198 Broad way * New York, N.Y. 10038 * (212) 962-1210 Tilden J. LeMelle, Chairman Jennifer Davis, Executive Director F June 1, 1994 To: Women's Network From: Rachael Kagan, Women's Project Coordinator Re: Women Elected to South African Government At long last I am deliQhted to be able to report to you on the achievements of South Africa's women in the April election. By now I'm sure everyone has heard of the ANC victory and Nelson Mandela's inauguration as the first democratically elected President of South Africa. It is cause for great joy and celebration throughout the world. Indeed, this stage of the struggle has been won. The newly elected Government of National Unity is charged with the dual task of overseeing the transition from apartheid to a non-racial South Africa and writing the new Constitution. But the question: what about the women? has not really been addressed amidst all the news of these historic elections. This mailing provides some initial answers. Enclosed is an article from the South African newspaper, The Sunday Times which announces that after the election, South Africa jumped from 141st place on the list of countries with women in Parliament, to seventh! In fact, South Africa's new government is more representative of women than the U.S. Congress. 106 out of 400 Constituent (National) Assembly members are women. Also included is a partial list of the ANC women now serving -- many of these names will be familiar. It is thrilling that South African women's efforts have won them this victory. Of course, many battles in the fight for true women's equality lie ahead. Another enclosed article addresses some of the early strategies among women MPs to ensure their presence in Parliament means women's lives at the grassroots improve. The Women's Charter, completed just before the election, will soon be examined by the Constituent Assembly as it sits to write the new constitution. Much of the success of the Charter will depend on the ability of women MPs to form a caucus in support of the rights outlined therein, and also on women outside government pressuring their elected officials. This will be an initial concrete test of women's collective political muscle. It is encouraging that Frene Ginwala is now the first woman Speaker of the House. Ginwala, convener of the Women's National Coalition, which coordinated the Women's Charter Campaign, and senior member of the ANC leadership, is a tireless fighter for women's rights and will certainly play a leadership role in the effort to see the Charter adopted into the new constitution. WOMEN ELECTED TO SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT Elections 26-29 April 1994 chose parties on both national and regional ballots to form the new government. Information below reflects gains of women in the election. Also provided is the full membership of the new South African Cabinet. Party affiliations are in parenthesis. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY Total number of seats: 400 Total number of women: 106 Percentaae of National Vote & Seat Allocations by Party: African National Congress: 62.65% / 252 seats / 84 women National Party: 20.39% / 82 seats / 10 women Inkatha Freedom Party: 10.54% / 43 seats / 10 women Freedom Front: 2.17% / 9 seats / no women Democratic Party: 1.73% / 7 seats / 1 woman Pan Africanist Congress: 1.25% / 5 seats / 1 woman African Christian Democratic Party: .45% / 2 seats / no women OFFICIALS President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (ANC) Deputy President Thabo Mbeki (ANC) Deputy President F.W. De Klerk (NP) Speaker of the Parliament Frene Ginwala (ANC)* Deputy-Speaker of Parl. Bhadrakumar Ghalloo Ranchod (NP) CABINET MINISTERS Justice Dullah Omar (ANC) Defence Joe Modise (ANC) Safety & Security Sydney Mufamadi (ANC) Education Sibusiso Bengu (ANC) Trade, Industry & Tourism Trevor Manuel (ANC) Foreign Affairs Alfred Nzo (ANC) Labor Tito Mboweni (ANC) Posts, Telecommunications & Broadcasting Pallo Jordan (ANC) Health Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma (ANC)* Transport Mac Maharaj (ANC) Provincial Affairs & Constitutional Development Roelf Meyer (NP) Land Affairs Derek Hanekom (ANC) Public Enterprises Stella Sigcau (ANC)* Public Service & Admin. Zola Skweyiya (ANC) Housing Joe Slovo (ANC) Public Works Jeff Radebe (ANC) Correctional Services Sipho Mzimela (IFP) Finance Derek Keys (NP) Agriculture Kraai van Niekerk (NP) Sport & Recreation Steve Tshwete (ANC) Home Affairs Mangosuthu G. Buthelezi (IFP) Water Affairs & Forestry Kader Asmal (ANC) Environment Affairs Dawie de Villiers (NP) Mineral & Energy Affairs Pik Botha (NP) Welfare & Population Dvp Abe Williams (NP) Arts, Culture, Science & Technology Ben Ngubani (IFP) Minister Without Portfolio Jay Naidoo (ANC) Total Number of Cabinet Members: 30 *Women in Cabinet : 2 Number from African National Congress (ANC): 20 Number from National Party (NP): 7 Number from Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP): 3 DEPUTY CABINET MINISTERS Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad (ANC) Provincial Affairs Valli Moosa (ANC) Justice Chris Fismer (NP) Home Affairs Penuell Maduna (ANC) Arts, Culture, Science & Technology Winnie Mandela (ANC)* Finance Alec Erwin (ANC) Welfare Sankie Nkondo (ANC)* Environment Affairs Bantu Holomisa (ANC) Land Affairs Tobie Meyer (NP) Education Renier Schoeman (NP) Safety & Security Joe Matthews (IFP) Agriculture Thoko Msane (ANC)* *women SOME WOMEN MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY National Representatives of the ANC Albertina Sisulu Barbara Hogan Gertrude Shope Nozizwe Madlala Stella Sigcau Dorothy Nyembe Winnie Mandela Melanie Verwoerd Thenjiwe Mthintso Sankie Nkondo Baleka Kgositsile Pregs Govender Ruth Mompati Lydia Kompe Mavivi Manzini Ivy Gcina Gill Marcus Ela Gandhi Thandi Modise Joyce Mashamba Nkosazana Zuma Phumzile Ngcuka Nosiviwe Maphisa Ellen Khuzwayo Frene Ginwala Zou Kota Geraldine Fraser Lindiwe Sisulu Jenny Schreiner Feroza Adam Bridgette Mabandla Lindiwe Mabuza Sister Bernard Ncube Dipou Peters Adelaide Tambo Ntombi Shope Thoko Msane Jennifer Ferguson Bongi Njobe P.T. Shilubane Girlie Pikoli Makhosazana Njobe Compiled by Rachael Kagan, Women's Project Coordinator, The Africa Fund New York, NY USA/ (212) 962-1210 / 1 June 1994 Article on Women Elected to New Parliament from South Africa's Sunday Times, 29 May 1994. by Janet Wilhelm and Diana Streak From being one of the world's most sexist governments our new Parliament with its 106 strong contingent of women, has emerged as one of the world's most progressive. South Africa has moved from 141st place on the list of countries with women in Parliament, to seventh. This leap underlies the commitment by President Nelson Mandela to a non-sexist South Africa. He has repeatedly made it clear that he considers discrimination against women as abhorrent as racism. In September 1993 the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the world organization of parliaments based in Geneva, polled 171 countries. SA was among the 30 countries whose representation was less than three percent -- a slot it shared with countries like Belize, Morocco, Lebanon, Turkey and Yemen. SA is now among the top 10. Top of the list is the Seychelles, which has almost attained equality with women making up 45.8 percent of its parliamentarians. The other countries in the top 10 are: Finland (39 percent), Norway (35.8 percent), Sweden (33.5 percent), Denmark (33 percent), the Netherlands (29.3 percent), Iceland (23.2 percent), Cuba (22.8 percent) Austria (21.3 percent) and China (21 percent). With a jump from 2.7 percent to 26.5 percent, South African women are now better represented that their British and American counterparts. The new profile of the South African Parliament is symbolized by the appointment of Frene Ginwala as Speaker of the House. Yet, despite these gains, the top echelons of our new government remain bastions of male power. In the 30-member cabinet only two ministerial positions are held by women -- Health Minister (Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma) and Public Enterprise Minister (Stella Sigcau). Three women hold deputy minister posts: Winnie Mandela (Arts, Culture, Science and Technology), Thoko Msane (Agriculture) and Sankie Nkondo (Welfare and Population Development). All nine of the provincial premiers are men. Although women are well represented in the provincial parliaments, they are remarkably absent from the regional executive committees. Of the 90 senators, only 16 are women. But even though women have been left out of the upper structures, they are determined that their presence in Parliament will have an impact. Only the Freedom Front (nine seats) and the African Christian Democratic Party (two seats) lack women MPs. The DP has one (out of seven seats), Dene Smuts, and the PAC also has one (out of five seats), Patricia de Lille. The 10 female IFP MPs (out of a party total of 43 seats) have already formed a parliamentary women's caucus. The 10 NP women MPs (out of a party total of 82 seats) were meeting this week to decide on strategy. A day after the opening of Parliament ANC women MPs were already tackling the content of President Mandela's speech and discussing strategy on women's issues, including the possible establishment of a Ministry of Children. Phumzile Ngcuka, spokesman for the ANC's 84-strong women's caucus (out of a party total of 252 seats), said the priority would be to integrate women's issues in the affairs of state and to "make sure women's issues maintain visibility." The ANC women said they were unhappy with the number of women in the cabinet and would lobby to change this. Another priority would be to tackle the civil service, which had been dominated by "white males". Nomatyala Hangana said the caucus would collect CVs and draw up a data base of women so that they could start identifying women who could be directors-general and commissioners. Article reprinted by Rachael Kagan, Women's Project Coordinator, The Africa Fund, 198 Broadway, NY, NY 10038. *** 28-May-94 *** Title: SOUTH AFRICA-WOMEN: GOVERNMENT URGED TO ADDRESS GENDER ISSUES BY PAUL STOBER JOHANNESBURG, MAY 28 (IPS) - SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN HAVE A STRONG GRIP ON THE REIGNS OF POWER IN THE RULING AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS (ANC) AND ARE SET TO ENSURE THE NEW GOVERNMENT TACKLES THEIR NEEDS.