South Africa and the Kingdom of the Netherlands have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at advancing the socio-economic empowerment of women, youth and persons with disabilities, turning decades of diplomatic goodwill into a concrete programme for inclusion.
The agreement was signed in Pretoria on Monday by Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Lydia Chikunga, and the Netherlands’ Ambassador to South Africa, Joanne Doornewaard, according to SAnews.
“In signing this Memorandum of Understanding, we are transforming our historic diplomatic goodwill into tangible socio-economic opportunities for the citizens of both our nations,” Chikunga said at the ceremony.
Building on a Strong Foundation
The pact builds on the Joint Commission of Cooperation the two countries signed in 2015, and creates a framework for exchanging expertise on policy-making that advances equality and participation. The Netherlands ranks among South Africa’s major investors and trading partners, and is one of the country’s largest sources of international tourists.
Chikunga thanked the Dutch government for backing the Empowerment of Women Working Group, which South Africa chaired during its G20 Presidency. Cooperation under the new agreement will carry forward several G20 legacy projects, including:
- A national Care Economy Strategy to recognise, reduce and redistribute unpaid care work while creating jobs in the care sector;
- Programmes promoting positive masculinity, engaging men and boys in the fight against gender-based violence;
- A Disability Inclusion Nerve Centre of Excellence to strengthen implementation of the White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The Minister noted that the signing falls in a landmark year: South Africa marks the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Women’s March, the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Youth Uprising, and 30 years of its Constitution. She said the partnership should honour the more than 20,000 women who marched on the Union Buildings, and give practical expression to the dreams of the Class of 1976.
From Paper to Progress
Deputy Minister Mmapaseka Letsike, delivering the closing remarks, said the agreement’s success will be measured by real change in people’s lives. “The significance of today will not be determined by how carefully the document is worded… It will be determined by what changes after we leave this room,” she said, as reported by SAnews.
A bilateral working group will develop a two-year implementation plan, monitor progress and submit annual reports. Letsike called for civil society organisations, youth formations, disability groups and researchers to be actively involved, stressing that disability initiatives must be shaped by persons with disabilities themselves, in line with the principle of “Nothing About Us Without Us”.
Chikunga urged officials from both countries to finalise an implementation plan before the end of August, and pointed to agriculture as a promising arena, where Dutch expertise could boost South African women’s economic participation through skills development, technology transfer and market access.
“This MoU cannot and should not gather dust,” the Minister said.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
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