Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698136923985.pdf (South Africa)
The Women’s Charter for Accelerated Development Setting A 25-Year Vision and Agenda to Advance Women’s Equality, Growth and Development THE WOMEN’S CHARTER FOR ACCELERATED DEVELOPMENT: SETTING A 25-YEAR VISION AND AGENDA TO ADVANCE WOMEN’S EQUALITY, GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Presidency, under the Leadership of His Excellency, The President of the Republic of South Africa Mr. CM Ramaphosa LEGISLATIVE SECTOR • Hon Ms. TR Modise, MP (Former Speaker) National Assembly, Minister of Defense and Military Veterans • Hon Mr. AN Masondo, MP, Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces • Hon Ms S Ntombela, MPL, Free State Province • Hon Mr D Makhura, MPL, Gauteng Province • Hon Mr S Zikalala, MPL, KwaZulu Natal Province • Hon Mr S Mathabatha, MPL Limpopo Province • Hon Ms R Mtsweni-Tsipane, MPL Mpumalanga Province • House Chairpersons: National Council of Provinces and National Assembly • Hon Ms. NK Bilankulu, MP, Chairperson, Multi-Party • Hon Professor J Mokgoro, MPL, North West Province • Hon Dr Z Saul MPL, Northern Cape Province • Hon Mr A Winde, MPL, Western Cape Province Women’s Caucus CHIEF WHIPS and WHIPS • Hon Ms. P Majodina, MP, Chief Whip, Majority Party • Hon Mr. SJ Mohai, MP, Chief Whip, National Council of Provinces • Chief Whips of All Political Parties Represented in Parliament • Provincial Whips - National Council of Provinces • Programming Whips, National Council of Provinces and National Assembly SPEAKERS-PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURES • Hon Ms. H Sauls-August, MPL, Speaker Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature • Hon Ms. Z Sifuba, MPL, Speaker Free State Provincial Legislature • Hon Ms. N Mekgwe, MPL, Speaker Gauteng Provincial Legislature • Hon Ms. NN Boyce, MPL, Speaker KwaZulu Natal Provincial Legislature • Hon Ms. S Molapo, MPL, Speaker Limpopo Provincial Legislature • Hon Ms M Masilela, MPL, Speaker Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature • Hon Ms. S Dantjie, MPL, North West Provincial Legislature • Hon Ms. NC Klaaste, MPL, Speaker Northern Cape Provincial Legislature • Hon Mr. M Mnqasela,
 MPL, Speaker Western Cape Provincial Parliament • Deputy Speakers All Nine Provincial Legislatures JUDICIARY • Former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, Constitutional Court of South Africa -Metro Mayors (All Nine Provinces) -District Mayors (All Nine Provinces) CHAPTER NINE INSTITUTIONS: • Ms. T Mathebula, Chairperson, Commission for Gender Equality (Content Contributor) • Dr N Moleko - Deputy Chairperson, Commission for Gender Equality (Content Contributor) • Commissioners All Nine Provinces - Commission for Gender Equality (Content Contributors) • Professor D Plaatjies - The Financial and Fiscal Commission (Content Contributor) • Commissioner E Rockman - Financial and Fiscal Commission (Content Contributor) • Professor W Domingo – South African Law Reform Commission (Content Contributor) • Mr. R Maluleke- Statistician General - Statistics South Africa (Content Contributor) DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS, RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS, CIVIL SOCIETY, NON- GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, and POLITICAL FORMATIONS • Dr A Odusola, Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme (Content Contributor) • Adv F Magano - Chairperson South African Women Lawyers Association (Content Contributor) • Adv T Nichols – South African Women Lawyers Association (Content Contributor) • Professor R Jewkes- Executive Scientist for Research Strategy, South Africa Medical Research Council (Content Contributor) • Professor N Abrahams – Unit Director, South Africa Medical Research Council (Content Contributor) • -Professor S Mathews- Children’s Institute, University of • Justice S. Khampepe – Constitutional Court Judge Cape Town (Content Contributor) (Content Contributor) PREMIERS OF PROVINCES ALL NINE PROVINCES • Hon Mr. O Mabuyane, MPL, Eastern Cape Province • Jenna Bayer, Psychologist (Content Contributor) • Professor H Mkhize – National Convener-The Progressive Women’s Movement and All Affiliated Organizations and Formations - All Nine Provinces (Content Contributor) • Ms B. Dlamini-
 African National Congress Women’s League President Content Contributor and Editor: Sebolelo Mvulane Content Contributors: Mzwandile Dlabazana and Parliamentary Research Unit, Parliament of the Republic of South Africa Design and Layout: Shirley Montsho, Mado Sefora, Multimedia, Parliamentary Communication Services Website: www.parliament.gov.za FOREWORD DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON, NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES 2019, marked 25 years since the adoption of the 1994 Women’s Charter for Effective Equality.
During the commemorative discussions, which took place during the 2019 Women’s Parliament, South African women across all nine provinces and across the three spheres of government, asserted the imperative for Parliament to review the 1994 Women’s Charter for Effective Equality.
One of the key objectives of the review process, was to take stock of the achievements garnered since 1994 and to assess the systematic weaknesses that continue to impede the advancement and realisation of gender equality in South Africa.

