COMMISSION

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COMMISSION ON GENDER EQUALITY
29 May 2006
Presentation to the Select Committee on Security
and Constitutional Affairs
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Mandate

• The Commission on Gender Equality was created in
  terms of Section 187 of the South African
  Constitution, to strengthen and deepen
  constitutional democracy in South Africa.
• The Commission on Gender Equality Act 39 of 1996
  charges the CGE with a mandate to promote respect
  for, as well as promote the protection,
  development and attainment of gender equality.

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The South African Constitution S187

• 1) The Commission for Gender Equality must
  protect respect for gender equality and the
  protection, development and attainment of gender
  equality
• 2) The Commission for Gender Equality has the
  power, as regulated by national legislation,
  necessary to perform its functions, including the
  power to monitor, investigate, research, educate
  and lobby, advise and report on issues concerning
  gender equality.
• 3) The Commission for Gender Equality has the
  additional powers and functions as prescribed by
  national legislation.

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Vision

• A society free from gender discrimination and
  oppression.

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Mission

• Promoting, protecting, monitoring and evaluating
  gender equality in all social structures.
• Continuously engaging in cooperative and visible
  partnerships with stakeholders at large.
• Supporting democratic processes by facilitating
  gender equality in society as a whole.

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Strategic objectives

• 1) Monitor, and develop where necessary,
  effective gender monitoring mechanisms for public
  and private institutions to ensure the
  appropriate implementation of gender sensitive
  strategies, policies and programmes
• 2) Develop, manage and conduct information and
  education programmes for the promotion and
  attainment of gender equality
• 3) Evaluate and monitor any Act of Parliament or
  any other law or treaty affecting or likely to
  affect gender equality or the status of women and
  make recommendations and submissions for law
  reform to Parliament with regard thereto
• 4) Investigate any gender-related issues of its
  own accord or receipt of a complaint and
  endeavour to resolve any dispute and rectify any
  act or omission.

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Summary of activities

• Ensuring that principles in the Constitution
  become a reality for all people of SA
• Strengthening an independent and cooperative
  relationship with Parliament
• Engaging with civil society to strengthen womens
  empowerment and political participation
• Mobilising communities around specific gender
  issues
• Participating as a key structure in the National
  Gender Machinery for the promotion of gender
  equality and womens empowerment

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Organogram
Chairperson
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Financial Resources

• Treasury allocation increased from R8m in 1999 to
  R26,4m in 2005/6
• Allocation for 2006/7 R37,7m

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Financial Resources
  1989/ 1999 1999/ 2000 2000/ 2001 2001/ 2002 2002/ 2003 2003/ 2004 2004/ 2005 2005/ 2006 2006/ 2007
Treasury Allocation R8m R10,7m R12,2m R13m R14,9m R17,3m R 21.30 R26,4 R37,7m
Donor Funds R0.62m R1,2m R0,25m R0.3m R1,5m R1.7m R2m R1.7m R1.5m
Requested Budget R20m R22m R25m R30m R34m R39m 39.4m R44m R39,5m
Shortfall R11,3m R10m R12m R16m R18,5m R20,1m R18m R18.3m R0.3m

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Financial Resources

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CGE Finances
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CGE Finances
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CGE Finances
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Donor Funding 2005/6

• Mott Foundation
• Research on Womens Participation in Local
  Governance
• Heinrich Böhl Stiftung
• Gender Opinion Survey
• Premiers Discretionary Fund
• Eastern Cape Province
• European Union
• Civil Society Advocacy Programme (with other
  C9s)

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Public Education and Information

• Develops, manages and conducts information and
  education programmes, including workshops and
  campaigns, for the promotion and attainment of
  gender equality

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Public Education and Information

• Educational Programmes
• Campaigns (27 266 people reached)
• Workshops (9 403 participants)
• National and Provincial Summits
• Exhibitions (28 413 people reached)
• Provincial Gender Dialogues
• Development of resource material
• Conferences

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Public Education and Information

