The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape has expressed its disquiet over the proposed Employment Equity Draft Regulations and its potential negative effects on women in the province.

The party maintains that implementation of the Draft Regulations giving effect to section 15A of the Employment Equity Act and relying on gender-based employment targets would exacerbate gender disparities in the labour market.

The party has decried these targets and contends that virtually every sector sets higher targets for men than women.

“Higher quotas for men across various sectors and occupational levels are troubling, because as labour force statistics show – women are more acutely affected by unemployment than men. According to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey, the unemployment rate amongst women is 4.7 percentage points higher than the male rate,” said DA Western Cape finance spokesperson Cayla Murray.

The DA contends that an evidence-based approach is required to address the principal causes for underrepresentation and opined that the current approach, which relies on numerical targets, is ill-conceived and may lead to inadvertent consequences. 

Further, the party has noted the need for a comprehensive consultative process which includes women to address inequality in the labour market.

“Education and skills development are key factors in addressing labour market imbalances. By focusing on high-quality education and aligning curricula with marketable skills, the party aims to provide better opportunities for women and all citizens to participate fully in the labour force and contribute to economic growth,” Murray said.

The party will be marching to protest against the Draft Regulations in Cape Town on Wednesday.