Question NW1638 to the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities
07 August 2020 - NW1638
Sonti, Ms NP to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities
What measures has her Office put in place to bolster the work of the Commission for Gender Equality in light of the escalating violence against women, and more especially, to empower women to deal with the impact of Covid-19?
Reply:
In exercising its mandate, the Commission on Gender Equality (CGE) recently requested the Department to respond to a set of questions on the implementation of targets on the GBVF Emergency Response Action Plan (ERAP); and processes followed regarding the development of the Gender-based Violence and Femicide National Strategic Plan (GBVF-NSP) and the establishment of the National Council for Gender-based Violence and Femicide (NCGBVF).
The Department provided a comprehensive response to the CGE.
Furthermore, the Department popularises the hot line number 0800 007 709 on GBV for the CGE during the Covid-19 lockdown. This intervention allows the commissioners at provincial level to respond in line with Pillar 4: Adequate Care, Support and Healing.
Also, the CGE and the Department are collaborating in the following ways:
- Both share each other’s statements with various stakeholders.
- Share calendar of activities and concept papers.
- Exchange reports and utilise our reports in particular on GBV areas and made referrals on cases.
- The CGE participated in the civil society (CSO) webinar on “The Roadmap to the establishment of the National Council for Gender-based Violence and Femicide” held on 13 June 2020.
The CGE is currently involved and participating actively in the NSP Pillar Interim Task Teams (ITTs) working sessions set up to develop the implementation plans for the popularisation and roll-out of the NSP during the lockdown period.