Presentation for Portfolio Committee Women, Children and People with Disabilities 28 August 2012

1. Presentation for Portfolio Committee Women, Children and People with Disabilities 28 August 2012

2. INTRODUCTION This is the first quarter report for the financial year 2012/1013 and provides an overview of performance for the period April to June 2012. As amplified below, roll out of programmes agreed to in the APP have been slower than desired. Whilst this is not expected to delay the annual timelines, Management is taking the necessary corrective action and at this point it’s not necessary to raise any warning bells. This period is also characterised by a number of PFMA compliance processes, including but not limited to finalisation and submission of Annual Financial Statements and the Annual Report to the AGSA and NT, lodging the strategic plan with Parliament, presenting the strategic plan and Annual Performance plan to Parliament

3. RESEARCH DEPARTMENT • Programmes: • For the current financial year the department will be focusing on following work • Policy briefs/ dialogues • Report on the monitoring and evaluation of the Victims Charter (victims charter report) • Gender barometer- specific focus to be on Provincial and Local Government tiers • Monitoring and evaluation of the 365 days action plan • Building capacity and/ skills • Undertaking research on urgent emerging issues (depending on availability of resources)

4. RESEARCH DEPARTMENT • The Victims Charter Report: The department seeks to fulfil CGE’s monitoring and evaluation responsibilities. In 2004, Cabinet approved the South African Services Charter for Victims of Crime (normally referred to as the Victims Charter which highlighted seven rights of victims that had to be observed. Different departments had obligations towards empowerment of victims of violence. The CGE’s mandate was to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Victim’s Charter from a gender perspective. CGE through the Research department has been monitoring the Charter for the past 3 years targeting two (2) departments each year.

5. RESEARCH DEPARTMENT • In the current financial year the Department of health and Department of Correctional Services will be monitored and evaluated. It must also be reported that the department struggled to get the necessary permission to carry out its work. (There were a number of access challenges posed by DCS). • For the reporting period, the department worked on and finalized its plan, which included but not limited to finalization of instruments to be utilized, identification and selection of one stop centres and health facilities and correctional facilities to be evaluated and commencement of field work.

6. RESEARCH DEPARTMENT Gender barometer: This study entails monitoring and evaluating gender mainstreaming in the public sector. The focus for this second phase of the study is Provincial and Local government. The department also concentrated on training stakeholders to ensure that proper information is furnished and that the tool is correctly completed. (The national Report, phase one, some tools were submitted with incomplete information). Implementation of the tool has commenced and two departments (Human Settlement and Public Works and two municipalities will be evaluated.

7. RESEARCH DEPARTMENT The parties participating in this study are supposed to submit completed tool by October 2012. It should be noted that the this web based tool is at its teething stage and a number technical and software problems have been highlighted through various engagements on the tool. The department is concurrently re-designing tool so it becomes simpler. The redesigning work will be finalized in the next quarter. 365 Days Action Plan: The study entails monitoring the implementation of the 365 days National Action Plan. Similarly as with the Victims charter a number of stakeholders, from Public sector, private sector and civil society had committed to number objectives. It must be noted that the future of this planned activity is not clear as DWCPD has indicated that the action plan will be falling under the auspices of the newly created GBV Council and there might be possible changes to it.

8. CRITICAL LEGISLATIVE IMPERATIVES • Policy Briefs: • For the period under review, the Head of the department trained and up-skilled ROs on writing policy briefs. Five draft policy briefs focusing on the following CGE research reports were developed • land study, • widowhood, • private sector, • water study and • Education report The dialogues informed by the policy briefs have been planned to commence in the next quarter.

9. RESEARCH DEPARTMENT The policy briefs are dialogues that the CGE will be holding with different policy makers on recommendations of findings of the above listed research reports. The Water Study Policy Brief reveals general failure by the Water Sector to prioritize gender mainstreaming, in particular a widespread lack of understanding or knowledge of relevant gender policy and legislation at local government level. Education Report reveals that In spite of the 1996 Gender Equity Task Team (GETT) recommendations, Acts and policies aimed at eliminating gender discrimination in the education system, indications are clear that the country is falling short of this realisation. There is a clear need for a Gender Policy to be formulated by the Department of Education so that there is uniformity across all provinces and schools in terms of how measures directed at eliminating gender discrimination are implemented.

10. RESEARCH DEPARTMENT Widowhood study revealed a number of serious issues that require attention of policy makers both in public and private sector; There is an urgent need for the review of legislation relevant to widowhood, including widows’ access to the estate of the diseased. There is a need for visibility of support systems and stakeholders that deal with widowhood so that they can be easily accessible. Continuous monitoring and evaluation of government’s compliance to international and regional treaties that protect the rights of widows is needed, Widows and widowers need to be engaged in stakeholder discussions in identifying unconstitutional practices and beliefs that need to be abolished

11. LEGAL DEPARTMENT Traditional Courts Bill For the period under review the department participated in TCB hearing that were held throughout the country with the objective of participating and presenting the Commission’s position on this bill as well as to monitor how the actual process of the hearings were handled. The department in collaboration with PEI developed a concept document on proposed partnership with one civil society organization on TCB.

12. LEGAL DEPARTMENT • Hearings The department convened a hearing with the South African Football Association (SAFA), to address matters relating to the promotion of women’s football, and gender transformation within SAFA itself. This hearing arose from the CGE’s investigation initiated by a complaint received from the South African Women’s Football Association (SAWFA). This complaint raised concerns around recognition of SAWFA’s membership by SAFA, and inadequate support for women’s football. Flowing from the hearing, the CGE called upon SAFA to provide leadership on gender transformation and mainstreaming of gender in its institutions and programmes.

13. LEGAL DEPARTMENT • Complaints Handled • For the period under review the department received 56 new complaints and closed 76 cases. 231 cases are still active and 71 walk-in complaints /consultations were dealt with. • Litigation

14. PUBLIC EDUCATION AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT Overview •  The department runs a series of interventions which includes but not limited to dialogues, seminars, and information sessions. PEI was involved in the following interventions for the period under review: • Maternity benefits- The department facilitated a follow-up meeting emanating from national dialogue in partnership with COSATU on access to maternity benefits for self-employed women. A number of recommendations were developed, including but not limited to engaging Women’s Ministry and the portfolio committee on labour on non ratification of the ILO Convention on maternity benefits and identification of possible test case to litigate on

15. PUBLIC EDUCATION AND INFORMATION • Consultative dialogue on sex work;- The CGE Research department compiled a draft concept document on Sex Work with a view to stimulate discussions that will inform a formal organizational position on Sew Work/Prostitution. A dialogue was hosted by the department in collaboration with legal department where different stakeholders such as SWEAT, LRC, COSATU, FEDUSA and WLC presented on options relating to decriminalization, legalizing and criminalization of sex work with a view to augment the research synthesis developed.

16. ANNUAL PERFORMANCE TRACKING TABLE CEOPerformance Report for 1 April 2012 to 30 June 2012 - Presentation to PC.doc

17. THANK YOU! DANKIE SIYABONGA