Source: BusinessDay Live
THE Department of Defence and Military Veterans is still struggling to meet the female-representation targets of 40% at the entry level and 30% at higher levels as prescribed by its own gender policy, says Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.

UPHILL BATTLE:  Members of liberation movement armies are going through a verification process before state benefits are granted. Picture: SOWETANSpeaking at a conference on gender equality in the defence department in Pretoria on Tuesday, she said that the department was being praised for having an empowering gender parity strategy premised on the values of social justice, human dignity, advancement of human rights and a fight against all forms of inequality.

However, progress in creating an environment for gender empowerment remained slow.

"To date, gender integration has not yet reached the required levels we had anticipated, particularly in the higher echelons of leadership in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF)."

"Almost 20 years since the integration and the establishment of the SANDF, we still lag behind requirements, including those as articulated by the United Nation Resolutions, for women representation at command positions and in decision-making levels," she said.

She urged SANDF leaders to examine the structures and vehicles they established to deal with gender equality, including determining the effect and effectiveness of the previous conferences held to find solutions.

President of the South African Security Forces Union (Sasfu) Bheki Mvovo challenged the minister to not only "raise these issues because it is a women’s month" but to set targets and time frames that will force SANDF leaders to act appropriately.

He said one vehicle to achieve the required numbers was through the military skills development recruitment programme. However, the programme was failing to attract sufficient female recruits because of discrimination against women candidates. For example those that got pregnant upon enlisting had their contracts immediately discontinued.

"The ministers are not pioneering the campaign to change these policies. She (Ms Mapisa-Nqakula) must challenge the SANDF leaders to achieve the set levels of employment equity," he said.

Mr Mvovo said there was still resistance and reluctance to let women work with their male peers in some units perceived dangerous within the defence force such as in submarines. "While there has been some progress and some women are getting opportunities to serve in these specialised units, it is rare that you find women represented in numbers prescribed by the policy."

Ms Mapisa-Nqakula said women should resist the temptation of campaigning for their emancipation in silos or an isolated corner of women’s pressure group, as their plight should always be on the country’s main agenda for development.

She argued that the challenges of addressing gender issues in the workplace should be a task for every sector in business and in government.

"It is not an issue only for women, and certainly not one that should pop up on our radar only in August of every year," she said.

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