The review process was hence undertaken, in an effort to give expression to the August 28th, 2019, Women’s Parliament Resolution.

Parliament has successfully completed its nation-wide 25-Year Review of the 1994 Women’s Charter for Effective Equality.
Throughout the country wide review sessions, Parliament was able to gather valuable information and findings, which have now become the basis upon which sustained engagements with Provinces, Metro’s and Districts is now based upon.

The historic review process commenced in November 2019, in Gugulethu (Cape Town), in the Western Cape Province and was concluded in Enkangala, Enhlanzeni and Gert Sibande District Municipalities in Mpumalanga Province in March 2021.
In an effort to afford women from every locality in South Africa an opportunity to participate in this process and make their voices heard, the review process made its way to the ZF Magcawu, Frances Baard and John Taolo Gaetsewe Districts in Northern Cape.

The women in the Mangaung Metro, the Thabo Mofutsanyane and Xhariep Districts in the Free State Province also made their voices heard.
Ngaka Modire Molema District, Bojanala Platinum District in the North West Province, also robustly participated, including all other districts in the province.

The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan, Amathole and Chris Hani Districts in the Eastern Cape, including all the Gauteng Province’s Metropolitan Municipalities and Districts, also lend time and effort to participate.
Furthermore, from Harry Gwala to Ilembe and Umgungundlovu Districts in KwaZulu Natal Province, to Vhembe, Sekhukhune, Mopani and Capricorn Districts in Limpopo Province, participated in the review process, enabling Parliament, even during lockdown level five, through virtual platforms, to engage women across the country.

The Women’s Charter for Accelerated Development, hence echoes the voices of the women of South Africa, it articulates the aspirations of the women of our country.
Importantly, it is a construct of Women’s Socio-Economic and Political Activism, in the current epoch of our developmental state.

The lessons learned from the review process, only serve to enhance existing mechanisms, as we chart our way forward, to a better South Africa, where women and the vulnerable, can finally enjoy an improved quality of life.
I wish to extend my sincere appreciation to the Presiding Officers in Parliament, the Chief Whip of the Majority Party, the Chief Whip of the National Council of Provinces, the Chairperson of the Multiparty Women’s Caucus, the Acting Secretary to Parliament and every individual who has contributed towards the successful completion of this review process.
Sylvia Lucas Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces FOREWORD DEPUTY SPEAKER OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY Roughly two years ago we began a process to undertake a participatory review of the 1994 Women’s Charter for Effective Equality.

Given the havoc caused by the Covid 19 pandemic, we had to interact virtually with key participants from provinces and districts.

This work understandably began during the fifth term and now has come to end just past the midterm of the 6th parliament.
We were supported in this effort ably, informatively by the staff of parliament, by the Finance and Fiscal Commission, Statistician General, Commission on Gender Equality, the South African Law Reform Commission and the South African Local Government Association as well as the presidency, the provincial and municipal leadership.

This process could not be as fully inclusive as we wished, but the enthusiastic engagement with the themes by those involved and we reached out to was very inspiring.
The review was exciting especially because the participants touched the overall environmental issues that affect implementation, including issues that needed immediate attention that couldn’t wait for the completion of the review process.

This latter point gave the process a rich practical orientation.

We hope provinces, districts and metro’s will report these useful experiences.
The review process also constitutes a critical part of realizing our national agenda, to combat the interconnected race, gender and class obstacles in our society.

We drew inspiration equally from the pioneers of these struggles and we hope the impact of this work will be an even bigger tribute to them.

Dialogue was the name of the game and as public representatives, we benefited from each other across the three spheres and from the experts from our institutions that support democracy.
We promise to find creative ways to communicate the results of the process, to embrace enriching comments in order to impact decisively, urgently on the lived experience of people of our country, our region and the world, irrespective of their gender preference and identity, consequentially.

We learned enormously and we remain grateful to all participants and regret that we could not for many reasons reach out to everyone.
We looked back in order to understand the present better, and thus construct the future more effectively.

We looked back in order to understand the present better, and thus construct the future more effectively.

