Deputy Minister Dr Pilane-Majake urges successful female leaders to foster a culture of empowerment among themselves

Deputy Minister for the Public Service and Administration, Dr Chana Pilane-Majake, called on the gathering of 200 mostly female leaders and managers to use their influence to empower women still climbing the ranks of the Public Service.

In the keynote address delivered at the start of the inaugural Public Service Women in Leadership Retreat yesterday at the Sun City Convention Centre in the North West Province, Deputy Minister Dr Pilane-Majake acknowledged progress in women’s empowerment in most sectors of society. She however cautioned that the current statistics show that more ground needs to be covered, given the feminised face of unemployment, inequality, and poverty.

Deputy Minister Dr Pilane-Majake urged those women who had made it to positions of influence in various sectors of society to “take someone” with them and not kick away the ladder once they reach the top.

“Taking someone with you means not forgetting where you come from as a woman wherever we are,” she said.

The inaugural Public Service Women in Leadership Retreat was organised in collaboration with the DPSA, the North West Province  Office of the Premier, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Scheduled to conclude on 30 August, the retreat serves as a fitting conclusion to the country’s 2023 Women’s Month programme.

On August 9, 1956, nearly seven decades ago, thousands of women marched to Pretoria’s Union Buildings to protest the apartheid regime’s severe Pass Laws. In recognition of this historic day, Deputy Minister Dr Pilane-Majake instructed the female senior managers and leaders to “reflect on [their] role in Government and the extent to which [they] are contributing to changing the socio-economic imbalances that continue to have a negative impact on the lives of women”.

The three-day retreat, according to Deputy Minister Dr Pilane-Majake, is just one of many efforts to improve the situation of women in society, with much more to be done.

“A catalytic approach is required to develop practical interventions for women’s advancement and inclusion in all trade and business-driven departments and state institutions…towards economic inclusion of women that will, in general, accelerate economic growth with improved GDP for a better life for all,” said Deputy Minister Dr Pilane-Majake.

Senior managers from the DPSA and the National School of Government (NSG) also spoke during the first day of the retreat, delivering updates on the National Implementation Framework towards the Professionalisation of the Public Service. In addition to discussions on a range of pertinent issues that women leaders and managers continue to face in the Public Service, the retreat will serve as a platform for launching the UNDP Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions, which will be implemented in partnership with the DPSA.