Department of Women in the Presidency on its 2015/16 2nd & 3rd Quarterly performance, with Minister present

Meeting report

The Department of Women (DoW) briefed the Committee on its Quarter 2nd and 3rd Quarterly Reports on Annual Performance Plan 2015/16. The delegation comprised of amongst others Ms Jenny Schreiner, Director-General, Ms Val Mathobela, Chief Director: Strategic Management, Ms Camagwini Ntshinga, Chief Finanacial Officer (CFO) and Mr Dan Sambamba, Parliamentary Liason Officer. Minister Susan Shabangu was also in attendance. Ms Schreiner followed by Minister Shabangu proceeded with opening remarks.

Opening Remarks

Ms Schreiner apologised for the late submission of the briefing documents to the Committee. She said that the constitution of SA was celebrating its 20th anniversary. The African Union also focused on human and women’s rights. The Committee had requested the Department to respond to the State of the Nation Address (SONA) 2016. However, the Department preferred to provide a formal response in writing once the parliamentary debates on the SONA 2016 had been concluded. The DoW had made substantial progress as an organisation. It was trying its utmost to fill vacant posts even though it was hampered by financial constraints. The DoW had endeavoured to put systems in place and had taken the Management Performance Assessment Tool (MPAT) processes into consideration. The DoW had ensured the closing off of its policy review system. All in all, the DoW had made huge progress but there were some challenges which remained.

Minister Shabangu agreed that the DoW had progressed but that challenges like those attached to the restructuring of the DoW still remained. The Department’s limited budget was a huge constraint. The DoW tried to be innovative in the implementation of its mandate. It had met its international obligations. The DoW did however experience backlogs on international instruments. The DoW did have reports on the Human Rights Commission. There were many significant milestones this year. It was the 60th anniversary of the Women’s March. It was also the 40th anniversary of the 16 June 1976 uprising. The African Union had also declared 2016 to be the year of human and women’s rights. It was the 20th anniversary of SA’s constitution. It was also the 60th anniversary of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). The CSW had been formed by four countries in 1956. As a whole there were many issues which influenced the mandate of the DoW. The Committee needed to understand where the DoW was and what challenges it faced. The DoW and the Committee had to share with each other critical areas whilst looking for ways to move forward. The DoW wished to establish a relationship with the Committee so that Members could be part of the DoW’s activities.

Briefing by the Department of Women on its Quarter 2 and 3 Report on Annual Performance Plan 2015/16

Ms Mathobela stated that the revised focus of the DoW required a review of its strategic approach. The Department’s 2015-2021 Strategic Plan and 2015/16 was informed by the National Development Plan (NDP) and the Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF). The fact that the DoW was still in its infancy stage meant that the 2015-16 Annual Performance Plan (APP) contained targets which were almost impossible to achieve due to the manner in which the DoW’s human and financial resources were allocated. This required a review of the APP to ensure alignment with the DoW’s strategic focus and the priorities of the NDP and the MTEF. The core of the DoW’s focus was on socio-economic empowerment and gender equality. It tied in with advocacy/outreach, policy analysis and knowledge sharing as well as with monitoring and evaluation of the impact of government programmes.

Quarter 2 – Annual Performance Plan 2015-16

Quarter 2 performance showed that out of 32 planned targets for the financial year 2015/16, the DoW managed to achieve 14 targets (44%) whilst 18 targets (56%) were not achieved. Specific performance information as per Programme was also presented with detail of targets achieved and not achieved being provided. The DoW had spent 49.7% of its budget as at 30 September 2015.

Programme 1: Administration - Six targets were achieved (75%) whilst two targets (25%) had not been achieved. Programme 1 had spent 54.3% of its budget as at 30 September 2015.

Programme 2: Social, Political and Economic Participation & Empowerment - Zero targets had been achieved whilst seven targets (100%) had not been achieved. Programme 2 had spent 47.4% of its budget as at 30 September 2015.

Programme 3: Research Policy Coordination & Knowledge Management - One target (14%) had been achieved and 6 targets (86%) had not been achieved. Programme 3 had spent 45.9% of its budget as at 30 September 2015.

Programme 4: Monitoring, Evaluation & Outreach - Seven targets (14%) had been achieved and three targets (86%) had not been achieved. 

Quarter 3 – Annual Performance Plan 2015-16

Quarter 3 performance showed that out of 35 planned targets for the financial year 2015/16 the DoW managed to achieve 13 targets (44%) whilst 22 targets (56%) were not achieved. Specific performance information as per Programme was also presented with detail of targets achieved and not achieved being provided. The DoW had spent 75.5% of its budget as at 31 December 2015.

