Disability Rights Awareness Month launched in Northern Cape

The Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, has called on society to build a truly inclusive South Africa.

Speaking at the launch of Disability Rights Awareness Month (DRAM) 2025 at the Supported Employment Enterprise (SEE) Factory in Kimberley, Chikunga emphasised the need for collaboration to remove barriers that marginalise people with disabilities.

This year's theme, "Celebrating 30 Years of Democracy: Creating Strategic Multisectoral Partnerships for a Disability-Inclusive Society," is a call to action for government, business, academia, and civil society to work together. Chikunga highlighted the SEE Factory as a model of what is possible when these sectors collaborate to transform ability into opportunity and dignity.

However, Chikunga expressed deep concern about the ongoing exclusion of people with disabilities from education and the economy. Unemployment among people with disabilities exceeds 80% in some regions, which she described as "deliberate structural abandonment."

She also raised concerns about the vulnerability of women with disabilities to gender-based violence.

To address these challenges, the department has approached the Minister of Public Service and Administration to issue a Ministerial directive to compel all departments to employ people with disabilities. Additionally, SEE factories will now be able to supply goods directly to government departments and entities without undergoing lengthy tender procurement processes.

Chikunga emphasised that the real test of government is whether inclusion moves from paper to practice. She envisioned a society where people with disabilities can move freely, access education and employment, and participate fully in all aspects of life.