The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) in partnership with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government, and various government entities will launch Women’s Month 2023 on Tuesday 1 August 2023, in Durban, KZN.

The 2023 Women’s Month will be commemorated under the theme “Accelerating Socio- Economic Opportunities for Women’s Empowerment”.

The focus for the 2023 Women’s Month programme will be on acceleration of socio-economic programmes and activities that are undertaken across different economic sectors to fast track gender mainstreaming across these initiatives; create more opportunities for women’s inclusion and empowerment; enable women to either take up employment in these sectors or develop their entrepreneurship or businesses.

“Women’s month is a time to highlight the plight of women and equally reflect on the strides that we have made as the country in the advancement of women’s socio-economic emancipation. To launch the 2023 women’s month in KwaZulu-Natal at a time when we are hosting various BRICS women events is major boost not only for the women of the Province and the country but the whole of the Global South” said Nomusa Dube-Ncube, Premier of KwaZulu-Natal.

Opportunities that exist in the oceans economy/blue economy for women will also take centre stage. This sector has several areas with existing value chains that the empowerment programmes for women, young women and women with disabilities (WYPD) can leverage on for their socio-economic advancement.

However, August month will not only focus on the initiatives within the oceans economy sector, but will include initiatives within the agricultural sector, green economy; waste sector, manufacturing sector, technology and innovation sector, among others in the country.

August 9th marks the commemoration of National Women’s Day annually in South Africa. This day was declared a National Day in 1994, a day commemorating the historic achievements of women stalwarts in the struggles against oppression, subjugation and disenfranchisement; as well as the pursuit of women’s empowerment, advancement and the achievement of gender equality.

The launch of Women’s Month will take form of a BRICS Business Breakfast where the Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will deliver the keynote address.

Source: Government of South Africa