SA to shift more economic power to women, says Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa told the Generation Equality Forum Action Coalition Session on Thursday evening that South Africa is working to ensure great economic power for women.
“South Africa is committed to both supporting and implementing the actions contained in the Global Acceleration Plan for Economic Justice and Rights.Our interventions must dismantle the systemic barriers that marginalise women and girls and perpetuate inequality in the global economy.
In South Africa, we are working to shift economic power into the hands of women through, among other things, earmarking 40 percent of all public procurement for women-owned businesses,” said Ramaphosa.
The African continent is also working towards adopting a Protocol and Programme of Action on Women in Trade to promote the participation of women in the African Continental Free Trade Area.
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“We are working to ensure access to productive resources through financial inclusion.Lack of access to financial services and products disproportionately affects poorer women working in the informal sector, those without income and those who are illiterate.
It increases vulnerability to economic shocks and may, in some cases, even increase exposure to gender-based violence,” he said.
Ramaphosa added that the government would be launching the Charlotte Maxeke Women’s Initiative on Economic Justice and Rights.
“This will involve collaborative projects to increase opportunities for women and girls in the areas of entrepreneurship, leadership and diplomacy.Through these efforts, through this Global Acceleration Plan, we are moving ever closer to realising our goal of economic justice and rights for women.”
