Chairperson, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, hon members and all invited guests, there is no life without women. That's a sure fact.
Gender equality and the wellbeing of children go hand in hand. Gender equality furthers the cause of child survival and development, and produces a double dividend in that it benefits both women and children. Healthy, educated and empowered women have healthy, educated and confident daughters and sons. Gender equality will not only empower women to overcome poverty and live full and productive lives, but will better the lives of children, families and countries as well.
Women's equal rights and influence in key decisions that shape their lives and those of children must be enhanced in three distinct areas: the household, the workplace and the political sphere. Former President Thabo Mbeki said in 1998: When we are measuring our progress, we must measure it against the progress we make among women. The majority of the poor are women, particularly rural women, particularly black women. Sadly, 12 years later, this is still the case.
The feminisation of poverty is a growing phenomenon and women are increasingly the ones who suffer the most in poverty.
We now have a Ministry of Women, Children and People with Disabilities and, quite frankly, one doesn't know whether this is to be celebrated or not. The budget that's been allocated to the Ministry is disheartening. The UCDP believes that we must go back to the drawing board and properly conceptualise this Ministry and what it is expected to do and how it should go about doing it.
The biggest obstacle to gender equality has not been a lack of gender- sensitive legislation, but implementation. And the Ministry needs to be properly constituted, properly placed, and properly mandated and capacitated in order to tackle issues of implementation.
Notwithstanding this, the UCDP supports the Budget Vote, but maintains that gender equality is not only morally right, it is pivotal to human progress and sustainable development. Achieving Millennium Development Goal No 3, promoting gender equality and empowering women will also contribute to achieving all the other goals: from reducing poverty and hunger, saving children's lives, improving maternal health, ensuring universal education, combating HIV and Aids and malaria and other diseases to ensuring environmental sustainability. Still, again, we support the Budget Vote. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]