1. HON. Members, the Minority Front had two attendees at the Women’s Parliament held at Mondlo Sports Grounds, Zululand District from the 9^th to 11^th August 2017.
2. The Resolutions taken at the Women’s Parliament were on the Departments of Social Development Arts and Culture, Education, Human Settlements, Sport and Recreation, Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Transport, Public Works, Agriculture and Rural Development, Office of the Premier and COGTA.
3. The Resolutions, HON. Members, inter alia, focused on targeting men as ambassadors of programmes for violence against women and children; ensuring gender equity in top management positions; ensuring that culture aspects do not infringe on women’s rights; women partnership with DOE in implementing programmes; prioritisation of women contractors and cooperatives; increasing the allocation of houses to women from 30% to 50% in all municipalities; first priority to women who have been capacitated as contractors; encouraging women to pursue sporting careers; cooperation with women and supporting them in economic development, tourism and environmental affairs; prioritising women on all EPWP programmes and assistance to them in the transport field; having a women’s desk in each department; establishing gender forums in all municipal areas; setting aside 10% of municipal infrastructure grants for women’s programmes, and, importantly including clauses in the performance agreements of Municipal Managers to implement gender and women empowerment programmes.
4. HON Members, it is heartening that South Africa has delivered some progress in the Global Gender Report 2016 annual gender equality list to an impressive 15^th of 144 countries.
5. Implementing the resolutions of the Women’s Parliament, HON. Members, will see us further improve this equality rating.
6. It is still disappointing that women have only 59% of the advantages of what males have which is similar to 2008.
7. South Africa is leading the way compared to the other BRICS countries. This is certainly a step in the right direction HON. Members.
8. Of particular significance HON. Members is the fact that only 22% of board directors are women as opposed to only 7% being executive directors. Furthermore only 10% of South Africa’s CEOs are women and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange shows this number drops to 2.2%.
9. HON. Members, we all aware that there is no easy solution because of factors such as intersectionality of gender, inequality, patriarchy, sexism and racism. But, change must be embraced and must come at individual, company and societal levels. We also need to drive this at home, by challenging traditional gender roles and misconceptions around women and career aspirations.
10. Thank you.

Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi

Minority Front Leader (KZN Legislature)