Mpumalanga health department engages women senior managers on progress of empowerment and equality
The Mpumalanga Department of Health said it has made progress in empowering women, however, it is still below the legislative target of 50/50 gender parity.
The Mpumalanga Department of Health (DoH) continues to make meaningful strides in creating an enabling environment for women’s empowerment within the public sector. This year’s Public Service Senior Women Management Week (PSWMW), which is observed every year in the last week of August, focused on principles six and eight of the eight-principle action plan for promoting women’s empowerment and gender equality.
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These principles emphasise the development of women’s advancement and the importance of robust monitoring and evaluation processes to ensure accountability, ownership and effective reporting on gender equality progress in the public service.
The head of department (HOD), Dr Lukas Ndhlovu, led insightful and solution-driven discussions with women senior managers during the gathering held from August 26 to August 27, in Manzana Forever Resort in the Gert Sibande District.
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“The PSWMW remains a critical platform for HODs across government departments to engage with women senior managers and assess the progress made in implementing the eight-principle action plan. While the department has made commendable advances in employment equity and gender equality, more work remains. Currently, women occupy just over 43.75% of senior positions in the DoH, which is still below the legislative target of 50/50 gender parity at decision-making levels.”
While the DoH celebrated the progress made, it acknowledged that the journey towards true gender parity is ongoing.
“With continued commitment and collective effort, we can create an inclusive environment where all women can thrive, contribute and lead at every level,” Ndhlovu said.
BLOCK: According to the Department of Public Service and Administration, the department head’s eight-principle action plan for women’s empowerment and gender equality in the public service was launched in 2007, and institutionalised for implementation in 2008. This action plan provides a framework for the advancement of women in the workplace and for the evaluation of progress made in this area.
