/ 18 August 2008

Minister: More women being employed in government

More women are being employed in the government and their representation in the Cabinet has steadily increased, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said on Monday.

”The number of women in government across all salary levels totals more than 600 000, compared with men at more than 500 000,” Mlambo-Ngcuka said at the Public Service Gender Indaba in Johannesburg.

She said families and society benefit when women are empowered.

”As you all know, to capacitate a women is to empower society.”

Female representation in the Cabinet constitutes 42,8% — 40% of deputy minister’s positions — while four premier posts are occupied by women, she said.

In the government, women occupy 34% of senior management posts.

”For women to reach the equity drive in senior management level, we must encourage other women in the lower ranks to attend skills development and training courses.”

Mlambo-Ngcuka called on all women to root out corruption in government departments and expose sexual harassment and gender discrimination.

”One of the challenges facing our country, which contributes towards poverty, is the fact that women and youth still constitute the majority of the unemployed,” she said.

She applauded former president Nelson Mandela and President Thabo Mbeki for their ”confidence in women that also paved the way for women to be accorded the necessary recognition in different sectors”. — Sapa