Gender violence hindering equality: Ramaphosa

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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa

by SAVIOUS KWINIKA 
PRETORIA, (CAJ News) – PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has lamented the prevalence of gender-based violence among the biggest obstacles towards achieving full and meaningful gender equality in South Africa.

It remains a hindrance 66 years after thousands of women marched on the Union Buildings, the official seat of the government, to protest against apartheid pass laws.

The day is commemorated locally as Women’s Day on August 9.

Ramaphosa said despite gender based violence (GBV) in the South Africa of today, women enjoyed the fundamental rights and freedoms that their grandmothers and great-grandmothers were denied.

“Today, women can advance in any occupation, study in a place and field of their choice and own businesses,” he said.

“Thanks to employment equity legislation and other policies of the democratic government, women’s representation in the workplace, in government and all of society continues to grow,” Ramaphosa said.

In Parliament, 46 percent of National Assembly members are women.

Currently, 62 percent of the public service is female and 44 percent of senior management posts are filled by women.

Last week, the first female Deputy National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, Tebello Mosikili, was appointed.

Last month, Mandisa Maya was appointed as the first female Deputy Chief Justice.

Out of 256 judges on the Bench, 114 are female and nearly half of all magistrates are female.

Nomsa Dube-Ncube is tipped to be the first female premier of the KwaZulu-Natal.

“As we work to achieve gender equality in all areas of live, we must acknowledge that we have come a long way. And that we still have much further to go,” Ramaphosa concluded.

– CAJ News

 

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