South Africa finds itself in a unique position when it comes to gender equality. While the country leads in women’s political participation and girls’ education, it’s lagging behind in women’s economic empowerment.
This paradox, highlighted in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent newsletter, paints a complex picture of the nation’s progress towards gender equality.
A recent Gallup study, “Gender Power in Africa,” reveals that South Africa tops the charts in several key areas.
The country boasts impressive rates of female participation in political decision-making and high completion rates for girls in primary and secondary education. It’s also successfully combating child marriage, a persistent issue in many African nations.
However, the study also exposes a glaring weakness: South Africa has the highest rate of unemployed women and women not in the workforce among the countries surveyed.
Even more startling is that only 5% of South African women are considered self-employed or entrepreneurs, the lowest percentage in the study.
This stark contrast is particularly concerning given the broader African context. According to the World Economic Forum, women constitute 58% of self-employed people across the continent, leaving South Africa trailing far behind its neighbors.
Ramaphosa acknowledges this challenge, emphasizing the importance of entrepreneurship in a country grappling with high unemployment rates.
“In a country such as ours, with a high unemployment rate, entrepreneurship is an important tool to empower more women and broaden their participation in the economy,” he writes.
The government isn’t standing idle. Initiatives are underway to support women-owned businesses, including financial backing, training programs, and a target to allocate 40% of public procurement spend to women-owned enterprises.
The Women’s Economic Assembly, launched in 2021, aims to integrate women-owned businesses into local industry value chains.
However, Ramaphosa calls for more action, particularly from the private sector. He highlights the need for improved access to financial resources, including credit lines and tools of financial inclusion like bank accounts and mobile payment technologies.
As South Africa commemorates the historic 1956 Women’s March, the push for economic freedom for women continues.
The president’s message is clear: political representation is not enough. True equality requires economic empowerment, and there’s still a long way to go.
The challenge now lies in translating South Africa’s political and educational successes for women into economic opportunities.
As Ramaphosa concludes, “The achievement of economic freedom for South Africa’s women would be the most fitting tribute to the courageous women who marched on the Union Buildings in 1956.”
