Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698749782141.pdf (Namibia)
FINANCIAL YEAR 2018/19 BUDGET MOTIVATION SPEECH APPROPRIATION VOTE 12 PRESENTED BY HONOURABLE DOREEN SIOKA, MP MINISTER OF GENDER EQUALITY AND CHILD WELFARE 16 APRIL 2018 IIPage Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee Honourable Members, Today I am distinctly honoured and privileged to present to this august House the budget allocation for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare under Vote 12 for the 2018/19 Financial Year.
Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee Honourable Members A total amount ofN$ 1212373 000 (One billion, two hundred and twelve million, three hundred and seventy three Thousand Namibia Dollars) is allocated to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare for 2018/2019 Financial Year.

This budget represents a reduction of seven percent (7%) from the Financial Year 2017/18 budget.
I further appreciate the fact that we had to make deep but necessary budget cuts so as to ensure fiscal sustainability and to protect macroeconomic stability.

Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee Honourable Members Kindly allow me to dwell into the details of the Programmes of the Ministry of Gender Equality and their respective allocations: PROGRAMME 1.
POLICY SUPERVISION AND SUPPORT SERVICES 1.1 A total amount of N$ 122351000 (One Hundred and Twenty Two Million, Three Hundred and Fifty One Thousand Namibia Dollars) is allocated to this programme inclusive of capital projects.

1.2 The primary purpose of this Program is to: • Enhance an enabling environment for a high-performance culture and service delivery.
21Page 1.3 An amount of N$ 1204873 000 (One billion, two hundred and four million, eight hundred and seventy three Thousand Namibia Dollars) is allocated to the Operational Budget of the Ministry.

1.4 An amount of N$ 7 500 000 (seven million, five hundred thousand Namibian Dollars) is allocated for the Development Budget of this Ministry.
1.5 The Development Budget of the Ministry pertains, inter alia, to the renovation and maintenance of homes of safety and shelters, construction of community empowerment centres, as well as the construction and renovation of Regional and Constituency offices.

Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee Honourable Members PROGRAMME 2.

CAREAND PROTECTION OF CHILDREN: 2.1 The primary purpose of this Program is to: • Improve care and protection of children's well-being.
2.2 An amount of N$ 1019 750 000.00 (One Billion, Nineteen Million Seven Hundred and Fifty thousand Namibian Dollars) is allocated to this Programme for 2018/2019 Financial Year inclusive of personnel expenditure.

2.3 Nine hundred thirty two million, and fifty thousand Namibian Dollars (N$ 932050 000.00) which represents 77% (Seventy seven percent) of the Ministry's operational budget is earmarked for the Children Grants for 2018/2019 Financial year.
Namibia is among the few countries providing social grants to orphans and vulnerable children in accordance with National Development Plans and the Harambee Prosperity Plan on child poverty and vulnerability.
2.4 An amount of N$ 8 900 000.00 ( Eight million, nine hundred thousand Namibian Dollars) is budgeted to support and provide subsidies to Residential 31Page Child Care Facilities and to provide different alternative care (foster care, adoption, place of safety and residential child care, Shelters) for children and families.

This is also the same allocation that we utilise for services and interventions targeted at children on the streets.
2.5 The total number of orphans and vulnerable children who benefited from the grant system in 2017/18 was 344 055 (three hundred and forty four thousand and fifty five) for a total budget of N$ 949 071431.00 (Nine hundred and forty nine million, seventy one thousand, four hundred and thirty one Namibia Dollars) for grants and subsidies to Residential Child Care Facilities.

Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee Honourable Members PROGRAMME 3.
SUPPORT COMMUNITY AND EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT: 3.1 This Program aims primarily to: • Ensure attainment of girls and women empowerment • Mobilize communities towards socio-economic empowerment • Improve care and protection for children's well-being 3.2 A total amount of N$39 835 000 (Thirty Nine Million Eight Hundred and Thirty Five Thousand Namibian Dollars) is allocated to this programme for 2018/2019 Financial Year inclusive of remuneration.
3.3 An amount of N$ 24 985 000.00 (Twenty Four Million, Nine Hundred Eighty Five Thousand Namibian Dollars) is earmarked for Early Childhood Development for 2018/2019 Financial Year.
3-4 The total number of children enrolled at ECD Centres throughout the country during the Financial Year 2017/18 was eighty three thousand two hundred and sixty five (83 265), of which forty two thousand nine hundred and eighty eight 41Page (42 988) were girls and forty thousand two hundred and seventy seven (40 277) were boys.
3.5 The Ministry hosted the National Conference on Integrated Early Childhood Development Conference from the 19th to 21st February 2018 in Windhoek, Namibia, under the theme "Act Together: Investing in the Early Years of our Children for a Prosperous Nation."

The Conference produced a number of recommendations to strengthen IECD service provision in Namibia.
3.6 An amount of N$ 4938 000.00 (Four Million, Nine Hundred Thirty Eight Thousand Namibian Dollars) is budgeted for supporting women's projects and Income Generating Activities.

3.7 During the Financial Year 2017/18, a total number of two hundred and eighty (280) community projects in all fourteen Regions received assistance with materials and equipment.

These projects created employment to 70% women and 30% men.
These projects enable communities to mobilize themselves and to engage in activities that uplift their standards of living and consequently contribute to the enhancement of their quality of life.

3.8 A total number of one thousand two hundred and thirty seven (1 237) Educarers from one thousand and nine (1009) Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centres received monthly subsidy.

The amount of the monthly subsidy ranged from N$l 500.00 to N$2 500.00 guided by Educarers' differing levels of education.
A total amount of N$22 826 000.00 (Twenty two million, eight hundred and twenty six thousand Namibia Dollars was spent on Educarers' subsidy during the Financial Year 2017/18.

These Educarers serve poor rural and urban communities.

The subsidy is given to remove the burden on Educarers serving communities where parents do not afford to pay for ECD services.
51Page Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee Honourable Members The programmes explained above contribute to the Social Progression Pillar of the Harambee Prosperity Plan as they are all aimed at poverty reduction and improvement of the livelihoods of grassroots communities.

Their continuation is undoubtedly a basic necessity.

Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee Honourable Members PROGRAMME 4.
PROMOTION OF GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN: 4.1 This Program aims primarily to: • Ensure gender equality and equity 4.2 COORDINATION MECHANISM FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL GENDER POLICY (2010-2020) Cabinet in 2014 approved the establishment of the Multi-Sectoral Coordination Mechanism for the implementation of the National Gender Policy.
The National Gender Policy's twelve areas of concern are now clustered, under the National Coordination Mechanism, into six clusters for effective collaboration and implementation by all stakeholders.

The clusters meet on a quarterly basis and compile reports which are submitted to the National Gender Permanent Task Force (NGPTF) that consists of Senior Officials at the level of Permanent Secretaries and Heads of institutions in the Private Sectors, Development Partners and CivilSociety Organisations.
The NGPTF submits their report to the Gender Advisory Committee which consists of Ministers from relevant ministries and is chaired by the Right Honourable Prime Minister.

The main purpose of the Co-ordination Mechanism is to oversee the co-ordination, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the National Gender Policy (NGP) (2010 - 2020) and its two 61Page Plans of Action, namely the National Gender Plan of Action (NGPA), and the National Plan of Action on Gender-Based Violence (NPAGBV).
4.3 GENDER RESPONSIVE BUDGETING Cabinet approved the guidelines for Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) to be included in the National Budget Circular.

Namibia is in the right direction to ensure that everyone (men and women, girls and boys) is considered to benefit when the national budgets are being drawn up and that it is easy to track where most of the money in the national budget is being spent.
However, in as much as I am aware of the prevailing economic challenges, Imust equally admit that the national budget lacks a gender responsive approach by some sectors.

It is thus my humble request to fellow Ministers and Accounting Officers to ensure that the national budget of all Offices/Ministries and Agencies (OMAs) for the Financial Year 2019/2020 and beyond reflect gender responsiveness.
4.4 GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is still a national concern and reports on GBV by the Namibian Police Force are alarming and continue unabated.

