“The number of better performing companies with 25 percent or more women directors and executive managers continues to decrease from 58 in 2008 to 37 companies in 2010.

“We still have 27 JSE listed companies without even a single woman at directorship or executive management level … We have to find measures to address this abnormality, which is a major indictment on transformation as far as it relates to women in South Africa,” said a concerned Xingwana.

She said the Gender Equality Bill, which the department is working on, will provide them with the necessary legislative authority to hasten the empowerment of women and address issues of enforcement and compliance towards the attainment of the department’s target of 50/50 gender parity.

“The process of consultation with civil society and other stakeholders on the bill is underway, which we expect to culminate at the National Women’s Conference to be held later this year ... the final draft bill will thereafter be submitted to Cabinet for approval by March 2012.”

In an effort to assist women to develop themselves, Xingwana said the department will be working with the Departments of Rural Development and Land Reform as well as Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to ensure that the aspirations of rural women are integrated into the Rural Development Strategy.

As part of the department’s first quarter plans for 2011/2012, the department recently held a national Rural Women’s Summit in Limpopo, which provided a platform for sharing information on how to access various programmes provided by departments involved in the development of the rural poor.

The department is currently engaging with the New Growth Path to highlight the heavy impact of unemployment on women and people with disabilities.

Xingwana said they are also developing a barometer to measure the number of women who will benefit from the five million jobs the country seeks to create in the next 10 years.