Today, 8 March 2022, marks International Women’s Day – a day to commemorate and celebrate the vital role women play all over the world. In the global parliamentary space, only 26% of women occupy parliamentary seats across the world. 

Over the years, there have been notable and significant advances in the overall number of women represented in the national Parliament and provincial legislatures. According to Parliament’s current composition, the National Assembly comprises 49% women representatives, and the National Council of Provinces 43%. Generally, the country has progressed and is ranked as “one of the most gender-diverse parliaments” across the globe.

The Legislature has two dedicated committees for women, namely the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disability and the Joint Multi-Party Women’s Caucus, that focus on gender issues.

The  Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disability has an oversight function: it oversees the performance of the Department and the Commission on Gender Equality. Its core focus is the empowerment of women and other marginalised groups.

The  Joint Multi-Party Women’s Caucus is more of an advisory body, and is a platform for women Parliamentarians to champion gender equality and women’s issues in and outside of Parliament, across party political lines.

Portfolio Committee of Women, Youth and Persons with Disability

This Committee was first established in 2009.

In its fifth term legacy report, the Committee highlighted that government programmes and initiatives for women are not adequately resourced and prioritised.

It was particularly concerned about the participation of women in the economy and the lack of an overarching plan to deal with Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in an integrated manner that involves government and civil society.

Another area of concern was the slow pace of progress with regards to gender mainstreaming and gender responsive budgeting.

Read the Committee’s legacy report here.

Since the beginning of the year, the Committee has held multiple briefings with the Commission on Gender Equality on the following progress reports: Transformation in the Public and Private Sector; State of Shelter in South Africa-2021; Commission for Gender Equality Report on an investigation into choice of termination of pregnancies in South Africa-2021; Elections and Gender Mainstreaming; Gender Transformation in Procurement; and more. Read here.

During these briefings, MPs emphasised follow-up in the implementation of the various Commission recommendations.

 

The Joint Multi-Party Women’s Caucus (MPWC)

The MPWC was re-established at the start of the Fifth Parliament, in 2014.

While the Committee created awareness and made initial progress in some areas, it did not achieve all of its objectives and identified these focus areas in the 6th Parliament:
-increasing the number of women represented in decision-making positions, including advocating for legislation on gender quotas -the provision of free sanitary products to indigent women and girls -lobbying for the decriminalisation of sex work -Women and health focussing on cancer and other sexual and reproductive health rights - Dealing with GBV and femicide

Read the Committee’s legacy report here

Gender issues should not be tokenised on days of commemoration. Instead they should be visible throughout the year and not only on this month. Follow both structures to track their work and get involved.