Johannesburg - Women in Gauteng were hardest hit by the job losses in the
second quarter of the year, Gauteng health and social development
MEC Qedani Mahlangu said on Monday.
"The unemployment rate among women is 26% compared to 22% amongst men. This is significant, given the fact that women
constitute a higher percentage of the population," she said in her
budget speech.
"The feminisation of poverty is further confirmed by the
concentration of job losses among women, with an estimated 68 000
women losing their jobs as domestic workers from April until June
2009."
Mahlangu's department will skill over 4 700 young people as part
of its bid to reduce poverty and create jobs, she said.
Her R1.9bn social development budget would be used to
provide skills such as plumbing, life skills, computer training,
business skills, and carpentry.
Mahlangu said her department would partner with the parastatals
Telkom, Eskom and Transnet to train young people to participate in
the labour market.
Ninety percent of all contracts entered into would be awarded to
previously disadvantaged individuals and small and medium
enterprises.
Mahlangu said 4 000 volunteer community care-givers, mostly
women, would be trained in home-based care centres.
"Seventy-nine youths, mainly women, participating in social
worker bursary programmes will be employed by the department in
support of retention strategy for social work and other related
scarce skills," she said.
Mahlangu's health budget was aimed at prioritising patient care.
She announced an increase in anti-retroviral treatment sites
from 69 to 83 by the end of this financial year.
"The number of people receiving anti-retroviral treatment at
these sites will also be increased from 100 000 to 250 000,
including 20 000 children," she said.
Her department would increase the number of workers, the
acquisition of equipment and improve working conditions of staff at
public hospitals, she said.
These include the Chris Hani Baragwanath, Charlotte Maxeke
Johannesburg Academic, Dr George Mukhari, Steve Biko Academic,
Tembisa, Natalspruit, Helen Joseph, Leratong, Kalafong and Tambo
Memorial hospitals.
- Sapa
Source : Sapa