• Information Programmes
• Publications
• Posters, pamphlets, training manuals
• Resource Centre
• Established Resource Centres in Provinces
• Archiving
• Press releases (30)
• Information management
• Website 38508 Visits per Annum
• IT System

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Legal Services

• Investigates gender-related complaints on its own
  accord or upon receipt of a complaint,
• Evaluates and monitors any Act of Parliament or
  any other law or treaty affecting or likely to
  affect gender equality or the status of women and
  through
• Submissions to Parliament with regard thereto
  (N21)
• Advertising Standards Authority of SA
• (N20)

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Complaints

• Total number of complaints received 525
• Intervened in cases (amicus curiae)
• Sidwell Mamitwa/TLPN Shilubane Others TPD
  25411/2002
• Omar v Government of the RSA and others CCT 47/04
• Submitted 20 gender related complaints to
  Advertising Standards Authority of SA
• Also gender-related cases monitored by the CGE

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Complaints (cont.)
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Research

• Monitoring and evaluation activities
• Gender Mainstreaming in
• national and provincial departments, local
  authorities
• Representation and participation of women and men
  in political parties decision-making structures
  (50/50 campaign)
• Gender opinions within civil society

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Provincial Work

• Provincial offices in all provinces
• Mpumalanga and Gauteng to open in 2006
• Each Provincial Office has
• A Provincial Co-Ordinator An Office
  Administrator An Office Assistant An Education
  Officer A Legal Officer A Research Officer
• Provincial work plans developed from National
  StratPlan
• All Offices participate in
• Provincial Gender Machinery meetings and
  activities
• Monitoring of gender mainstreaming and equality
  within provinces, including Equality Courts
• Submissions to Provincial Legislatures

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Collaborative Work

• Government Departments
• Clusters Justice Dept
• Equality Act implementation
• Premiers Discretionary Fund (EC)
• Parliament Portfolio Committees
• NGOs and CBOs special themes
• Other Chapter 9s CSAP, MOUs, elections
• National Gender Machinery
• International, regional and sub-regional work

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Challenges in the external environment

• Gendered nature of HIV/AIDS, child-headed
  households, situation of elderly women, pervasive
  poverty, violence, rape, illiteracy, lack of
  skills and capacity of women to participate in
  socio-political and economic decision-making

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Challenges to the CGE as a C9

• Lack of national infrastructure to implement
  legislative framework is not consonant with
  constitutional / Human Rights framework
• Communication structure and process affecting
  information flow from Parliament and
  government/OSW
• Limited understanding of, and interaction with
  C9s based on constitutional mandate not
  included in processes of government

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Challenges to the CGE as part of the NGM

• Intersection of partners within the NGM and
  positioning of GFPs
• Mandate of CGE vs. interpretation of National
  Policy Framework of OSW
• Limited participation of Provincial Gender
  Machineries / Womens Caucuses
• Funding and capacity of NGM, limits participation
  of partners

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Challenges in terms of the CGE Act

• Measurable outputs required for Commissioners
• Delays in appointment and replacement of
  Commissioners
• Inability to litigate (in terms of CGE Act)
• Harmonising CGE Act with PFMA
• Opportunities to interact directly with
  Parliament in terms of provisions of the Act

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Achievements

• Increased public awareness on issues of gender,
  including schools, the media, civil society
  organisations and private sector
• Sensitized government departments towards issues
  of gender
• Improved representation and participation of
  women in political decision-making
• Inclusion of men in gender programmes

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Impact

• Impact on understanding of gender-based
  discrimination, awareness and opinions on the
  ground
• On civil society level, assisted men and women to
  assert their rights to gender equality
• Impact on local government elections
• Impact on gender-based violence
• Impact on gender-related law reform

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Impact

• Improved maintenance system
• Impact on gender-related complaints of
  discrimination, sexual harassment and precedent
  setting court processes
• Impact on negative stereotyping of women through
  advertisements
• Impact on inclusion of a gender perspective in
  national, sub-regional, regional and
  international processes

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• Thank you