres of government.