Women are the primary beneficiaries of government’s programmes aimed at fighting poverty, says Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi.
“Basic services such as water, electricity, housing, roads, access to education and health have been extended to more communities each year since 1994, with women being key beneficiaries,” Minister Maswanganyi said.
Addressing the North West Women Law Enforcement officers, he said women experience change directly when they receive services that are provided by government in their communities.
He was addressing the event as part of Women’s Month celebrations held in Mahikeng on Tuesday.
“As the Department of Transport, part of our commitment towards promoting radical socio-economic transformation, is our continued prioritisation of women’s access to economic opportunities.
“We took decisions that all public entities in the transport sector must have specific allocated budgets for Women, Youth and People Living with Disabilities,” Minister Maswanganyi said.
He said in capital projects, the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) has ensured the recruitment of local women, youth and people living with disabilities.
Passenger Rail Agency (Prasa) has allocated R3.5 billion over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period for the Women In Rail Programme.
“We also are sponsoring women to be pilots and others to study aeronautical engineering as well as to be rail safety inspectors. These women are selected from both rural and urban areas to study and change the face and the slowly transforming transport sector,” Minister Maswanganyi said.
In this current financial year, the department will fill vacancies of the Boards and Executive position of all its Entities with biasness towards women.
“SANRAL has revisited its contract model to comply with the 30% set aside requirements for the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (PPPFA) regulations for sub-contracting which will continue to priorities black youth, women, people with disabilities and people living in rural or underdeveloped areas including townships,” he said.
The department will be convening Transformation Summits in various sectors of transport to explore further opportunities that will benefit the previously disadvantaged, particularly women, youth and people living with disabilities.
“As the department, we continue to evaluate and monitor the mandates of our state owned assets and enterprises to ensure that their social and economic mandates, including issues such as procurement, equity and transformation remain aligned to our economic transformation programme.
“As the department, we are about to complete a Transport Sector Gender Policy that will be instrumental in fast-tracking the transformation and gender parity agenda,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za