Programme 1: Administration -Ten targets were achieved (63%) whilst six targets (37%) had not been achieved. Programme 1 had spent 77.8% of its budget as at 31 December 2015.

Programme 2: Social, Political and Economic Participation & Empowerment - Out of eleven planned targets none had been achieved. Programme 2 had spent 47.4% of its budget as at 31 December 2015.

Programme 3: Research Policy Coordination & Knowledge Management - Three targets (25%) had been achieved and five targets (75%) had not been achieved. Programme 3 had spent -37.5% of its budget and Monitoring and Evaluation and Outreach sub-programme had spent 60.9% of its budget as at 31 December 2015.

Key performance for Quarters 2 and 3 was that restructuring of the DoW had been finalised and that vacant posts were being filled. The audit function including the Audit and Risk Committee was operational. The Fraud and Risk Management Framework was also approved. Consultations had taken place on its outreach strategy. During Quarter 2 and 3 there were no cases of financial misconduct and as a result no officials were charged. 

Discussion

Ms N Tarabella-Marchesi (DA) asked what the change in the Programmes of the DoW was. She also asked what the challenges were that women faced given the situation analysis by the DoW. What progress was being made on gender based violence? She further asked what progress was made on the economic empowerment of women. On HIV/AIDS, she asked how many women had access to anti-retrovirals. On education, she was aware that Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) was in place but said that the Committee needed statistics on how many women had graduated from universities in 2015. How many women were employed in the formal sector and what was the ratio between male and female? She asked what challenges there were that women faced.

Minister Shabangu addressed the question on gender mainstreaming by government departments and said the Department was almost there. The DoW also urged the DTI to make sure its programmes benefitted women. On oversight by the DoW, departments had to account on how they were progressing on empowering women. Departments that were involved in the economy had to implement the Nine Point Plan. The DoW had developed a reporting template for departments. The DoW did not compile statistics and hence it did not have its own statistics on HIV/AIDS. Statistics were received from Stats SA. The DoW identified gaps which other departments had to fill. Programmes of departments had to respond to challenges faced by women. On the situation analysis of funding part of the Nine Point Plan was to ask what conditions were there in order for women to access funding. Women required mentors and support. On education, the DoW was revisiting STEM. It was an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology. It would be very helpful to have statistics on how many women had graduated from university in 2015 and how many perhaps had been engineers. At present, the DoW simply did not have those statistics. It was important to know why females dropped out of university studies. The DoW was monitoring STEM and it would be relooked at.

Ms M Khawula (EFF) noted that Minister Shabangu was supposed to champion women’s issues yet women were still being disadvantaged and were not emancipated. She had not witnessed the Minister visiting places where women were being downtrodden or were experiencing hardships. What was Minister Shabangu championing? Was what the DoW presenting really achievements considering that physically challenged persons were not being assisted. She felt that Non Profit Organisations (NPOs) were not given enough support. She also felt that greater work should be done on education. Lastly, she asked if enough was being done in checking on business licenses of taverns.

Minister Shabangu noted that the Department of Agriculture had a 50/50 ownership proposal for farm workers and farmers. When this policy and legislation is finalised, women who worked in the kitchens of farmers would not be excluded from ownership. The DoW worked with the Department of Agriculture to ensure that women benefitted. The Department of Agriculture was the implementing department. Agro-processing had to be looked at broadly. The Department of Agriculture was also considering agro-parks which would encourage agri-business. Violence against women was a societal problem. The DoW was working with the South African Police Services (SAPS), civil society and community structures to identify where problems were. Shortcomings in systems had to be identified.  NPOs sat with the Department of Social Development and it was best that it briefed the Committee. The issue of taverns and shebeens was not an easy issue. Perhaps it could be dealt with by the DTI. Members of Parliament had to be activists and could make a huge difference. Parents had to take responsibility for their children. It was not the job of the teacher.

Ms M Cheu (ANC) said that it was all good and well that the DoW wished to provide the Committee with reports but of greater relevance was the issues contained in those reports. The DoW should rather highlight the issues contained in reports. She asked what the analysis of Thuthuzela Care Centres entailed. Clarity would enable Members to comment on the matter. In Quarter 3 under Programme 2 one of the targets not achieved was to analyse mechanisms for the empowerment of women in the infrastructure value chain. The Presidential Directive of 22 September 2015 required the DoW to monitor the implementation of the Nine Point Plan by Energy, Water, Transport and ICT Infrastructure through this process. What was the Department’s plan to deal with issues? The reality was that patriarchy came in various forms. How did the DoW intend to work with Chapter 9 organisations like the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE)?