Solomon Lechesa Tsenoli MP Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly A TRAJECTORY OF WOMEN’S STRUGGLE, WOMEN’S POWER AND SOCIO-POLITICAL ACTIVISM - 1954 The Women’s Charter (1954) Johannesburg, 17 April 1954.
The Charter expressed the philosophy and aims of the newly established Federation of South African Women (FSAW).

It was adopted at the inaugural conference and included in the final report of the conference.
Preamble: We, the women of South Africa, wives and mothers, working women and housewives, African, Indians, European and Coloured, hereby declare our aim of striving for the removal of all laws, regulations, conventions and customs that discriminate against us as women, and that deprive us in any way of our inherent right to the advantages, responsibilities and opportunities that society offers to any one section of the population.

A Single Society: We women do not form a society separate from the men.
There is only one society, and it is made up of both women and men.

As women we share the problems and anxieties of our men, and join hands with them to remove social evils and obstacles to progress.

Test of Civilisation: The level of civilisation which any society has reached can be measured by the degree of freedom that its members enjoy.

The status of women is a test of civilisation.

Measured by that standard, South Africa must be considered low in the scale of civilised nations.
Women’s Lot: We women share with our menfolk the cares and anxieties imposed by poverty and its evils.

As wives and mothers, it falls upon us to make small wages stretch a long way.

It is we who feel the cries of our children when they are hungry and sick.

It is our lot to keep and care for the homes that are too small, broken and dirty to be kept clean.

We know the burden of looking after children and land when our husbands are away in the mines, on the farms, and in the towns earning our daily bread.
We know what it is to keep family life going in pondokkies and shanties, or in overcrowded one-room apartments.

We know the bitterness of children taken to lawless ways, of daughters becoming unmarried mothers whilst still at school, of boys and girls growing up without education, training or jobs at a living wage.

Poor and Rich: These are evils that need not exist.

They exist because the society in which we live is divided into poor and rich, into non-European and European.
They exist because there are privileges for the few, discrimination and harsh treatment for the many.

We women have stood and will stand shoulder to shoulder with our menfolk in a common struggle against poverty, race and class discrimination, and the evils of the colourbar.

National Liberation: As members of the National Liberatory movements and Trade Unions, in and through our various organisations, we march forward with our men in the struggle for liberation and the defence of the working people.
We pledge ourselves to keep high the banner of equality, fraternity and liberty.

As women there rests upon us also the burden of removing from our society all the social differences developed in past times between men and women, which have the effect of keeping our sex in a position of inferiority and subordination.

Equality for Women: We resolve to struggle for the removal of laws and customs that deny African women the right to own, inherit or alienate property.
We resolve to work for a change in the laws of marriage such as are found amongst our African, Malay and Indian people, which have the effect of placing wives in the position of legal subjection to husbands, and giving husbands the power to dispose of wives’ property and earnings, and dictate to them in all matters affecting them and their children.
We recognise that the women are treated as minors by these marriage and property laws because of ancient and revered traditions and customs which had their origin in the antiquity of the people and no doubt served purposes of great value in bygone times.

There was a time in the African society when every woman reaching marriageable stage was assured of a husband, home, land and security.
Then husbands and wives with their children belonged to families and clans that supplied most of their own material needs and were largely self-sufficient.

Men and women were partners in a compact and closely integrated family unit.

Women who Labour: Those conditions have gone.


The tribal and kinship society to which they belonged has been destroyed as a result of the loss of tribal land, migration of men away from the tribal home, the growth of towns and industries, and the rise of a great body of wage-earners on the farms and in the urban areas, who depend wholly or mainly on wages for a livelihood.
Thousands of African women, like Indians, Coloured and European women, are employed today in factories, homes, offices, shops, on farms, in professions as nurses, teachers and the like.

As unmarried women, widows or divorcees they have to fend for themselves, often without the assistance of a male relative.

Many of them are responsible not only for their own livelihood but also that of their children.

Large numbers of women today are in fact the sole breadwinners and heads of their families.
Forever Minors: Nevertheless, the laws and practices derived from an earlier and different state of society are still applied to them.

They are responsible for their own person and their children.

Yet the law seeks to enforce upon them the status of a minor.
Not only are African, Coloured and Indian women denied political rights, but they are also in many parts of the Union denied the same status as men in such matters as the right to enter into contracts, to own and dispose of property, and to exercise guardianship over their children.

Obstacle to Progress: The law has lagged behind the development of society; it no longer corresponds to the actual social and economic position of women.
The law has become an obstacle to progress of the women, and therefore a brake on the whole of society.

