Women's group to advise Mbeki
David Masango
25 August 2004
President Thabo Mbeki has launched the Women's Working Group to advise the government and help establish a shared understanding of the transformation challenges facing South African women.
Speaking at the first meeting of the group in Pretoria on Friday, Mbeki urged the delegates to ensure that the group's meeting did not turn into a "talk shop".
He also raised concerns about the representation of various women's bodies in the group, emphasising the need for the body to be as inclusive of all women's groups as possible.
"Over time we need to allow for space to increase the number of delegates in this group", the President said, adding that one of the obstacles to the establishment of the body was the large number of different women's groups in the country and the difficulty in bringing all of them under one roof.
Mbeki also urged women to make sure that the real concerns of their constituencies, both urban and rural, were brought
to his attention.
A smaller task team was set up to facilitate selection of a representative group to meet the President regularly.
The women attending the first meeting included Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, Correctional Services Deputy Minister Cheryl Gillwald, Commission on Gender Equality chairperson Joyce Seroke, National Rural Movement for Women chairperson Mita Mokwana, and Women's Development Foundation president Brigalia Bam.
Also in attendance were Business Women Association of SA president Namane Magau, Dudu Mokoena of Disabled People SA, Malethola Nkwe of the Widows Forum SA, and Judge Leona Theron of the SA chapter of the International Association of Women Judges.
Source: BuaNews
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