Committee programme 2003; Annual Report 2002: finalisation; Office on the Status of Women; Commission on Gender Equality: briefi

Meeting report

JOINT MONITORING COMMITTEE ON IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY OF LIFE AND STATUS OF WOMEN
7 February 2003
COMMITTEE PROGRAMME 2003; ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2002: FINALISATION; OFFICE ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN PROGRAMME; COMMISSION ON GENDER EQUALITY PROGRAMME 2003: BRIEFING

Chairperson: Ms L Xingwana (ANC) and Ms P Themba (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Committee Programme 2003 (Appendix)
Committee Annual Report 2002
Office on the Status of Women Presentation

SUMMARY
The Committee finalised its programme for 2003 and adopted its 2002 annual report. The Office on the Status of the Women in the Presidency also presented its programme for the year 2003. The OSW has been appointed to become a member of the UN Committee on the Status of Women until 2006. The Commission on Gender Equality also highlighted some of its envisaged projects for 2003. They will be involved in an International Conference on Women and Power, which will be hosted in partnership with UNITRA in July. The CGE noted that there is a great deal of commonality between some of their programmes and they should share resources, especially since the CGE is lacking financial resources.

MINUTES
Committee Programme for 2003
The Chair noted that in 2003 the Committee would focus mainly on poverty, popularising the national gender policy, strengthening of the national gender machinery and the African Union and NEPAD.

The Committee unanimously adopted the programme, as updated.

Committee Annual Report for 2002
The Committee noted that some Members' attendance was incorrectly registered. Therefore the Committee clerk should re-look at the issue and correctly register them.

Ms D Nhlengethwa (ANC) noted that some Members usually give apologies when they are not going to be present in meetings. However the report does not have a column to that effect and without that column it reflects badly on those Members' attendance and discipline in the Committee.

The Chair noted the concerns raised by Ms Nhlengethwa. However she said that the report follows the precedent given by Parliament and this would be communicated with the Chair of Chairpersons Committee.

The Committee unanimously adopted the report.

Office on the Status of Women Programme for 2003
Ms S Nkomo, representing the Office of the Status of Women office in the Presidency, noted that there is a SADC conference envisaged for this year, which would be hosted by Women Partnership on AIDS. The OSW has a role to play in terms of its policy and that is to ensure that all policies emanating from the Departments are gender mainstreamed. The objective of the Office is to ensure that the Government works for women. The OSW has been appointed to become a member of the UN Committee on the Status of Women until 2006. Therefore a delegation has been invited from various women's structures and organisations.

The Chair noted that it is important for women to determine where they come from and where to go. This would help them to know what to talk about. She noted that the Office of the President should be commended for its role in the uplifting of the women.

Ms Nkomo said that the OSW chose the theme with the intention of advocating women to determine what freedom meant to them since SA is now approaching ten years of freedom.

Ms N Lamani (ANC) endorsed the theme chose by OSW as an appropriate one to inform the people of South Africa on the achievements of the Government over the ten year period.

Commission on Gender and Equality presentation
Commissioner Fester noted that the CGE has not yet finalised its programme. She would only present the final programme to the Committee on 21 February 2003. Among its projects the CGE envisaged a SADC meeting which would take place during March. There would also be an International Conference on Women and Power, which will be hosted in partnership with UNITRA in July. The CGE has projects concerning customary law and Muslim marriages. She noted that there is a great deal of commonality between these programmes and as such they should share resources, especially since CGE is lacking financial resources.

The Chair also concurred that there seems to be an overlap between these programmes and they are therefore all aimed at empowering women; there should be co-operation between them. She noted that in all those cases where they envisage common projects they should come up with a common agenda so that they can share resources. She said that it would be important for the Committee to hold public hearings and invite women, especially those from rural areas.

The meeting was adjourned.

Appendix:

Programme: Joint Monitoring Committee on the Improvement and Status of Women 2003 (draft)

Focus areas:

-Poverty
-Popularising the National Gender Policy
-Strengthening of National Gender Machinery
-African Union/ Nepad

First Quarter (20 January - 16 April 2003)
Planned activities:

Workshop -
Workshop on Budgeting
For members and budgeting officers in departments
(Committee decision on 13 March 2002)

Provincial visits - During April 2003
North West, Gauteng and Northern Cape
[Visits of 2-3 days Monday morning travel, Monday afternoon meetings, Tuesday meetings, Return on Wednesday evening]
To monitor the implementation of the Maintenance Act and the National Instruction on the Domestic Violence Act
(Committee Decision 29 May 2002)

1.3 Gender Machinery Meeting
Pretoria, Burgers Park Hotel

1.4 Visit to CSW - UN Headquarters, New York 3-14 March 2003

1.5 Committee meetings:

Date	Activity
7 February 2003	Annual programme for 2003 Discussion of annual report for 2002 CGE - presenting annual programme for 2003 OSW - presenting annual programme for 2003
18 and 19 February	Gender Machinery meeting (Pretoria)
21 February 2003 (09:00 - 12:00)	Office on the Status of Women Commission for Gender Equality National Gender Policy Framework (30 mins) National Gender Audit (30 mins) Annual programme (20 mins) National Gender Machinery

