COMMISSION ON GENDER EQUALITY

1. COMMISSION ON GENDER EQUALITY Budget Report 2006/7 01 June 2007

2. Vision A society free from unlawful and unfair gender-based discrimination and oppression.

3. 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.

4. Constitutional Mandate • The Commission on Gender Equality is an independent statutory body, established in terms of Section 187, Chapter 9 of the Constitution of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996. The powers and functions of the CGE are detailed in the Commission on Gender Equality Act 39 of 1996. In terms of Section 11(1), the CGE must: • Monitor all organs of society to ensure that gender equality is respected, protected, developed and attained. • Assess all legislation from a gender perspective. • Conduct research and make recommendations to Parliament and other authorities. • Educate and inform the public. • Investigate complaints on gender-related issues. • Monitor South Africa’s progress towards gender equality and compliance with international norms. • Liaise and interact with various institutions, bodies or authorities, as well as with civil society, to promote gender equality.

5. Strategic objectives • 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 programs • Develop, manage and conduct information and education programs for the promotion and attainment of gender equality • Evaluate and monitor and Act of Parliament or any other law or treaty affecting or likely to affect gender equality or the status of women and make recommendations to Parliament with regard thereto; • Investigate any gender-related issues on its own accord or upon receipt of a complaint and endeavour to resolve any dispute and rectify any act or omission

6. Regular corporate activities • Updating of Principles, Policies, Rules and Regulations • Corporate Governance Charter • Performance Management • Skills Development • Employment Equity • Risk Management & Fraud Prevention • Pension Fund Management • Supply Chain Management • Internal Auditing • Audit Committee • External audit • Strategic Planning • Internal Review • Reporting to Parliament

7. Human Resources

8. Financial Resources • Treasury allocation increased from R8m in 1998/9 to R37.8m in 2006/7 • Current allocation for 2007/8 is R39,7m

9. Financial Resources

10. Financial Resources

11. Budgeted personnel expenses

12. Distribution of Funding

13. Programme Expenditure

14. Division of funding

15. EXTERNAL FUNDERS • Mott Foundation • Research on Women’s Participation in Local Governance • Heinrich Böhl Stiftung • Gender Opinion Survey • Premier’s Discretionary Fund • Eastern Cape Province • European Union • Civil Society Advocacy Programme (with other C9s)

16. Communications • Media relations: Interviews, press briefings, press conferences, press statements & responses to media enquiries • Publicity & marketing for the CGE • Public Relations • Website development, maintenance & monitoring • Development of stakeholder database • Communication support for line functions

17. Programmes 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.

18. Research • Gender implications of Widowhood • Assessment of capacity of the Department of Education in infusing gender in the school curriculum - Annual Report Card • Development of the Gender Barometer Report for South Africa • Gender, HIV/AIDS and the Elderly Survey • Country Compliance Monitoring through United Nations of the Commission on the Status of Women • infusion of gender in national, sub-regional, regional and international processes that are developing human right treaties. • Review of the National Gender Machinery of South Africa

19. Most Pervasive Gender Equality Concerns in 2006/7 • Femicide • Rape (male and female) • HIV/AIDS • Abuse and sexual offences against boy and girl children • Domestic violence, lack of maintenance payment and secondary victimization by the justice system • Teenage pregnancy • Boy-to-boy violence in schools • Witch-hunting, ritual murders • Exploitation and financial abuse of widows and elderly people • Offences and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation • Sexual harassment, unfair labour practices, bullying and abuse of women on all levels in the workplace • Gender-based violence against people with disability

20. Public Education and Information Educational Programmes • Campaigns, workshops, dialogues • Development of resource material Information Programmes • Publications that are posted to the CGE website • Resource Centres • Exhibitions • Archiving of all CGE documentation electronically and in hard copy forma Information Technology Support • IT Policy for CGE • IT Support and Maintenance

21. PUBLIC EDUCATION & INFORMATION

22. Legal Services • Complaints Manual and Procedure revised and updated • Database of complaints and statistics developed • Opinions and submissions on media and advertisements • Responses to on-line, written, telephonic and walk-in enquiries and complaints • National Court Coverage Plan • Legal research, court monitoring and amicus: • Shilubane matter • Pensionable age • Masiya matter

23. Legal Services

24. Legal Services • Total complaints handled in 2006/ 2007 = 407 • Total complaints finalized in 2006/ 2007 = 153 The CGE had handled 407 complaints in the current financial year. Out of 407 files, 153 files were finalized during this financial year, which constitute +/- 44% of the complaints received. The CGE is currently handling 186 complaints from all 9 provinces.

25. Legal Services Submissions: Impact of the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Equality Legislation and Institutions that Promote Democracy Civil Union Bill Sexual Offences Amendment Bill

26. Challenges emanating from the CGE Act • Dealing with entrenched gender inequality and patriarchy that distorts the gender course • Broad mandate vs resource allocation • Structured Relationship with the Executive – budget vote, standing committee for Chapter Nines, • Alignment of roles of the National Gender Machinery partners

27. General Challenges • Monitoring Implementation and enforcement by state agencies of laws passed by parliament to eradicate gender discrimination – e.g. systems of dealing with maintenance orders, gender based violence etc. • Amendment of old statutes that violate the Constitution and are discriminatory on the basis of gender • Availability and easy flow of information from Dept. of Foreign Affairs to enable CGE to monitor sub-regional, regional and international activities on gender related treaties.

28. Achievements • Increased awareness of women’s rights; increased number of women asserting their rights and reporting crimes • Increased participation of women in political decision-making • Increased awareness of the CGE and its role in society • Men becoming advocates of gender issues

29. International Work • Monitoring of international, regional and sub-regional instruments and substantive input • Participation and facilitation in World Conferences (CSW, 4th WCRW) • Participation in international meetings (Commonwealth) and meetings of UN Agencies • Interaction with foreign delegations • Facilitated with stakeholders the process of elevating the SADC Gender and Development Declaration into a Protocol.

30. Outreach and Accessibility • Provincial Offices established in all provinces • Increased public outreach • Increase in complaints successfully completed • Strengthened relationship with local governments • Increased collaborative work

31. Strategic impact • On the policy and legislative framework and access to justice • On government, public sector programs and service delivery • On effectiveness of civil society • On identification and removal of discriminatory practices, customs and beliefs

32. Thank you