The Ministry, in cooperation with stakeholders, carries out activities to combat GBV including commemoration of 16 Days of Activism Against GBV and the launching of Zero Tolerance for GBV Campaign.
The GBV & Human Rights Cluster, one of the six clusters under the Coordination Mechanism for the implementation of the National Gender Policy, is operational at national level and is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the National GBV Plan of Action, including national GBV campaigns.

The Committee also spearheaded the development of CEDAW Plan of Action for the implementation of the concluding observations on the 4th and 5th Country Report.
4.5 COMBATINGOF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS BILL The Ministry spearheaded and coordinated the drafting of the Trafficking in Persons Act, 2018 (Act 1 of 2018) which was enacted by Parliament early at the beginning of 2018.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, in collaboration with stakeholders, will 71Page conduct awareness targeting both communities and law enforcement institutions.

The MGECW will also develop Regulations for the implementation of the said Act during the Financial Year 2018/19.
4.6 WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP AND DECISION MAKING POSITIONS In promotion of gender equality Namibia has achieved a total number of 40-4% of women representation in both Houses of Parliament.

In the National Assembly alone women representation stands currently 46%.

This magnificent achievement was primarily occasioned by the awareness raised by the MGECW to all political parties on the importance of Gender Equality and equal representation of both women and men in leadership and decision-making positions.
Therefore, the ruling SWAPO Party took the bull by its horns and ensured the 50/50 representation through what we call Zebra Style adopted by SWAPO Party.

Honourable Chairperson of the Whole Committee Honourable Members A total amount of N$ 30 437 000 (Thirty Million, Four Hundred and Thirty Seven Thousand Namibia Dollars) is allocated to this Programme for 2018/2019 Financial Year for Gender Equality and Women Empowerment, inclusive of personnel costs.
Nine million, thirty six thousand Namibia Dollars (N$ 9 036 000) of the budget under this Programme is earmarked for Gender-Based Violence.

Honourable Chairperson of the Whole Committee Honourable Members In Summary: Vote 12 MGECWlooks as follows: 81Page Programme 1.

Policy Supervision and Support Services 2.

Care and Protection of Children 3.

Community and Early Child hood Development 4.
Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women TOTAL Amount (N$'oooo) N$ 122351000 (One Hundred and Twenty Two Million, Three Hundred and Fifty One Thousand Namibia Dollars) N$ 1019 750 000 (One Billion, Million, Nineteen Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Namibia Dollar) N$ 39 835000 (Thirty Nine Million, Eight Hundred and Thirty Five Thousand Namibia Dollars) N$ 30 437000 (Thirty Million, Four Hundred and Thirty Seven Thousand Namibia Dollars) N$ 1 212 373 000 (One Billion, Two Hundred and Twelve Million, Three Hundred and Seventy Three Thousand Namibia Dollars) 91Page Honourable Chairperson of the Whole Committee Honourable Members In view of the Programmes elucidated above, I now humbly request this august House to approve the budget allocated to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare under Vote 12to the amount ofN$ 1212373000 (One Billion, Two Hundred and Twelve Million, Three Hundred and Seventy Three Thousand Namibia Dollars) for the Financial Year 2018/19.
In conclusion, Honourable Chairperson of the Whole Committee, Honourable Members: Let me express my gratitude and appreciation to Honourable Calle Schlettwein, Minister of Finance, Honourable Obeth Kandjoze, Minister of Economic Planning and Director General of the National Planning Commission and Honourable Tom Alweendo, Minister of Mines and Energy, for your invaluable contribution to the financial sector in general and public financial management in particular.
I urge the Namibian population at large to work together as a collective in order to stop Gender Based Violence and consequently make Namibia a safe country for all, particularly for women and girls.

Let us all demonstrate care and protection in the manner in which we raise our children so as to make them valuable members and leaders of the Namibian society in particular, and the global community in general.
This is the year of reckoning and my Ministry and I shall heed the call of His Excellency Comrade Dr Hage Geingob, the President of the Republic of Namibia.

We shall take stock and be accountable for our achievements and shortcomings.

I THANK YOU!

lOIPage