Question NW3693 to the Minister of Social Development
23 November 2017 - NW3693
Stander, Ms T to ask the Minister of Social Development
(1) Whether the policy framework for Government's sanitary ware programme has been developed since her reply to question 816 on 19 June 2017; if not, (a) why not and (b) by what date is it envisaged that the framework will be developed; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether the proposed retreat to focus on the formulation of the specified framework took place; if not, why not; if so, (a) on which dates did it take place, (b) who attended the retreat and (c) what (i) was the total cost of the retreat and (ii) are the details of the product and/or outcome of the retreat; (3) whether the specified framework has been presented to the National Consultation lndaba; if not, (a) why not and (b) by what date will it be presented to the indaba; if so, what are the relevant details? NW4124E
Reply:
(1) In reply to question 816 on 19 June 2017, the Department of Social Development wishes to acknowledge that the Sanitary Dignity policy is driven by the Minister of the Department of Women. It is the Lead Department and has coordinated the development of the draft Policy which is hereto attached. The Department of Social Development is part of the Task Team and participates in all the meetings convened as well as providing support in finalizing the policy, and will also be involved in the identification of indigent girls and women from our database for distribution purposes.
(2) A retreat was not hosted by the lead Department or Department of Social Development.
(3) The framework was presented at the National 'Consultation lndaba convened by the Department of Women. The National Department of Social Development was represented by the Gender Chief Directorate. The Sanitary Dignity Consultative lndaba was held on 13 July 2017 against the background of a draft policy that has been produced by Department of Women (DoW), with the help of a team of three seconded officials from the Department of Traditional Affairs.
There is also a National Inter-department Task Team {NTT) that was established in order to work as a task team that would see to the finalization of the process of policy formulation, led by DoW and comprised of the following national departments:
• Department of Women (DoW);
• Department of Social Development (DSD);
• Department of Small Business Development (DSBD);
• Department of Trade and Industry (DTI);
• Department of Finance (National Treasury);
• Department of Higher Education;
• Department of Basic Education; and
• Statistics South Africa.
Following the presentation of the Policy Framework at the lndaba, it was agreed that the Policy Framework should form part of the Department of Women's Annual Performance Plan, Strategic Plan and Operational Plan. Provinces will be expected to develop their own policies according to their unique environments but keeping to injunctions of the Framework Policy.
Moving forward, the policy will go to the Social Protection, Community and Human Development (SPCHD) Cluster Technical Working Group (TWG), SPCHD DG Cluster, Cabinet Committee on SPCHD and then to Cabinet. It will then be gazetted and further awareness of the policy and solicitation of comments and analysis of those comments will ensue. There will be a final SociowEconomic Impact Assessment (SEIAS) process which will include the costing exercise. It will go to Cabinet for the final decision and then a final gazetting will take place and that product can be shared with Parliament.
Find here: Draft Sanitary Dignity Policy Framework