Cape Chamber calls for Parliament to focus on unemployment

Lusanda Bill
31 January 2014

The Cape Chamber of Commerce has called on Parliament to stop wasting time on unrealistic legislation and focus on real problems such as the economy and unemployment among the youth. 

President of the Chamber Janine Myburgh said in the mining, engineering and construction industries more than 90% of those employed are men, so it will be an impossible task to find the qualified women to fill half the management jobs in these major industries.

Myburgh said Parliament should understand that in our democracy people have the right to choose their own career path and naturally some career paths would be more appealing to women then to men in order to rectify the gender imbalance in certain professions.

“Interventions need to happen at an early education stage and in a holistic fashion along with social engineering.  However most importantly for business the role of the legislature is to remove barriers and red tape and not to create barriers which the Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill will do” Myburgh added.