This intolerable condition would not be allowed to continue were it not for the refusal of a large section of our menfolk to concede to us women the rights and privileges which they demand for themselves.
We shall teach the men that they cannot hope to liberate themselves from the evils of discrimination and prejudice as long as they fail to extend to women complete and unqualified equality in law and in practice.

Need for Education: We also recognise that large numbers of our womenfolk continue to be bound by traditional practices and conventions, and fail to realise that these have become obsolete and a brake on progress.
It is our duty and privilege to enlist all women in our struggle for emancipation and to bring to them all realisation of the intimate relationship that exists between their status of inferiority as women and the inferior status to which their people are subjected by discriminatory laws and colour prejudices.
It is our intention to carry out a nation-wide programme of education that will bring home to the men and women of all national groups the realisation that freedom cannot be won for any one section or for the people as a whole as long as we women are kept in bondage.
An Appeal: We women appeal to all progressive organisations, to members of the great National Liberatory movements, to the trade unions and working class organisations, to the churches, educational and welfare organisations, to all progressive men and women who have the interests of the people at heart, to join with us in this great and noble endeavour.
Our Aims We declare the following aims: This organisation is formed for the purpose of uniting women in common action for the removal of all political, legal, economic and social disabilities.

We shall strive for women to obtain: • • • • • • • The right to vote and to be elected to all State bodies, without restriction or discrimination.

The right to full opportunities for employment with equal pay and possibilities of promotion in all spheres of work.
Equal rights with men in relation to property, marriage and children, and for the removal of all laws and customs that deny women such equal rights.

For the development of every child through free compulsory education for all; for the protection of mother and child through maternity homes, welfare clinics, creches and nursery schools, in countryside and towns; through proper homes for all, and through the provision of water, light, transport, sanitation, and other amenities of modern civilisation.
For the removal of all laws that restrict free movement, that prevent or hinder the right of free association and activity in democratic organisations, and the right to participate in the work of these organisations.

To build and strengthen women’s sections in the National Liberatory movements, the organisation of women in trade unions, and through the peoples’ varied organisation.

To cooperate with all other organisations that have similar aims in South Africa as well as throughout the world.
• To strive for permanent peace throughout the world.1 Women’s Charter, 1954 1 The Wohttps://www.sahistory.org.za/article/womens-charter THE WOMEN’S CHARTER FOR EFFECTIVE EQUALITY - 1994 The Women’s Charter for Effective Equality was drafted by the National Women’s Coalition structures, and approved at the National Conference on 27 February 1994 PREAMBLE: As women, citizens of South Africa, we are here to claim our rights.
We want recognition and respect for the work we do in the home, in the workplace and in the community.

We claim full and equal participation in the creation of a non-sexist, non-racist democratic society.

We cannot march on one leg or clap with one hand.

South Africa is poorer politically, economically, and socially for having prevented more than half of its people from fully contributing to its development.
Recognising our shared oppression, women are committed to seizing this historic moment to ensure effective equality in a new South Africa.

For decades, patriarchy, colonialism, racism and apartheid have subordinated and oppressed women within political, economic and social life.

At the heart of women’s marginalisation is the patriarchal order that confines women to the domestic arena and reserves for men the arena where political power and authority reside.
Conventionally, democracy and human rights have been defined and interpreted in terms of men s experiences.

Society has been organised and its institutions structured for the primary benefit of men.

Women want to control their lives.

We bear important responsibilities but lack the authority to make decisions in the home and in society.

We want shared responsibility and decision-making in the home and effective equality in politics, the law, and in the economy.
For too long women have been marginalised, ignored, exploited and are the poorest and most disadvantaged of South Africans.

If democracy and human rights are to be meaningful for women, they must address our historic subordination and oppression.

Women must participate in, and shape the nature and form of our democracy.
As women we have come together in a coalition of organisations and engaged in a campaign that has enabled women to draw on their experience and define what changes are needed within the new political, legal, economic and social system.

The development of the potential of all our people, women and men, will enrich and benefit the whole of society.
We set out here a programme for equality in all spheres of our lives, including the law, the economy, education, development and infrastructure, political and civic life, family life and partnerships, custom, culture and religion, health and the media.

ARTICLE 1: EQUALITY Equality underlies all our claims in this Charter.

We recognise that the achievement of social, economic, political and legal equality is indivisible.
Our struggle for equality involves the recognition of the disadvantage that women suffer in all spheres of our lives.

As a result similar treatment of women and men may not result in true equality.

Therefore the promotion of true equality will sometimes require distinctions to be made.

No distinction, however, should be made that will disadvantage women.

Within this context programmes of affirmative action may be a means of achieving equality.
We demand that equality applies to every aspect of our lives, including the family, the workplace and the state.

