Question NW961 to the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities
22 September 2023 - NW961
Hlengwa, Ms MD to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities
Whether, considering that the report on How to Include the Missing Perspectives of Women of All Colors in News Leadership and Coverage is the third in a series of missing perspective reports commissioned by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and in view of the fact that the new report has found that fewer than two in five editors-in-chief in the Republic are women, she will provide an overview of how her Office has championed gender transformation in senior leadership positions across industries, especially in the media and communications industry; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
The Department has in the past two financial years compiled a monitoring report on the empowerment of women, youth and persons with disabilities focusing on levels of equity, employment, ownership and participation women, youth and persons with disabilities.
The report records the participation of women in senior leadership as follows:
1. Women Magistrates were 48.7% in 2020/21 and increased to 52.1% in 2021/22.
2. Women judges were 43.1% in 2020/21 and increased to 45.5% in 2021/22.
3. Representation of women in South African Police Services as Major General is at 37.9%, and Brigadier is at 38.2%. The percentage increased to 50% at higher position of Divisional Commissioner, Provincial Commissioner and Top Management. While the National commissioner is a man, two of the three Deputy National Commissioner are women.
4. Women representation at SMS level in the public service was at 27.9% in 2021/22. Youth are represented at levels 13, 14 and 15 with 1.4%, 1.7%, and 3.2 % respectively while persons with disabilities are represented by less than 2% in three levels.
5. Top Management level representation of women in the Private Sector was at 24.6%.
6. Data from StatsSA indicates that there are 4 407 Councillors of which 1 309 are female which translates to 29.7% women representation as Councillors.