More women are being employed in government and their representation in Cabinet has steadily increased, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said on Monday.

"The number of women in government across all salary levels totals more than 600 000 compared to men at more than 500 000," Mlambo-Ngcuka said at the Public Service Gender Indaba in Johannesburg.

She said families and society benefited when women were empowered.

"As you all know, to capacitate a women is to empower society."

Women representation in Cabinet constituted 42.8 percent of deputy minister's positions — and also occupied four premier posts, she said.

In government, women occupied 34 percent of senior management posts.

"For women to reach the equity drive in senior management level, we must encourage other women in the lower ranks to attend skills development and training courses."

Mlambo-Ngcuka called on all women to root-out corruption in government departments and expose sexual harassment and gender discrimination.

"One of the challenges facing our country, which contributes towards poverty, is the fact that women and youth still constitute the majority of the unemployed," she said.

She applauded former president Nelson Mandela and President Thabo Mbeki for their "confidence in women that also paved the way for women to be accorded the necessary recognition in different sectors".

Sapa