Latest news with #YouthandPeoplewithDisabilities
The Citizen
09-08-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Women's Day: Lesufi wants your child to have a GBV-focused certificate
Lesufi acknowledged government's responsibility to protect women and said the fight to end GBV must start when a child is young. Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has advocated for children to graduate with a certificate on gender sensitivity, alongside their matric certificate. This was shared by Lesufi at a National Women's Day commemoration event at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, Tshwane, on Saturday. Lesufi acknowledged government's responsibility to protect women and said the fight to end gender-based violence (GBV) must start when a child is young. 'It starts in the classroom. If you can't teach a child in the classroom that such conduct is wrong, you think you can teach them when you are an adult? You would be wrong.' 'We should have certificates that are different from your matric certificates. We want to bring a course and a certificate on gender sensitivity while children are still in the classroom. If we can start in primary school, we can intervene and will benefit in the long run.' GBV In Tzaneen, Limpopo, President Cyril Ramaphosa challenged men to take up the fight against GBV. 'We continue to see incidents of gender-based violence. But what is more troubling is how the men of our country continue to abuse women, not only by killing them, but also by raping and brutally killing them. 'But it gets worse when it actually involves the rape of children, children as young as a few months, children as young as two years, and the impregnation of young girls, as it was being said earlier here by Minister [in the Presidency for Women, Youth and People with Disabilities, Sindisiwe] Chikunga. 'That is painful. And that is why we say we must all rise against gender-based violence. We must all rise, men and and make sure that we bring the levels of gender-based violence down.' NOW READ: Ramaphosa takes aim at employment equity critics, calls for men to 'rise up' in GBV fight
IOL News
02-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Minister Chikunga advocates for women's financial inclusion and care economy at G20 forum
Minister for Women, Youth and People with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, said conventional financial systems continue to exclude women. Image: File / Independent Media Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, has called for urgent and targeted action to dismantle long-standing structural barriers that continue to marginalise women in economic and social spheres. Speaking at the G20 Women Empowerment Working Group, Chikunga emphasised three critical priorities for South Africa: financial inclusion for women, recognition of the care economy, and the fight against gender-based violence and femicide. In a frank and impassioned address, the minister highlighted how conventional financial systems continue to exclude women, particularly when it comes to access to credit. 'If you're going to ask for collateral to access credit, yet women historically haven't owned property, you're excluding them from the start,' she said. 'That is not just a gap, it is a structural injustice.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Chikunga said her department has been engaging financial institutions, including major banks, urging them to design financial products that account for the lived experiences of women. 'We've asked them to create tailor-made solutions that don't assume a level playing field when clearly, one doesn't exist,' she added. She also turned the spotlight on the unpaid care work overwhelmingly carried out by women in households and communities, from looking after children and the elderly to cooking, cleaning, and providing emotional support. While this work forms the backbone of society and enables the formal economy to function, it remains undervalued and largely invisible in economic policy. 'Without someone ensuring that meals are cooked, uniforms are ironed, and children are cared for, the formal economy would come to a standstill,' said Chikunga. 'The care economy is the silent engine of our societies, but it is not recognised, not accounted for, and certainly not rewarded.' She noted that while some developed countries have begun accounting for unpaid care work in their GDP calculations, South Africa has yet to do so. Her department is currently drafting national policy aimed at formally recognising both paid and unpaid care work, to secure labour protections, leave entitlements, and economic value for carers, most of whom are women. She also raised the alarm about the ongoing crisis of gender-based violence and femicide, calling for a stronger, coordinated response at both national and international levels. Backed by local research from the Human Sciences Research Council, Chikunga stressed that South Africa's approach is grounded in evidence, not anecdote.
