Meeting with Commission on Gender Equality on Prioritising Issues out of CGE Legislative Audit that discriminates on basis of ge

Members of the Commission on Gender Equality were present and each made a verbal input and joined in discussion.

Ms Delport reported that a 1993 Act had looked at 56 areas of discrimination. However this did not really address the problem as discrimination against women continued. The Commission on Gender Equality had thus decided an audit was needed to show which are the salient issues needing to be addressed. There has been improvement during this Parliament on domestic violence, customary marriage and changes in maintenance. But invisible discrimination remains problematic.

Corianne de Villiers (parliamentary committee researcher) said that equality legislation will have to be in place by February 2000 in terms of the Constitution. The other priority to be addressed in terms of legislation was the question of sexual offences against women.

She outlined the main areas where there is discrimination:

* customary law and succession. There is great hardship for women who are left penniless when their husband dies.

* lack of legal aid for women. None provided for maintenance cases or divorce.

* maternity benefits particularly with regard to domestic workers is not covered by other employment legislation

* recognition of Muslim marriages

The above were the four priorities identified but there are others relating to pay equity, seasonal employment and women as refugees. These are all areas that need to be looked at in the coming year.

The point was made that the Commission should interact better with other parliamentary committees and that they should have made an input into the enquiry recently into the banking sector.

It was agreed that the Commission needs to track how legislation is working. A workshop should take place for this committee and the Commission to work out how to proceed.

It was emphasised that the Gender Commission is independent with an emphasis on rural women whereas the Office on the Status of Women (OSW) is a structure within government to see that gender concerns get incorporated into government policy.

What is the way forward?

It was agreed that all talent should be harnessed, using the talent and scope of civil society together with the committee and the Commission. With this in mind all civil society organisations observing the meeting were requested to provide their details to the Parliamentary Officer representing the Commission.