Men and women cannot sit around the same table and be equal in income

Gender parity is such an important electioneering tool because parties know that, over the years, by commission and omission, there has been a feminisation of poverty.

Women have had to bear the brunt of this disadvantage, without their consent, whether it is through child maintenance defaulters, not having maternity leave, or suffer a pay discrepancy, compared to their male counterparts at work.

One example is female artists who must “put their hearts on the back burner” while pregnant because the industry does not seem receptive to their pregnancies.

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Why, with all the advancements of our times, is it impossible for pregnant artists to secure work?

Why must pregnant women who appear on our television screens conceal their bumps?

And during elections, how many women made the cut to have their face adorn the ballot paper? How many make parliamentary and premier candidate lists?

I refuse to believe that the women within the ruling party have not done enough to rise through the ranks.

Are we only good enough in small doses?

It is very rare to hear that a man has had to remove himself from the workplace to raise his children.

It is always a woman. Possibly because the man earns more. It is clear a man and woman cannot sit around the same table and be equal in income.

If you beg to disagree, Banyana Banyana serves as the perfect example: better-performing than the male squad, lesser paid.

Why are more sponsors not willing to come to the table? Why are they less marketed by the South African Football Association (SAFA)?

READ MORE: Banyana Banyana deserve handsome pay

The answer? They are just not equal on the basis of gender.

Poverty is feminised because of an unequal society where women are so desperate to remain employed that there is no space to argue for equality in income.

We continue to work hard – but we are just never good enough to break the glass ceiling.

While there are some breakout “stars”, they are unlikely to be replaced, once they leave.

So I ask of bosses: let the sun shine on women too – but I’m not hopeful.