23 May 2007, Cedar Park Conference Centre, Woodmead
Programme Director Shirley Machaba;
Ekurhuleni Metro Mayor and Salga-Gauteng Duma Nkosi;
Ms Doreen Nkosi from the Office of the Deputy President;
PwC Director Mohamed Saboor;
PwC Director Sakhile Masuku;
PwC Associate Director Skalo Dikana;
Ogivyl and Mather CSR Board Member Nunu Ntshingila;
Phetolo Solutions CEO Nelly Mosiane;
Dr Sam Motsuenyane;
Distinguished Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen
The birth of democracy in 1994, the first-ever democratically elected government in South Africa has strived to ensure that the empowerment of women becomes a priority. Today I am proud to have the opportunity to be a part of the launch of the Faranani Rural Women Training initiative, which shows the commitment from private sector to partner with government in this endeavour of helping the advancement of women's empowerment.
According to the late Professor Frederick Harbison of Princeton University; "Human resources constitute the ultimate basis for the wealth of nations. Capital and natural resources are passive factors of production; human beings are the active agents who accumulate capital, exploit natural resources, build social, economic and political organizations, and carry forward national development. Clearly, a country which is unable to develop the skills and knowledge of its people and to utilize them effectively in the national economy will be unable to develop anything else."
Pricewaterhouse Coopers, together with the National Industrial Chamber, established the Business Skills for South Africa in 1992. The main goal of this was to provide business and entrepreneurial skills to previously disadvantaged communities in order for them to create employment and generate an income.
From this initial establishment, Pricewaterhouse Coopers have gone one step further, by extending this wonderful initiative to rural women in business through the project we are all gathered here today for - the Faranani Rural Women Training Initiative.
It puts my mind at ease to know that there are companies out there like Pricewaterhouse Coopers who share the same vision as government when it comes to the upliftment of women in South Africa and who believe that by nurturing a culture of entrepreneurship amongst women, this in turn helps to empower these women to generate their own income and become meaningful contributors to the South Africa economy.
The women of this country play a pivotal role in the reconstruction and development of South Africa. They are seen as the back bone of the South African economy as they make significant contribution in helping it grow. However, women still face many obstacles in society when measured up against men and the different roles that the two genders play and are often expected to portray. Patriarchy can still be seen in communities - especially disadvantaged - where the men are perceived as being breadwinners and women have to stand down and fulfil a homemaker role.
As a society, we therefore need to embrace a new culture that encompasses women in the working world. Men need to be sensitised to woman as equal breadwinners, allowing them the freedom and support to pursue these careers without ostracising them from the world of work.
Through the Faranani Initiative women are trained and skilled on different topics that will enable them to become entrepreneurs. As is recognised by our government, one of the measures by which to ensure women's full participation in the South African economy is through the improvement of education levels of women, together with increasing their access to economic and social information.
The access to information is crucial in the empowerment of women which in turn enables women to become economically sustainable. When we empower women with information, it gives them the opportunity and self-confidence to strive towards achieving their goals, enabling them to enter the economic market and be on the same level as those around them.
Programme Director
It is good to know that Pricewaterhouse Coopers are following some of the programmes introduced by Government to address the deep-seated inequalities and target the marginalised poor, to bridge the gap with the Second Economy, and ultimately to eliminate the Second Economy. This initiative is known as ASGISA.
AsgiSA's goal is that of halving unemployment and poverty by 2014. For us to realise this goal, particular attention must be paid to the concerns of women and youth. With regard to women, the focus is on expanding and accelerating access to economic opportunities including skills development and finance, which is what Pricewaterhouse Coopers is currently also striving towards in their own capacity.
Ladies and gentlemen
SMMEs play a major role in the lives of many South Africans. For most households where a member owns a SMME, it is the major source of income for that family. For the majority of entrepreneurs, SMMEs constitutes the leading source of household income. Often, the income generated from an SMME is used to supplement another household income. This substantiates the fact that people are implementing multiple livelihoods as a survival strategy, which makes the launch of the Faranani initiative that much more imperative.
Women often resort to forming SMMEs due to being forced to do so. Being unemployed and having to provide for a family thrust many untrained and unskilled people into starting up a business without the necessary skills and qualifications to ensure its success.
Together with that, the institutional support available to aid and assist up and coming entrepreneurs is limited and few and far between. Women who enter into a business venture without the proper background and skills create serious problems for the viability of that business venture. With the help of this initiative, those women who aim to become entrepreneurs will gain invaluable knowledge and make a success of their empowerment as entrepreneurs - giving them the ability to generate income and so support families.
However, caution needs to be taken with any type of initiative embarked on, as they still face obstacles to their potential role as a major economic and social force in their participation in our economy. Among the problems which constrain the development of women's entrepreneurial activities and their potential to exercise more influence over their living conditions are:
However, I am pleased to say that with the help of the Faranani initiative, some of these obstacles can be overcome by the rural women of South Africa through their training and development initiative.
Ladies and gentlemen
We as South Africans need to focus on de-mystifying the traditional roles played and held by women. New avenues need to be explored and created, where women are given the opportunity to enter into markets traditionally dominated by males. Opportunities in South Africa should have no gender boundaries, all citizens should have access to equal shares of possible gains to be made.
I would like to state that education and training is the key to unlocking the economic energies of women, and therefore we need to pay adequate attention to this specific challenge. In addition, institutional barriers such as limited financial access needs to be addressed in conjunction with creating a greater scope for women to gain access to specifically government funding.
"Most economists argue that it is the human resources of a nation, not its physical capital or its natural resources, that ultimately determine the character and pace of its economic and social development."
This is a process of transformation and I am certain that it will bring meaningful and sustainable changes in our society - from people's perspectives and beliefs, down to the actual proof that the rural women in our society can make a difference.
Government agencies must ensure that these women have access to markets at home and abroad, because without these markets this training will be a waste of time.
One of the challenges facing women is the HIV and Aids pandemic. HIV and Aids would be defeated when the government, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and international community work together. Over the years the government has done a lot in addressing the scourge, I therefore urge Pricewaterhouse Coopers to also throw their weight in dealing with the scourge.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Pricewaterhouse Coopers for your endeavour and commitment in making a change to those women who will benefit from your commitment in helping to address their levels of economic involvement in our society. Without you on board to drive this initiative, many women would still be caught up in the vicious cycle of poverty and deprivation.
"Educating women has been shown to be a critical ingredient in breaking the vicious multigenerational cycle of poor child health, low educational performance, low income and high fertility. Numerous studies have documented that women education leads to lower infant mortality rates."
I thank you.