Mbombela - Women in Mpumalanga will undergo a series of workshops aimed at equipping them to effectively raise concerns with the provincial government.
The provincial legislature has organised workshops between Wednesday and Friday, where the women will be prepared for the upcoming Women's Parliament on August 5.
"We will be conducting these workshops to help women find a way of raising issues in the provincial legislature. When we held the women's parliament last year, we realised that most women did not know how to participate fully," said legislature spokeswoman Tsholofelo Moreosele on Monday.
Moreosele said some women did not even know what was on the agenda for the day.
She said the women's parliament was created to enhance and facilitate women's participation in legislative processes, and that the workshops would make them aware of their role during the sessions and the topics of discussion.
"The objectives of a women's parliament is to share information, educate women and facilitate the participation of citizens in evaluating the progress made in entrenching democratic values within our population," she said, adding that women still faced challenges since the country gained democracy in 1994.
"Challenges range from poverty to unemployment, diseases and underdevelopment," said Moreosele.
The women's parliament would also involve MECs, and the main points of discussion would be the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme and the empowerment of women. Discussions would also consider progress made in terms of food security challenges to health and economic development.
Also under discussion will be the role of women in the fight against crime.
"We will discuss the route from victim to victor," said Moreosele.
The workshops will be conducted in three towns, starting with Mashishing on Wednesday, followed by Middelburg on Thursday and closing in Secunda on Friday.