The right to equality shall not be limited to our relationship with the state.

• • The principle of equality shall be embodied at all levels in legislation and government policy.

Specific legislation shall be introduced to ensure the practical realisation of equality.

The state shall establish appropriate institutions to ensure the effective protection and promotion of equality for women.
These institutions shall be accessible to all women in south Africa.

ARTICLE 2: LAW AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE Women demand equality in the development, application, adjudication, interpretation and enforcement of the law.

This can only be achieved if the social, economic and political position of women is taken into account in deciding policy, determining legislative priorities, and in formulating, applying, interpreting, adjudicating and enforcing all laws.
• At all times the law, and its application, interpretation, adjudication and enforcement, shall promote and ensure the practical realisation of equality for women.

• There shall be equality in the treatment of women in all legal and quasi-legal proceedings.

• Women shall have equal legal status and capacity in civil law, including, amongst others, full contractual rights, the right to acquire and hold rights in property, the right to equal inheritance and the right to secure credit.
• All public and private institutions shall enable women to exercise their legal capacity.

• Positive and practical measures shall be taken to ensure equality for women complainants in the criminal justice system.

There shall be equality for women offenders.


There shall be equality for women in the legal profession • • • Women shall be equally represented on, and participate in the selection of, the constitutional court, the judiciary, the magistracy, all tribunals and commissions, including the Human Rights Commission, and in the Department of Justice.

• There shall be educational programmes to address gender bias and stereotypes and to promote equality for women in the legal system.
• Women shall have equal representation on, and participation in all traditional courts, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and local community courts.

• There shall be accessible and affordable legal services for women.

In particular the position of paralegals in assisting women to claim their rights shall be recognised.

ARTICLE 3: ECONOMY Conventional definitions of the economy do not include a major proportion of the work performed by women.
The key sectors of the South African economy are occupied and dominated by men.

Women face social, economic and ideological barriers to full and equal participation in the economy.

Women are perceived in terms of their domestic and reproductive role.

Women participate in large numbers in sectors of the economy which are characterised by low wages and poor working conditions.

Low remuneration is worsened by discrimination against women in the receipt of social benefits.
As a result, many women are forced to make a living outside the formal economy.

• Gender stereotyping and the categorisation of jobs on the basis of sex and gender, must be eliminated.

• Equal benefits must be provided including housing, pensions and medical aid, amongst others.

• • There should be no discriminatory taxation.

All dependents supported by women breadwinners should be recognised for tax deductions for women.
Legal mechanisms are needed to protect women against unfair, monopolistic and other exploitative business practices that affect women’s participation in the informal economy.

• Safe and healthy facilities must be provided for women in the informal sector.

• Women must be protected from sexual harassment and violence in all the places where women are working.
• Group benefits are needed for women outside formal employment, such as accident and disability insurance, group housing schemes, sick leave and maternity benefits.

• Women need access to credit which is not based on the need for collateral or linked to their marital status.

• Health and safety for commercial sex workers and their clients are needed.

Prostitution should be decriminalised.

• • • Economic policy must secure a central place for women in the economy.
The full participation of women in economic decision-making should be facilitated.

The definition of what constitutes economic activity must include all women’s work.

• Unpaid labour should be recognised as contributing to the creation of national wealth and should be included in the national accounts.
• Gender stereotyping of work in the home needs to be combatted ARTICLE 4: EDUCATION AND TRAINING Education and training in South Africa has historically focused on schooling, higher education and vocational training in the workplace.

It has been male oriented, inaccessible, inappropriate and racially discriminatory.

It has ignored women’s needs and experience.

Education and training is a continuous lifelong process.
Education includes educare, adult basic and continuing education, primary, secondary and tertiary education and vocational training for the formal and informal economy.

Education and training must meet the economic, social, cultural and political needs of women in South Africa.

• • Every woman shall have the right to education and training at any stage of her life in order to realise her full potential.
Every person has the right to equality within education irrespective of sex, gender, pregnancy, race, sexual orientation, age, disability, urban or rural location, domestic and child care responsibilities and financial status.

• Accessible and appropriate institutions shall be established to provide education to enable active participation by women, particularly rural women, single mothers, and disabled women.
• There shall be no negative gender stereotyping in both curriculum development and educational practice.

• Women shall be represented at all levels of the policy-making, management and administration of education and training.

• Women shall have special access to funds for education and training.

• Childcare facilities shall be provided at all education and training institutions.
• Human rights education to develop awareness of women’s status, to build women’s self-confidence, and enable them to claim their constitutional and legal rights should be implemented.

• Girls and women in educational institutions must be protected against sexual harassment and abuse.

