Speaker, hon Ministers, Deputy Ministers, hon members, ladies and gentlemen, this year marks 57 years since that historic march on the Union Buildings by 20 000 brave women to protest against the pass laws of the 1950s. This year also marks 19 years since the dawn of democracy in this country.
South Africa is Africa's largest economy and is ranked by the World Bank as an upper-middle-income economy. This means that South Africa is one of only four countries on the continent that are described as upper-middle-income economies. The others are Gabon, Botswana and Mauritius. Yet, according to available statistics, women accounted for only 44% of the labour force in 2011 in this country. In terms of the Gender Inequality Index, South Africa ranked 90th in a list of 148 countries. Maternal mortality in the country affects 300 out of every 100 000 women, despite the fact that South Africa enjoys one of the most advanced medical services available on this continent.
The apartheid system disadvantaged many women, particularly African women - more so than any racial group in this country - in terms of access to jobs and other economic opportunities. For example, labour requirements in the cities and in the mining areas have often drawn men away from the villages and left women to carry out those responsibilities that were supposed to be performed by men. As a result, women have borne many traditionally male responsibilities in the village and at home while their husbands were out working in the cities and in the mines. Women have had to guarantee the day- to-day survival of their families and to carry out financial and legal transactions that otherwise would have been performed by men.
There is no doubt that women are the cornerstone of African economic development. According to recent statistics, women provide 70% of agricultural labour and produce 90% of all the food. They are mostly employed in the informal sector of the economy. Despite their contribution to the economy, women are still disadvantaged in many ways. For example, women do not enjoy easy access to economic and other ownership rights as men do. In the DA's open-opportunity society, women will enjoy the same rights as men. They will have job opportunities equally. They will have the right to own land and their contributions will be rewarded equally in terms of salary and recognition of their skills and qualifications.
The plight of our women in particular is made worse by our own patriarchal and oppressive practices and beliefs. [Interjections.]