Presentation to the Justice and Constitutional Development Portfolio Committee: 7 November 2007

Presentation to the Justice and Constitutional Development Portfolio Committee:7 November 2007

COMMISSION ON GENDER EQUALITY

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Overview of presentation

1. What were key aspects of the CGE’s strategic/business plan for 2006/7, and in particular what were its key targets?

2. How has the CGE performed in terms of the plan and in particular the key targets? Where you did not achieve these targets, why was this the case?

3. How was the budget allocated for the 2006/7 financial year used?4. What lessons were drawn from the CGE experiences of the 2006/7

financial year? How has this influenced the strategic/business plan for this and future financial years?

5. What are key aspects of the strategic plan for this financial year and the mid-term?

6. What are some of the key challenges facing the CGE and how are these being addressed?

7. Apart from exercising effective oversight, how can the Portfolio Committee be of assistance to the CGE?

8. What are other specific issues that the CGE wants to raise with the Committee?

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Key aspects of the CGE’s strategic plan for 2006/7 and key targets

1. To provide a range of quality and accessible services:

• Develop programmes to promote access to services to improve stakeholder satisfaction

• Strengthen outreach services Achieved

2. To influence legislation and policies to be gender-sensitive:

• Respond to all legislation and relevant policy Achieved

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Performance of the Commission on Gender Equality in 2006/7

Public Education and Information:Develops, manages and conducts information and education programmes, including workshops and campaigns, for the promotion and attainment of gender equality

Research:Undertakes monitoring and evaluation research in all provinces with regard to the implementation and implications of legislation and gender policies and programs

Legal Services:Investigates gender-related issues 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 makes submissions to Parliament with regard thereto.

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National Outreach Record

N of events all provinces

N of participants

Workshops 250 875

Dialogues 22 468

Campaigns 30 19 099

Exhibitions 33 18 300

Constituency estimation

335 38 742 X 200

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National Complaints Record

Nature of the Complaints Files handled Closed Current/pending

Gender Discrimination 32 15 17Domestic Violence 63 19 44Maintenance 49 28 21Divorce 19 10 9Custody& Access 12 6 6Estate 20 7 13Gender-Based Violence 32 14 18Sexual Harassment 26 8 18Labour 32 11 21Unlawful Eviction 5 4 1Claim for Restitution 1 0 1Tradition /Culture 7 6 1Others 41 25 16Total 339 153 186

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Nature of complaint GP LP WC MP NW FS KZN EC NC Total

Gender Discrimination 3 3 15 0 0 0 15 3 1 40

Domestic Violence 7 16 8 0 11 0 9 6 2 59

Maintenance 13 25 0 0 2 7 20 15 6 88

Divorce 7 8 1 0 3 0 3 2 2 26

Custody & access 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 2 2 8

Estate 5 8 1 0 5 4 1 0 0 24

Gender Based Violence 1 5 4 0 0 0 12 9 0 31

Sexual Harassment 1 2 12 0 0 1 9 4 1 30

Labour 4 14 1 0 1 1 9 1 0 31

Unlawful Eviction 0 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 2 7

Claim for Restitution 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Tradition/ culture 0 1 3 0 0 0 5 1 0 10

Other 0 12 12 0 3 0 17 1 8 53

Total 41 96 58 0 28 14 102 44 24 407

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Submissions

Impact of the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination

Equality Legislation and Institutions that Promote Democracy

Civil Unions Bill Sexual Offences Amendment Bill Commission on Gender Equality Act

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Advertising complaints First for Women (television) Teazers Strip Club (billboard) Teazers (newspaper)

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Court Monitoring

Eastern Cape: 18 KwaZulu-Natal: 20 North West: 4 Free State: 4 Western Cape: 10 Northern Cape: 8 Limpopo: 25

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Amicus Curia

Shilubane Chieftaincy matter Masiya matter Pensionable age matter

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Monitoring of compliance to international and regional instruments

Monitoring of international, regional and sub-regional instruments and substantive input

Participation in World Conferences (CSW, 4th WCRW)

Participation in international meetings: Commonwealth and meetings of UN agencies

Interaction with foreign delegations

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Research

Widowhood research Assessment of capacity and implementation of

gender mainstreaming policy in the public sector: Annual Report Card and Gender Barometer

Assessment of gender responsiveness in education policy

Education Women in Local government HIV/AIDS

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Communication

Communication support for line functions Media relations

Interviews, press briefings, press conferences, pressstatements, responses to media enquiries

Public / stakeholder relations Website development, maintenance &

monitoring Development of stakeholder database

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Expenditure in terms of budget allocation for 2006/7

