Women have played a pivotal role in South Africa’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic, says President Cyril Ramaphosa.

“We salute the resilience and bravery of women frontline workers who worked to fight the pandemic as nurses, doctors, emergency personnel, police and soldiers,” President Ramaphosa said on Monday.

Celebrating International Women’s Day, President Ramaphosa thanked all the women leading civil society organisations who worked and continue to work with the Ministerial Advisory Committee in driving a holistic approach to managing the pandemic.

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is: ” Women’s leadership and achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world”.

President Ramaphosa said there can be no meaningful progress for women if society continues to relegate women to ‘traditional’ professions, occupations or roles, while it is mainly men who sit on decision-making structures.

“We salute women like Nandi Msezane, who helped raise funds for food support in affected communities, and helped to provide access to mental health support for the LGBTQI+ [ lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex] community during the lockdown.

“The dedication of the nation’s educators has ensured that our young people were able to receive an education despite the disruption caused by the pandemic. We owe a debt of gratitude to the many women who have worked as teachers, principals, lecturers and as administrators at institutions of higher learning.

“Women doctors, researchers and scientists have played and continue to play an important role in our epidemiological response,” President Ramaphosa said.

The President said women and children affected by violence during the lockdown were helped, thanks to the efforts of numerous non-governmental organisations (NGOs) led by and staffed by women.

President Ramaphosa said research performed by academics on economic vulnerability and poverty trends in South Africa helped drive an informed relief response.

“Last year we lost one of the country’s foremost experts on rural poverty, Dr Vuyo Mahlati. At the time she was studying the impact of the pandemic on food security in vulnerable communities, especially small scale farmers,” the President said.

President Ramaphosa also recognized the role of women in government whose efforts often go unacknowledged.

“It is women who lead the many government departments at the forefront of the national relief response.

“Our experience of this pandemic has once more demonstrated women’s capacity to organise, collaborate, lead and achieve. Through their actions, they have demonstrated there is no such thing as ‘a woman’s place,’ President Ramaphosa said. – SAnews.gov.za

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The Mothers And Marginalised Advocacy Centre (MAMA Centre) commemorates the International Women’s Day 2021 has expressed concern over some factors militating against women participation in leadership positions at various levels in Nigeria

These include ,what she called, the deliberately imposed deep-rooted historic, cultural, and socio-economic barriers that prevent women from competing favourably at decision-making tables.

In a message to mark the occasion, MAMA’s Executive Director, Chioma Kanu condemned in totality. the deliberate moves to backpedal effort at achieving gender equality in all spheres .

With the theme “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world”. MAMA however “commends the recent political actions and multilateral decisions setting a pace for increased priority for women in leadership positions across the world, we at the same time acknowledge the tremendous impacts these have resonated with renewed policy focus affirming Beijing Declaration.

“In the spirit of commendations, we are perturbed by various normalised factors militating against women participation in leadership positions at various levels in Nigeria, most especially the deliberately imposed deep-rooted historic, cultural, and socio-economic barriers that prevent them from competing favourably at decision-making tables.

“We reiterate our disappointment and condemn in totality the deliberate moves to backpedal effort at achieving gender equality in all spheres such as the unwelcome development breathed by Covid-19 Pandemic with massive extortions, terminations and demotions targeted majorly at women population through varied secretive moves by some businesses in guise of unfair measures to ease financial impacts of Covid-19.

“We recall that prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown measures, women including the Rights-holders were marginalised in all spheres of the economy. This included various inequalities that featured in under-paid or poorly paid employment rewards and other benefits. As a result, rights-holders constitute the vulnerable and socio-economic deprived group whose families live below the poverty line, estimated at $1.90 per person per day in 2019 World Bank Report.

“While it is evident that women possess the right, adequate capacity, potential, wisdom, talents and skill required to develop the country, we are displeased by the widening gender gaps in political structures and processes in Nigeria, as manifested in low numbers of women in political party decision making structures; limited involvement of women in household, community and political spheres; unclear rules and procedures on recruitment and conduct of primaries.

“We re-affirm that gender equality is an imperative for progress on socio-economic emancipation and development in Nigeria, while calling for adequate political decision and policy realignment that recognise Beijing Declaration in addressing inequalities militating against gender equality in leadership position, cultural representation, political inclusion, socio-economic capacity, education attainment and domestic burdens.

“We demand adequate and holistic support by both the public and private sector to the women and other vulnerable groups at all levels to alleviate socio-economic deprivation and reinforce self-sufficiency and self-determination among women”, she concludes.