Deputy Minister Calls for Structural Change to Advance Women's Empowerment

Reflecting on the country's democratic journey, Letsike said South Africa had made significant progress in advancing women's rights through constitutional protections and legal reforms.

Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Mmapaseka Steve Letsike has called for a deeper transformation of South African society, urging a shift from symbolic representation to genuine economic empowerment, equality and leadership for women.

Speaking at the Fray Media and Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Rise and Shine Women in Media Breakfast in Johannesburg, held under the theme "Empowered Women Empower the Nation," Letsike said women's empowerment should focus on changing the systems that continue to limit opportunities rather than celebrating the success of only a few individuals.

Democracy has expanded opportunities

Reflecting on the country's democratic journey, Letsike said South Africa had made significant progress in advancing women's rights through constitutional protections and legal reforms.

She noted that democracy transformed the legal and political status of women by making equality and non-sexism founding principles of the Constitution. Legislative reforms have strengthened protection against domestic and sexual violence, expanded reproductive rights, recognised women in customary marriages and promoted equality in employment.

Women's representation in Parliament has increased from 33% in 2004 to 42.8% in 2024, while women now account for 44.4% of members in the National Council of Provinces. Representation in senior public service management also reached 45.2% in 2023, alongside growing numbers of women entering science, engineering and mathematics fields.

Building an economy that supports women

Letsike argued that lasting empowerment requires structural reforms that address the unequal burden of unpaid care work carried by women. She proposed a national care compact built around recognising care work, reducing its demands through improved public services, sharing responsibilities more equally between women, men, government and the private sector, improving working conditions for paid care workers and ensuring they have a voice in policy decisions.

According to the Deputy Minister, this would require expanded early childhood development services, better support for older persons and people with disabilities, reliable water and transport infrastructure, stronger social protection, parental leave policies that encourage fathers to take greater responsibility, and gender-responsive budgeting that shows who benefits from public spending.

Workplace culture must change

Letsike also urged employers and employees to challenge workplace behaviour that undermines women's dignity.

She said comments about a woman's appearance, health, clothing, marital status, motherhood or career ambitions are too often dismissed as harmless jokes, placing pressure on women to remain silent rather than object.

Such behaviour, she argued, normalises discrimination and weakens women's authority in professional environments. She called on workplaces to respond immediately to these forms of harassment instead of expecting women to tolerate them.

From representation to ownership

Looking ahead, Letsike said South Africa should build an information economy in which women not only participate but also own businesses, influence technological development and receive a fair share of economic opportunities.

She concluded that the country's next phase of transformation should move beyond increasing women's visibility in leadership to ensuring meaningful ownership, economic redistribution and lasting freedom that benefits future generations.