Department of Electricity and Energy Deputy Minister, Samantha Graham-Maré, has called on South Africans to honour women’s accomplishments as the country commemorates Women’s Month.
The Deputy Minister delivered remarks at the recently held Empowering Women in Energy breakfast held on the sidelines of the third G20 Energy Transitions Working Group meeting in the North West.
On 9 August, South Africa will mark 69 years since some 20 000 women – led by struggle heroes Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Albertina Sisulu and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn – marched to the Union Buildings in protest against the apartheid government’s introduction of pass laws against black women.
“Women’s Month provides a time to celebrate and reflect on women’s accomplishments, the challenges we have encountered in the struggle for freedom and the critical role we continue to play in society,” Graham-Maré said.
The Deputy Minister noted that the duty to recognise women extends to all sectors including the need to move to “cleaner, more sustainable, and resilient energy systems”.
“[It] is about more than just technology or policy. It is about inclusivity, justice, and the bravery to create an energy future in which no one falls behind.
“However, as we approach this transition, we must confront an uncomfortable reality: women, who account for half of our global talent pool, remain substantially underrepresented in the energy sector,” she noted.
In an exclusive interview with SAnews following the event, Graham-Maré expressed hope that society will reach a point where conversations about inclusion will not be needed.
“Women should automatically be in [energy] spaces. I also think it’s important that men understand that we’re not doing this to exclude them. We’re doing this to uplift and promote women. So, this is not an either-or scenario.”
The Deputy Minister encouraged men to be part of the upliftment of women.
“We need men to be partners in this and to make sure that they’re creating a safe space for women to work in.
“To the women of South Africa: we are working to make sure that you have the life that you dream of and we’re making sure at some stage, we won’t have to have conversations about where women are at because women will just be where they need to be,” Graham-Maré said. – SAnews.gov.za
