Gender parity is still low in top government and parliamentary structures, although President Jacob Zuma has tried to include women in the administration, Gender Links said on Monday.
”The 50/50 principle has not been carried to the highest levels of government as South Africa no longer has a woman deputy president,” said Gender Links, in reference to the ruling party’s target for gender representation.
They said ”watersheds” in the election, included an increase in women’s representation in the National Assembly, now at between 43% to 44% of the total.
They said these successes rested almost solely with the African National Congress (ANC), even though it had not been ”entirely consistent” in applying the principle.
Gender Links singled out Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Helen Zille’s all male Western Cape legislature for criticism.
They noted that 14 out of 34 — 41% — of the new ministers announced by Zuma on Sunday were women.
Under former president Thabo Mbeki it was 42%, and under former president Kgalema Motlanthe, it was 43%.
But they welcomed the fact that at least eight of the 14 ministries headed by women were in ”non-traditional” areas like correctional services, defence, home affairs, international relations and cooperation, mining, public enterprises and science and technology.
”It is heartening to see women deputy ministers in the economic cluster, including the new ministry of economic development and the two deputy ministers of trade and industry.
Mbeki had 60% women in deputy ministerial posts, Motlanthe had 38% and Zuma had 11 out of 28 — 39%.
”Deputy presidential positions are often a training ground for ministers. This decline is therefore regrettable at a time when the ANC has committed itself to gender parity in all areas of decision-making.”
They noted that opposition parties had only put up two of the women representatives in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).
”The leadership in Parliament is now heavily male dominated, with the Speaker, chairman of the [NCOP] and almost all the chief whips and leaders of parties, except for the Independent Democrat’s Patricia de Lille being men.”
Representation of women in the NCOP had dropped from 40% to 30%, with only two out of the 16 women (12,5%) in this structure coming from opposition parties, even though they constitute 35% of the members.
The believe these statistics underscore the need for a legislated 50% quota that binds all parties.
Gender Links said the main opposition DA, ”despite being led by a woman”, remained averse to quotas.
”It is appalling that Helen Zille’s new Cabinet in the Western Cape is 75% white and has no women other than herself.
”To suggest that these are the only people ‘fit for the purpose’ in the Western Cape is not only out of keeping with the march of history but may indeed be unconstitutional.”
The advocacy group also raised questions about grouping women’s interests in the same ministry as that of children and youth.
They welcomed the appointment of former National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union president Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya as head of this ministry, but felt that women ”are adults who should be empowered to exercise their agency while children need to be cared for by both women and men”.
”This new structure has not been well canvassed or debated and requires clear conceptualisation to be effective in advancing women’s rights.” — Sapa