- Women’s empowerment is an ongoing process essential for community hope and national progress, not limited to a single month.
- Government initiatives, including leadership representation and the EPWP, are advancing inclusivity and economic participation for women.
- True empowerment also requires safety and dignity, demanding active involvement from all South Africans to end Gender-Based Violence and Femicide.
Malibongwe Igama Lamakhosikazi, praise the name of women! This rallying cry, echoing from the historic 1956 Women’s March, remains as urgent today as it was when more than 20 000 women stood in defiance of the oppressive pass laws. Their courage and unity were a turning point in our history, laying the foundations for a non-sexist, non-racial democracy.
While we rightly honour the women of 1956 every August, South Africa cannot afford to confine women’s recognition to a single month. Women’s empowerment is not an event, it is an ongoing process that fuels hope, strengthens communities, and drives national progress. The advancement of our country is inseparable from the advancement of its women.
Since 1994, our democracy has made significant strides in promoting gender equity. Today, women occupy 25.8% of top management positions in the private sector and hold 43% of seats in Parliament. These milestones are important, but they remind us that full economic and social emancipation for women is still a work in progress.
This year’s Women’s Month theme, “Building Resilient Economies for All,” underscores that empowering women is not an act of charity, it is the foundation of inclusive growth. President Cyril Ramaphosa captures it best, “When a woman is empowered, everyone gets empowered. When women prosper, we all prosper. When women rise, we all rise.”
Leading by example, government initiatives
At the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, we are committed to putting these words into action. We prioritise women in our employment profile, especially at senior levels. Our department is led by a female Director-General, Ms Nomfundo Tshabalala. Of 11 Deputy Director-General positions, nine are held by women. At Senior Management level, women occupy 105 of 204 positions, representing 51% of leadership. Among our 3,115 permanent staff, 1,623 are women, or 52%. We have also met the government’s 2% target for persons with disabilities, employing 64 individuals. These figures reflect a deliberate commitment to inclusivity and equity.
Beyond the corridors of government, our programmes continue to open doors for women in communities. Between 2020/21 and 2024/25, the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) created 323,462 work opportunities, surpassing our five-year target. Of these, 56% went to women, 59% to youth, and 1.09% to persons with disabilities. Through these efforts, we achieved 95% of our five-year Full-Time Equivalents target, contributing 140,594 full-time opportunities. Going forward, we will intensify the prioritisation of women in all our programmes.
We are also transforming the forestry sector, transferring plantations to communities and fostering inclusive economic participation. Between 2020/21 and 2024/25, 21 plantations were transferred nationwide, enabling women to benefit directly from this programme and supporting the objectives of the Commercial Forestry Masterplan.
Through our Chemicals and Waste Management Branch, women are increasingly involved in tackling plastics pollution, e-waste, and hazardous chemicals, an area critical to green jobs and sustainable livelihoods.
Safety and dignity, the other side of empowerment
True empowerment extends beyond jobs and leadership. It encompasses safety and dignity. South Africa cannot claim progress in women’s empowerment while Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) continue to plague our communities. Government has strengthened the legislative framework through laws such as the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, the Domestic Violence Amendment Act, the National Council on GBVF Act, and the NPA Amendment Act. Yet laws alone will not end GBVF. Every South African, men and women, must actively contribute to creating safe communities.
As we honour the bravery of the women of 1956, let us recommit to a future where women and men build together, rise together, and prosper together. Because when women thrive, nations flourish.
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