Minister Shabangu said that universities had to be monitored. The Department of Basic Education was trying to make Maths compulsory. Thuthuzela Centres were trauma centres located in hospitals. The need for them had arisen as no special arrangements had been made for women who had been victims of domestic abuse. The issue was about how to extend it to everybody. She assured the Committee that the DoW would engage with relevant departments. There were some challenges attached to gender focal points but there was improvement. In 2014, President Zuma said that the DoW had to come up with a report on women in the economy. The DoW, working in conjunction with the University of Cape Town, did an analysis on women in the economy. The report was distributed to the Committee in 2015. President Zuma had stipulated that departments were required to report quarterly to the DoW on how they were implementing the findings of the report. Women should be benefitting from participating in economies like the Ocean Economy. Programmes should empower women. The relationship between the DoW and the CGE was difficult but there was nevertheless co-operation. A middle ground had to be found on how to complement each other without there being duplication. The CGE did not report to the DoW. It reported to Parliament. There were targets that had not been achieved but assured the Committee that the DoW in the new financial year would be better structured and more stable. The DoW had to align what it did with the MTSF.

Ms P Bhengu (ANC) observed that the DoW had commented that women had no access to funding. She asked whether the DoW had met with the DTI, the Department of Small Business and the Department of Agriculture given that these departments had funds available to assist women. Was there communication between the DoW and the Departments?

Ms D Robinson (DA) said that the briefing mostly spoke to what the DoW achieved or not achieved. How did the DoW make a real impact? The Committee was not receiving adequate information on the progress made by the DoW. The DoW also needed to provide the Committee with insight into the changes that it had made to its organisation. She complained that often times Members heard of activities pertaining to women after the fact. The DoW was asked to inform the Committee of upcoming events.

Minister Shabangu stated that the DoW’s programme of action would be forwarded to the Committee. She urged Members to raise issues that they encountered with relevant departments. The DoW could not achieve in an environment of confusion. At least the DoW was now in a better position. The DoW was all for the Committee being involved in women’s activities and a schedule of activities would be forwarded to members.  

Ms C Majeke (UDM) pointed out that the local government elections were nearing and felt that women needed to have a say in things that affected their lives. The DoW was asked to single out its biggest challenge. Why were women struggling to access funding? There were enough donors out there willing to invest in women to bring about socio economic development.

Minister Shabangu noted that funding for women was about having financial inclusion. The DoW had developed a discussion document. There needed to be a programme which said that there was a minimum amount of funding set aside for women. Investment for women was needed. The DoW was having discussions with the Department of Small Business. On the local government elections she said that the Municipal Structures Act set a requirement of 50/50. There needed to be implementation.

Ms Khawula said that female police officers only received four months of maternity leave which was lesser than other sectors. Other sectors gave females up to six months of maternity leave.

Minister Shabangu said that there was no written law on maternity leave. Unwritten laws had an adverse effect on women. Women were especially disadvantaged in the mining sector. Women were expected to be wives, mothers and had to sacrifice their professions. The norm for maternity leave was four months. Unions often negotiated for greater maternity leave for its members. In the civil service and the private sector maternity leave was usually four months.

The Chairperson asked when the DoW intended to table its revised Annual Performance Plan (APP) 2015/16.

Minister Shabangu responded that the revised APP had been tabled the present day. It was sent to both Houses of Parliament. The DoW had a change of mandate due to a change in its structure given that it was no longer the Department of Women, Children and Persons with Disability. The DoW had to reprioritise and there was a redefinition of the Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF). With its previous structure the DoW had not gone to the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) to have its structure approved. The mission and vision of the DoW had to obtain DPSA approval. The DPSA also had to approve the filling of posts in the DoW. The Department of Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME), the DPSA and the Government Technical Assistance Committee (GTech) was involved in the restructuring of the DoW.  The DoW had been trimmed down. The DoW was not an implementing department and hence had been streamlined. The Committee would perhaps in the future be briefed on the structure of the DoW. The final structure had not yet been submitted. Now that the structure of the DoW was endorsed by National Treasury job evaluations were done throughout the organisation. She pointed out that the new structure had its own challenges. For example there was staff that had to be paid even though no provision was made for them in the budget. 

In conclusion, the Minister noted that many departments were not even aware of what the DoW did and stressed that it was not her job to educate departments. Departments needed to find out on their own what the DoW did. A summary on where the DoW wished to be would be forwarded to the Committee. The Nine Point Plan was key to the economic empowerment of women.

The meeting was adjourned.