CGE Budget 2006/7Division of Funding

Chair22%

CEO10%

CO O3%

Legal8%

PEI6%

Research5%

Finance6%

NW4%

FS4%

KZN4%

MPL4%

LIM4%

GTN5%

NC5%

EC5%

WC5%

ChairCEOCO OLegalPEIResearchFinanceNWFSKZNMPLLIMGTNNCECWC

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Expenditure in terms of budget allocation for 2006/7

Programme Expenditure

1%

56%15%

16%

12%

Capital ExpenditurePersonnel ExpenditureComissioner RemunerationOperational ExpenditureProgramme Expenditure

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Expenditure in terms of budget allocation for 2006/7

2006/7 Distribution of Funding

16%

19%

16%22%

27%

Public Education & Information

Legal Services

Research

Commisioners Office

Admin & Support

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Influences of 2006/7 on strategic planning for 2007/8

1. Revised structure: Communication & IT2. Building capacity in HR, Finance department3. Under-spending: non-appointment of commissioners (affecting range of

expenditures incl. salaries), staff resignations, national conferences not taking place (GBV & widowhood)

4. Collaboration with C9s is essential – MOU to be developed amongst ourselves to maximize information management e.g. on complaints

5. Reviewing relationship with ASASA to ensure CGE’s independence is not compromised

6. Revision and strengthening of outreach strategy7. Detailed formulation of goals and objectives around thematic areas in

next stratplan8. Inclusion of HIV/AIDS as a thematic area (previously cross-cutting)9. Litigation strategy to be developed10. M&E of government departments and framework of reporting to be

implemented for NGM and GFPs through Gender Barometer (cost & time saving)

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Key aspects of stratplan for 2007/8

Integrated approach to service delivery: research / legal / PEI

Formulated 6 broad goals, to be taken up in the next stratplan and mid-term:

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Goals of the strategic plan for 2007/8 and the mid-term (cont.)

1. Cooperating with strategic partners and cognizant to HIV/AIDS and poverty, the CGE works towards the creation of a violence-free society through the reduction of gender-based violence

2. In partnership with civil society and through improved frameworks and systems for monitoring, evaluation and reporting, the CGE becomes the national authority on gender equity compliance, gender mainstreaming and promoting gender best practice

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Goals of the strategic plan for 2007/8 and the mid-term (cont.)

3. The CGE takes advantage of opportunities to collaborate with the National Treasury and StatsSA on their longitudinal research processes, with the view to ensuring that such studies take into account the impact of poverty on poor women and gender equality.

4. The CGE evaluates the role South African cultures, religions and traditions pay in contributing towards gender inequality and work towards rectifying these inequalities

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Goals of the strategic plan for 2007/8 and the mid-term (cont.)

5. The CGE strengthens the national gender machinery in order for it to become more effective in promoting gender equality and SA constitutional democracy

6. The CGE becomes a responsive, efficient and accountable learning organisation with the necessary policies, processes, systems, structure and resources to deliver quality products/services in the fulfillment of its mandate

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Key challenges facing the CGE and how are these being addressed?

1. Dealing with entrenched gender inequality and patriarchy2. Implementation of legislation and law enforcement by officials – e.g.

maintenance complaints3. Many people do not know the content of the Constitution and have little

knowledge of C9s (incl. media)4. Amendment of previous statutes that violate the Constitution (i.r.o.

“Bantustans” former homelands)5. Capacity of National Gender Machinery, status of structures in provincial

parliaments6. Limited/lack of resources for gender transformation structures to participate7. Reaching out to remote rural areas, lack of programmes for young women,

HIV/AIDS8. Easy flow of information from Dept. of Foreign Affairs to enable CGE to

participate in sub-regional, regional and international activities9. Lack of access to country reports in time for monitoring

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Challenges (cont.)

1. Developing strategies to retain staff2. Review of CGE’s PPR&R3. Delays in appointment of commissioners4. Uneven distribution of skilled people across the

country – impact on appointment of CGE staff5. Remoteness of rural areas – impact on access

and outreach of CGE

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How can the Portfolio Committee be of assistance to the CGE?

1. Conditions of service for commissioners2. Challenging the Treasury Central Evaluation

Committee criteria for grading the C9s3. Equality Review Committee – equal status to be

given to C9s4. Committee to ensure that recommendations in

annual report are implemented and referrals to other parliamentary committees are made

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Specific issues that the CGE wants to raise with the Committee

1. Access to country reports to enable CGE to comment: SADC, AU, Nepad, APRM

2. Revision of CGE Act3. Active participation of committee members

in CGE stratplan development

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Thank you