The government appears to be heeding women’s call to be more involved in the work place as well as the economy. The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities hosted a conference, Financial Inclusion Symposium, to address key issues hindering women from accessing the economy. This conference was attended by 100 thought leaders, business owners and entrepreneurs.
The Symposium, hosted one day before the South African Investment Conference 2019, allowed a variety of voices to address challenges that women face in accessing the economy and barriers that prevent women from competing with men on an equal footing.
“A part of the reason South Africa’s growth trajectory was being revised down is because women, who make up the majority of the country, were still held at the periphery, with the majority of women-owned and led businesses still struggling to access markets”, said Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister in the Presidency for women, youth and people with disabilities.
Perspectives on how to collaborate and enable South Africa to reach its full economic potential were also provided by the Catholic Business Forum. Women-led or owned cooperatives, hawkers, spaza shops, SMMES, Big Business, were also present at the symposium.
“If we are to ensure the empowerment of women, and contribute to ending gender-based violence we need to remove the financial dependencies women have on abusive partners. Symposiums like this contribute to growing township and rural economies where women are seeking employment”, said Deputy Minister in the Presidency for women, youth and people with disabilities, Professor Hlengiwe Mkhize.
Topics on the fourth industrial revolution, manufacturing, tourism, arts, sports and mining were also discussed by representatives of these respective fields. The success of this symposium prompted the government to host many more across the country and invite relevant government departments to be part of the conversation and commit to targets aimed at ensuring inclusion.
