Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane has emphasised the importance of partnerships in creating economic opportunities for women to provide sanitation services, including sanitary wear.
“We need to find an opportunity through the Sanitation Policy and the Black Broad Based Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) on how we can work with other key stakeholders to discover innovative solutions, which will assist us to fight unemployment, inequality and poverty,” said Minister Mokonyane.
The Minister was speaking at a Committed to Health and Hygiene Women’s Dialogue in Johannesburg.
The dialogue aimed to discuss the importance of women being developers, producers and implementers of products within the sanitation and hygiene industry.
The dialogue comes at a time when South Africa commemorates Women’s Month and the heroic role that the women of 1956 played towards placing the struggle of women on the agenda of the broader liberation struggle.
Minister Mokonyane said the dialogue seeks to reflect on the progress made thus far and to engage on the opportunities presented by the department’s new Sanitation Policy.
“The policy is meant to mobilise society along with business and other water sector partners towards advocacy, innovation, health and hygiene in the sanitation space,” the Minister said.
The Minister said transformation requires a government that embraces new solutions to realise the goals set out in the National Development Plan (NDP). Government has achieved delivery of access to basic sanitation services to over 80% of citizens and is committed to ensure universal access by 2030, in line with the NDP’s Vision 2030.
This is also a commitment towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals. – SAnews.gov.za