• Sex education shall be provided for boys and girls at all levels of schooling.

ARTICLE 5: DEVELOPMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT Women are primarily responsible for maintaining the household and the community.
The majority of South Africans have been denied access to the full range of basic development resources and services necessary to sustain a healthy and productive life.

Rural women and informal settlement residents in particular have been denied vital resources.

The gradual destruction of the natural environment soil erosion, deforestation and air pollution increases women’s household, agricultural and community work responsibilities.
Women should participate in designing and implementing development programmes to meet their needs.

• Employment generated from development and infrastructure programmes should benefit women.

• Adequate, accessible and safe water supplies and sanitation should be made available to all communities, including those in rural areas and informal settlements.

• Services such as communications and electricity or other appropriate sources of energy must be extended to all communities as a matter of priority.
• Women need safe transport networks.

• Women need affordable and secure housing with non-discriminatory subsidies and loans.

• Women must have equal access to land and security of tenure, including women living under customary law.

• Accessible health care, recreational, educational and social welfare facilities should be provided to women.

• There shall be protection of natural resources to benefit women ARTICLE 6: SOCIAL SERVICES • • • • • Social services should be a right and not a privilege.
Inadequate social services place the burden for providing these on women, since women are primarily responsible for maintaining the household and the community.

Social welfare services should be provided by both the state and the private sector in accordance with the principles of social justice, equality, appropriateness and accessibility.

Social services should apply to all areas of women’s lives, in particular in the home, the workplace, health and education.
The system of social services should pay special attention to the needs of rural and disabled women.

State pensions should be provided to all women on an equal basis.

• Accessible and affordable social services should be provided to women.

ARTICLE 7: POLITICAL AND CIVIC LIFE Women have traditionally been excluded from participation and decision-making in political, civic and community life.
Democracy requires that the political playing field between men and women be levelled by acknowledging women’s right to participate equally in all political activities.

• Women shall have equal opportunity and access to leadership and decision-making positions at all levels of government.

• Rural women have the right to be part of decision-making structures in traditional communities.

• Women shall have equal access to, and representation on, public bodies.
• • Traditional institutions shall be restructured in accordance with the principles of equality and democracy.

There shall be adequate and appropriate support services to facilitate the full political participation of women.

• Women shall have the right to acquire, change or retain their nationality and to pass it on to their children.

• Women shall be free from political intimidation and threat to her person.
ARTICLE 8: FAMILY LIFE AND PARTNERSHIPS There are many different types of families which have not enjoyed the same rights, duties and benefits.

Women bear an unequal burden in maintaining the family and yet have little power to make decisions.

• All family types shall be recognised and treated equally.

• Women shall have equality within the family and within marriages and intimate relationships.

• Women shall have the right to choose the partner of their choice.
• Women shall have equal rights during, and at the dissolution of, a marriage.

• Women married under customary law shall have the right to inherit from their husbands.

• Women must have the right to decide on the nature and frequency of sexual contact within marriage and intimate relationships.

• Partners and all members of the household should endeavour to share domestic responsibilities.

• Women should have equal access to the financial resources of the household.
• Women should have equal decision-making powers and access to information with regard to the economic management of the household.

• The integrity of the partnership has to be maintained without external and familial interference, except where physical, sexual and emotional abuse occurs.

• Women shall have guardianship over their children.

• Women shall nave adequate, effective and enforceable maintenance and/or social welfare benefits for themselves and their children.
ARTICLE 9: CUSTOM, CULTURE AND RELIGION Customary, cultural and religious practice frequently subordinates women.

Roles that are defined for women are both stereotypical and restrictive Women are often excluded from full participation, leadership and decision- making in religious and cultural practice.

• Custom, culture and religion shall be subject to the equality clause in the Bill of Rights.

• All women shall have the freedom to practise their own religion, culture or beliefs without fear.
ARTICLE 10: VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN Violence in all its forms is endemic to South African society.

Both sexual and domestic violence are pervasive and all women live under the threat of or experience violence.

Women experience secondary victimization at all stages of the criminal justice system.

• Women shall be entitled to security and integrity of the person which shall include the right to be free from all forms of violence in the home, in communities, in the workplace and in public spaces.
• • • The state should be responsible for public education about the dignity and integrity of the person.

There shall be legal protection for all women against sexual and racial harassment, abuse and assault.

Facilities staffed by trained personnel where women can report cases of rape, battery and sexual assault, undergo medical examination and receive appropriate treatment and counselling shall be provided.
• Appropriate education and training for police, prosecutors, magistrates, judges, district surgeons and other persons involved in dealing with cases of rape, battery, sexual assault and incest must be provided.

