Ahead of National Women’s Day on Saturday 9 August in South Africa, Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga was updated on the status of women in the SA National Defence Force (SANDF).
She held what Thando Ramasimong of Defence Corporate Communication (DCC) reported as being “a strategic engagement” at Defence Headquarters in Pretoria on 5 August with Major General Zuziwe Maso’s Chief Directorate Transformation Management.
The meeting focused on the status of women in the SANDF, highlighting the importance of promoting equal opportunities, providing targeted training, enhancing operational skills and removing “systemic barriers” hindering women’s full participation in the military.
Motshekga is reported as informing the meeting South Africa is “among the few countries with the highest number of women serving in the defence force, and that is something that must be recognised”.
About a third of SANDF uniformed members are female, while more than half of civilian employees are female (about 55%). Around 40% of the Military Skills Development System intake is female.
The presence of women in the ranks of the four SANDF services, according to the fourth woman to hold the position of defence minister in South Africa since April 1994, not only reflects the country’s commitment to gender equality, “it also strengthens the operational capability and inclusiveness of our armed forces”.
Maso is reported as echoing the ministerial sentiments, stressing the need for gender parity across the defence sector and emphasising the importance of recognising, empowering and leveraging the strength and capabilities of women in uniform.
It has become tradition in the SANDF to stage an all-woman parade to commemorate Women’s Day, usually at the Air Force Mobile Deployment Wing (AF MDW), previously Air Force Base (AFB) Swartkop. There was, at the time of publication, no advisory of a Women’s Day parade from the SANDF Directorate Corporate Communication (DCC).
A commemorative post on SANDF social media reads: “This Women’s Month, we pay special tribute to the courageous women in our defence force, women who serve our nation with unwavering dedication, discipline and strength. Your commitment to protecting our democracy is a beacon of inspiration. We salute you!”
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