28 February 2003 (09:00 - 12:00)	Department of Health (30 min) Progress report on BPFA and CEDAW Department of Provincial and Local Government (30 min) Progress report on BPFA and CEDAW Rural Development and Integrated Development Programmes Department of Social Services (30 min) Progress report on BPFA and CEDAW Rural Development and Integrated Development Programmes. Anti-poverty Programme Orphan programme Social Development Services - Grants, Foster Care and Adoption
14 March 2003	Department of Trade and Industry Department of Public Works Progress report on Beijing Platform for Action and CEDAW commitments Rural development and anti-poverty programmes Programmes for small business Inviting also the Portfolio Committee of Trade and Industry and Select Committee of Trade and Industry (Committee - decision 12 March 2002 and 18 October 2002)
Friday, 21 March 2003	HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
Friday, 28 March 2003	Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs Department of Minerals and Energy Affairs Progress report on: Beijing Platform for Action CEDAW commitments Rural Development and anti-poverty programmes Inviting the members of the Portfolio and Select Committees to these meetings

Friday, 4 April 2003	1 Department of Justice 2 South African Law Commission: Progress Report on: Sexual Offences Bill Customary Law of Succession Bill Audit of discriminatory laws Resources for implementation of Acts Invite Portfolio and Select Committees on Justice
Friday, 11 April	Workshop on the Budget
Friday, 18 April 2003	GOOD FRIDAY
EASTER WEEKEND 18 - 21 April
CONSTITUENCY PERIOD 22 April to 9 May	Visit to provinces; Gauteng, North West, Northern Cape Implementation of: 1) Domestic Violence Act 2) Maintenance Act

Second Quarter (12 May - 27 June 2003)

Planned activities:

Workshop -
Workshop with Department of Labour
Basic Conditions of Service legislation
(Committee Decision 6 November 2002)

2.2 Delegation to Europe: France, Germany, Sweden, Norway
(During recess period 30 June - 11 July)
Parity laws and gender representation in legislatures

2.3 Gender Machinery Meeting

2.4 Committee meetings:

Date	Activity
16 May 2003	- Department of Public Service and Administration: Performance contracts signed by them The location of gender focal points Accounting lines
23 May 2003	- Department of Home Affairs: ID documents Birth certificates and pensions Fraudulent marriages - Department of Foreign Affairs: - Overview of the AU structures and the Nepad programme
30 May 2003	Minister for Safety and Security and the Commissioner of the SAPS National Crime Priorities - how does it reflect women's primary and safety needs

6 June 2003	WORKSHOP With Dept of Labour
13 June 2003	Department of Health School Nutrition Scheme Departmental Commitments to Cedaw and Beijing Platform for Action Gender Structure in Department Department of Transport Position of Gender Focal Point in Department Representation of women in decision making structures Safety for women on public transport - Budget provision for transport needs of poor rural women and women with disabilities
20 June 2003	Department of Education Literacy and technical skills programmes - accessibility to women Child abuse in the education sector Education re drug abuse

Third Quarter (28 July - 26 September 2003)
Planned activities:

3.1 Workshop -
1-day Workshop on the work of the Committee
Parliament's role in educating women re the National Gender Policy
(Decision 13 March 2002)


National Women's Day Programme

Gender Machinery Meeting

3.4 Committee meetings:

Date	Activity
1 August 2003	Minister of Housing Housing subsidies - accessibility for women Allocation of houses Programmes/Projects for Women Beijing Commitments and CEDAW
9 August 2003	National Women's Day activities
15 August 2002	Meeting with Women's Budget Initiative partners
22 August 2003	Department of Communication Public education re women's rights Provision made by Department for women to be able to participate in tendering processes as service providers: ICT Programmes to empower women
29 August 2003	Departments of Arts and Culture Cultural Industry Relationship between Department and the music industry Mechanisms to deal with the sexual harassment and exploitation of women in the performing arts Mechanisms to deal with the male domination in the film industry Mechanisms to deal with the media bias against women in the performing arts Status of gender focal point in Department
5 September 2003	Department of Sport and Recreation Where are women placed in departmental programmes? Programmes for women with disabilities Drugs in sport Gendered implications of the programmes Equal practice facilities, awards and banquets, sports bodies and federations, equipment and supplies

13 September 2003	Department of Finance Development indicators and performance evaluation mechanisms to assess the gender impacts of the budget Programmes or projects to ensure that women are incorporated into the financial sector
20 September 2003	Department of Health Training of junior and senior nurses in women's health and reproductive health at primary level - budgetary allocations Which programmes are targeted at women specifically Progress report on MTCT roll-overs Treatment of rape survivors at local level

Fourth Quarter (13 October - 14 November 2003)

Planned activities:


4.1 Planning for 2004

4.2 Gender Machinery Meeting

4.3 Committee meetings:

Date	Activity
24 October 2003	Programme for 2004 Assessment of committee work for 2003 preparation of annual report Consideration of commissioned research report Office on the Status of Women Commission on Gender Equality
31 October 2003	Consideration of Committee's Annual Report 2003