• There shall be accessible and affordable shelters and counselling services for survivors of rape, battery and sexual assault.

ARTICLE 11: HEALTH Health services in South Africa have traditionally been unequal, inaccessible and inappropriate.
Women in particular are unaware of their rights in relation to health services.

Health Services have not been appropriately oriented to meet women’s health needs and priorities.

The lack of basic life sustaining services, such as water and sanitation, has denied the majority of South Africans access to the resources necessary to ensure good health.

• Equal, affordable and accessible health care services which meet women’s specific health needs shall be provided.
• Women have the right to control over their bodies which includes the right to reproductive decisions.

• Access to Information and knowledge to enable women to make informed choices about their bodies and about health care should be provided.

• Education about family planning and family planning services should be provided free of charge to both men and women.

• Every person shall have access to adequate nutrition.

• Appropriate and accessible mental health care services must be provided to women.
ARTICLE 12: MEDIA In South Africa women do not enjoy equal access to, or coverage in the film, print and electronic media.

Very few women own or control media institutions or occupy executive or editorial decision-making positions.

Women are marginalised and trivialised in the media.

The principles of freedom of speech and the press should not justify the portrayal of women in a manner that is degrading and humiliating or promotes violence against them.
• Women must have equal access to all media and media institutions.

• • The contribution of women in all areas of public and private life must be reflected in the media.

The promotion of equality, including affirmative action, in employment must redress current imbalances in the status of women in the media.

• There is a need to monitor the representation of women in the media.

• Negative or injurious stereotypes of women must be eliminated.
This Charter gives expression to the common experiences, visions and aspirations of South African women.

We are breaking our silence.

We call for respect and recognition of our human dignity and for a genuine change in our status and material conditions in a future South Africa.
WOMEN’S CHARTER FOR ACCELERATED DEVELOPMENT Women’s Charter for Accelerated Development (2021) The 1954 and the 1994 Women’s Charters, respectively and jointly, represent the culmination of women’s active participation and contribution in South Africa’s liberation movement, towards the realization of freedom and democracy.
Both Charters represent critical building blocks in history, further signifying women’s commitment to challenge the status quo in an unequal society and subsequently constructing a body of socio-economic, civic and political rights based manuscripts, to advance gender equality.
Drafted by the Federation of South African Women and the National Women’s Coalition Structures respectively, these manuscripts have successively set the agenda for extended periods of time in history, uniting women around a common set of aspirations and goals.
It is also imperative to emphasize that the preceding strata of charters were developed outside the auspices of a functional democratic system, thereby signifying key access points to commence gender equality discussions and to establish defining policy positions (with the 1954 charter as a construct of socio-political activism during a tumultuous time and the 1994 charter as a demand document asserting the need for equitable provision within South Africa’s broader, developing human rights and gender equality agenda).
The Women’s Charter for Accelerated Development (2021), therefore represents the third strata of gender equality manuscripts in South African history, where women were once again emboldened, to assess within the context of a democratic and developmental state, (and guided by Parliament’s prescribed mandate), whether the state has effectively given expression to the ideals and provisions encapsulated, in the agenda that was set by both preceding charters.
The 25-Year review intentionally leaned towards assessing the state’s internal arrangements, institutional processes, development policy, statutory, legislative, intergovernmental fiscal arrangements and institutional and systemic arrangements, in order to assess whether the state machinery had been appropriately restructured since the advent of democracy, to enable substantive progress in giving expression to the provisions of the 1994 women’s charter for effective equality.
The women’s charter for accelerated development is therefore a strategic manuscript, constructed within the ambit and enabling context of a developmental state.

It asserts the legitimacy and rights of women to enjoy an improved quality of life and that effective equality can only be realised if the state machinery, in all its facets, is functionally mainstreamed.
It furthermore demands that a theory of change be embedded in all facets of the state machinery’s functional and operating systems, as guided by the accepted precepts of equality in the constitution and other prescripts of equality, which South Africa’s democratic system is based on.
As encapsulated in the Women’s Charter for Accelerated Development (2021), some of the key issues for priority action hence include: effecting specific gender sensitive amendments to development policy design, budget policy and legislative framework design, including all government’s strategic development programmes (which are key for anchoring mandatory, gender sensitive state actions and processes).
Furthermore, the Charter emphasizes the imperatives of mainstreaming gendered perspectives and priorities into government’s planning and state machinery arrangements, including across the three spheres of government (so as to improve the state capacity to implement gender sensitive policies and programmes).
The charter further stipulate (as articulated through strategic objectives and priority actions), which are also (informed by the gendered and poverty impact of the COVID 19 Pandemic on the economy and other pre-existing challenges).

