Question NW853 to the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities
26 March 2021 - NW853
Sharif, Ms NK to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities
In view of the fact that gender-based violence and femicide is indeed a pandemic in the Republic and violence against women and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Asexual+ community goes unabated, (a) what are the reasons that the Comprehensive National Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) Prevention Strategy has not been prioritised, (b) what are the plans of her Office’s to speed up the implementation of the strategy and (c) how will her Office hold officials accountable for failing to implement the Comprehensive National GBVF Prevention Strategy?
Reply:
(a) The Comprehensive National GBVF Prevention Strategy was prioritised. The department divided the prioritisation of the Prevention Strategy into two phases; The 1st phase involved the development of a communication strategy. This was based on the understanding that over the years, public dialogue and visibility of GBVF around social behavioral change programmes has not transpired on communication platforms. The communication strategy was developed and concluded last year to inform and raise awareness and influence behavioral change. The GBVF Communication Strategy was developed with men and boys as the core target audience. The goal is to change the norms and stereotypes that perpetuate violence against women, children and the LGBTQIA+ sector.
The communication strategy was the first step towards the development of a comprehensive national prevention strategy
Below is the response for phase 2:
(b) Due to a lack of resources the Department has partnered with four UN agencies, namely UN Office on Drugs and Crime; UN Women; United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF); and UN Development Programme (UNDP) in the development of a Comprehensive National Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Prevention Strategy.
This partnership also includes the GIZ which is the German development cooperation with South Africa. This has been done to ensure that the implementation of the Prevention Strategy is not hindered.
It should be noted that the Prevention Strategy will be concluded in the 2021/22 financial year.
(c) The inability of the officials to develop the prevention strategy is based on the inadequate resources in terms of personnel and funding and not due to incompetency. It is the very officials that reached out to UN agencies in forging a partnership. This does not require consequences management. The partnership forged already is strategic enough and it will enhance existing capacity and yield the desired results.
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Approved by:
Ms M Nkoana-Mashabane, MP
Minister
Date: