Gender Perspective in Trade & Industry & Welfare Departments: briefing

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JOINT COMMITTEE ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND THE STATUS OF WOMEN

JOINT COMMITTEE ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND THE STATUS OF WOMEN

23 March 1999

GENDER PERSPECTIVE IN TRADE & INDUSTRY & WELFARE DEPARTMENTS: BRIEFING

SUMMARY

The meeting was called with the Minister of Trade and Industry and the Minister of Welfare to discuss how women's issues are being incorporated into the departments. The committee had submitted written questions to the ministers to which the ministers replied.

MINUTES

Trade and Industry

The Minister of Trade and Industry , Mr A Erwin, responded that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has 10 programs structured around economic areas, others around trade and investments, small and medium enterprises, consumer relations, technology and research. Within each program there are a number of other programs. These areas are identified by the budget. An attempt had been made to include the empowerment of women in all programs. The minister added that the DTI is attempting to improve monitoring of the involvement of women and the information available was not yet accurate enough as far as gender participation in programs.

Technology

The minister stated that initiatives had been taken to include women's networks into technology.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SME)

The minister responded that that the issue of access to finance is being looked into. One of major problems the department has is in reaching the intended targets. A large proportion of the budget is allocated to SMEs and the department would welcome feedback in this area. The minister stated that the department has focussed on industries in which women are involved in, for example, cultural and craft-based manufacturing with the department of Arts and Technology. The next government will take this further.

Spatial Development

The minister responded by saying that this pertains to agri-tourism and agri-development for example the Fish River and West Coast initiatives and that more can be done to assist women in these areas. What has however not been established is the nature of the economic activities in these areas. Certain structural problems exist as to the ownership of land.

Business regulation and consumer credit

The minister responded that the problem of credit is a structural problem and that it affects women. Defaulting on small and medium loans, which is mostly the area in which women borrow money, is low. On the issue of consumer rights the minister stated that women would be at the forefront of those protected.

Department's gender representation

The minister stated that the department itself is weak in gender representation at managerial level. The department is seeking to change this.

The Job Summit

The minister stated that 76 major agreements have been entered into and more agreements have taken place within these agreements. The department is trying to ensure that these are implementable. A supervisory committee monitors these agreements. Problems are however being experienced in special employment, housing projects and integration of SMEs.

Agreement on gender

The minister stated that the gender agreement is a guideline for targets or quotas against which women's participation can be measured.

Disabled people

The minister responded that in the Eastern Cape the Industrial Development Zone is an example of how disabled people are included in programs.

Budget for the Job Summit initiatives

The minister responded that money is not a problem for the job summit and that adequate funds from various sources exist but that the problems are logistical as with implementation.

Questions from the Committee

The chairperson asked the minister if any studies had been undertaken with regard to the impact of trade liberation on women. She also asked if the budget for the SMEs was sustainable and if the department has kept statistics of the employment of women.

The minister replied that no comprehensive study had been undertaken on the impact of trade liberation on women. A study will however be undertaken on the impact of trade liberation of the last five years on all areas, especially women in the textile and clothing industry. SME programs are not funded by donors so the programs initiated by the job summit will be sustainable. Statistics are only gathered from the business plan but not for actual employment.

A member of the ANC asked why the work of only certain cultural groups has been publicized.

The minister responded that art work from certain cultural groups was being exported and that this may be a reason for the publicity.

Welfare

The minister stated that the department had been restructured and now inter-links with various departments on certain issues. Plans being made for women to get access to better services.

The Poverty Program

The minister stated that all 9 provinces benefited from this program but the Eastern Cape was the focus. The department has provincial and national programs and is linked to the Department of Trade and Industry. The focus is however away from grants to skills development and employment.

Social Security

The minister stated that grants mainly benefit women and children. The department wants to help women to become self-sufficient and move away from dependency on pensions and diability grants. She described certain development projects that were in place, particularly in the Eastern Cape. With regard to the child-care grant, applications for the grant has been disappointing. Many grandparents did not know that they could apply for this if they are caring for their grandchildren.

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