KwaZulu-Natal Premier Honourable Thamsanqa Ntuli delivered a powerful address and tabled key resolutions during the 2025 sitting of the KwaZulu-Natal Women’s Parliament, held at Inkosi Mzondeni Hall in Mtubatuba Local Municipality on Friday, 8 August 2025.
The session formed part of the province’s official Women’s Month programme, and brought together women leaders from government, civil society, traditional leadership, and grassroots movements to deliberate on pressing issues facing women and girls in KwaZulu-Natal.
Premier Ntuli used the platform to champion gender equality, women’s empowerment, and societal transformation, describing the Women’s Parliament as a vital engine of accountability and participatory democracy.
“We are here not to speak on behalf of women, but to listen, act, and build lasting solutions that empower women to lead, protect, and prosper,” said Premier Ntuli.
In tabling the resolutions of the 2025 Women’s Parliament, the Premier highlighted the urgent need to confront gender-based violence, economic exclusion, underrepresentation in leadership, and challenges in accessing quality education, healthcare, and justice.
He called on society to take inspiration from iconic historical women leaders, including Queen Mthaniya, Princess Mkabayi kaJama, and others who fearlessly shaped the course of their communities and the nation through their courage and leadership.
“These women were not just figures of history—they were nation-builders. Their legacy is a challenge to us: to fight social ills with boldness, to lead with vision, and to change the narrative of what it means to be a woman in South Africa today,” Premier Ntuli declared.
The Premier also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implementing policies that prioritise women’s economic participation, gender-responsive budgeting, and inclusive governance. He stressed the importance of placing women at the centre of decision-making and development processes across all sectors of society.
Deliberations at the Women’s Parliament included issues such as:
• Strengthening support for survivors of GBV
• Promoting access to land and economic opportunities for rural women
• Accelerating inclusion in leadership roles within government and traditional institutions
• Investing in education for girls, especially in under-resourced areas
The resolutions adopted during the sitting will inform provincial policy implementation and advocacy efforts through the Office of the Premier and relevant departments.
“We cannot speak of a just society when half of the population is still marginalised. Empowering women is not an act of charity—it is a national imperative,” concluded Premier Ntuli.
The 2025 Women’s Parliament reaffirmed KwaZulu-Natal’s commitment to building a province where all women live free from violence, exclusion, and discrimination, and where they thrive as leaders, innovators, and protectors of future generations.