President Cyril Ramaphosa has highlighted South Africa’s “impressive strides” in advancing gender equality over the past 30 years, particularly in political decision-making and education. In his latest newsletter, reflecting on Women’s Day, Ramaphosa noted that South Africa ranks highest among five African countries surveyed, including Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, in terms of female participation in politics and low rates of child marriage. Additionally, South Africa leads in the participation and completion rates of girls in primary and secondary education.
However, Ramaphosa acknowledged significant challenges remain. Despite these achievements, South Africa has the highest rate of unemployed women and those not in the workforce among the countries surveyed. Alarmingly, only 5% of South African women are self-employed or entrepreneurs, the lowest rate on the continent. This is in stark contrast to the 58% of self-employed women across Africa, as reported by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
Ramaphosa emphasized that entrepreneurship is a vital tool for empowering women and expanding their economic participation in a country facing high unemployment. The state, through various departments, is providing financial support to help women start and sustain businesses, aiming to close this gap and boost women’s economic involvement.
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