Ramaphosa: Women’s Day ‘drenched in tears of families’
President Cyril Ramaphosa says although the country has made strides when it comes to women's rights, it has yet to fulfil its constitutional promise.
Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address at this year’s National Women’s Day virtual celebrations.
"At the same time, we know that the lived reality for millions of South African women is very different to the promise contained in our Constitution.
"We know that millions of South African women still live in conditions of poverty and unemployment. They face discrimination and violence.”
He said this year's commemorations come amid two pandemics.
"As we mark Women's Day this year, South Africa is in the grip of two pandemics - the coronavirus pandemic and the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide.
"Ever more women and children are being abused and losing their lives at the hands of men.
"It cannot be that this Women's Day is drenched in the tears of families who have lost their sisters, daughters and mothers to violence perpetrated by men".
Ramaphosa vowed to step up interventions to ease the burden on the country’s women.
“These include the setting aside 40% of public procurement for women-owned businesses, national departments monitoring and reporting on how many women have participated in each public procurement process and supporting women who operate small or micro businesses, including in the informal sector.
"Of the R75 million in Covid-19 relief earmarked for farming input vouchers, 53% of the beneficiaries will be rural women.
"We must ensure that women subsistence and small-scale farmers continue to receive support beyond the lockdown."
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