Commission welcomes gender parity in cabinet, calls for women deputy president
The Commission for Gender Equality has expressed delight at the number of women appointed as ministers in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s new cabinet.
On Wednesday, Ramaphosa announced his cabinet, in which, for the first time in the country's history, half of all ministers are women.
The commission's Javu Baloyi says the appointment of more women is long overdue.
"It had been long time coming. Remember in 2014 we had 40% of women as cabinet ministers. Now the president has headed a call of the Commission for Gender Equality and not only because of the commission, but also the internal policy of gender equality say so. And also because South Africa is a signatory to international and regional protocol that says we'll try to have 50/50 in all spheres of government and private sector. That is a piece of welcome news."
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Baloyi says a woman deputy president would have been a welcome change.
"We would have loved to have a woman deputy president. We would have loved a woman president and woman deputy president. That's what we're wishing for, that becomes a symbol of hope for us and a symbol of hope for the girl child that they too can become something in life.
"But all the same we are equally happy for that the president has presented to the country."
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