All aspirations, strategic objectives and priority actions, can only be addressed through effective and sustained, outcome based oversight.
The Women’s Charter for Accelerated Development (2021) was developed by Parliament, leading the process (through its constitutionally mandated oversight, public participation and law making mandate), asserting its constitutional mandate, as the custodian of South Africa’s democracy and an assertion of women and people’s power.
The Women’s Charter for Accelerated development is therefore replete, in its embodiment of the perspectives and aspirations shared by women’s formations, civil society organizations and interest groups across all the 9 provinces, 8 metropolitan municipalities and 44 districts of South Africa.
The charter also embodies the qualitative and analytically synthesized perspectives of chapter nine institutions and statutory bodies, including Statistics South Africa, the Commission for Gender Equality, the Financial and Fiscal Commission and the South African Law Reform Commission.
The perspectives of the three Spheres of Government, the Legislative Sector (all nine provincial legislatures), the United Nations Development Programme, the South African Medical Research Council, the South African Women Lawyers Association, including various academics and economists.

The thematic areas arrived at and stipulated below, are put forth for the accelerated and overall development of women.
The key features of the charter were developed and emanate from a 20-month public participation and consultation process, as led by the Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, the Hon SE Lucas, MP and the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, the Hon SL Tsenoli, MP.

The commitment of all strategic partners demonstrates the successes in formulating a social compact with key stakeholders, enjoined by a unity of purpose and committed to address the challenges faced by South African women.
Thematic Areas of Concern: Infrastructure and Environment 1.

Gender Equality Inclusive Economic Growth 2.

3.

Gender Sensitive Workers Rights 4.

Equitable Access to Justice 5.

Education and Training for Women and Girls 6.

7.

Social Protection 8.

Political and Civic Life 9.

Family and Partnership 10.

Custom, Culture and Tradition 11.

Access to Land 12.

Violence Against Women 13.

Human Settlements 14.

Healthcare 15.
Media TABLE OF CONTENTS Parliament’s Constitutional Mandate 1 Parliament’s Constitutional Mandate Parliament Functioning in the Context of Developmental State-To Accelerate Gender Equality 1 Completing the 25-Year Review of the 1994 Women’s Charter for Effective Equality Women’s Charter Review Pillars 2 4 Preamble 6 Preamble STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1: Accelerate the Realization of Gender Equality in South Africa STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1 8 Gender Equality Context: The Status of Women in South Africa 8 Priority Actions (1): Re-Engineering Government’s Planning Machinery, by Priority Actions (1) Institutionalizing Gender Mainstreaming in Planning Processes, Across the Three Spheres of Government 9 Priority Actions (2): Advancing Gender Equality, through Effectively Mainstreamed Priority Actions (2) Development Policy and Government Planning Instruments, across the Three Spheres of Government 10 Problem Statement: Government’s Existing Gender Responsive Budgeting Problem Statement Mechanisms, are often Fragmented and Lack Coherence and Broad-Based Political Support 11 Gender Budgeting: Advancing Gender Equality through Effective Budget and Fiscal Measures - Towards Institutionalizing Gender Sensitive – Inter-governmental Fiscal Relations Systems 11 Priority Actions (3):Tangible plans developed for the advancement and realization Priority Actions (3) of gender equality, must be backed by the necessary budget allocation, so as to ensure implementation 11 Mandatory Skills Development and Capacity building on Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting 12 Specific and Relevant Pieces of Legislation in Need of Revision and Amendment in this Regard Include 13 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE (2): Advancing the Inclusive Economic Growth STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE (2) Paradigm-Inculcating a Gendered Imperative into all Economic Growth Policy Frameworks and Strategic Interventions 16 Problem Statement: The Gendered Implications of High Unemployment Rates, Problem Statement High Inequality and Low Growth, Continues to Characterize the Development Landscape
 in South Africa The State of South Africa’s Economy - Gendered and Poverty Implications Priority Actions: Entrenching a Gender Sensitive – Inclusive Economic Growth Policy 16 17 Paradigm 18 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3: Advance Gender Sensitive Workers Rights - Addressing the STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3 Gendered and Poverty Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Working Class and Poor Women 24 Problem Statement: Inclusive Economic Growth, must be Prioritized, so as to Problem Statement Materialize Decent, Sustainable and Gender Inclusive Employment Opportunities for Women 24 Priority Actions (1): Ensure Labour Market Policies and Interventions that Effectively Priority Actions (1) Facilitate Women’s Adequate Participation and Equitable Benefit 25 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 4: Advancing Effective Equality in the Development, Application, STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 4 Adjudication, Interpretation and Enforcement of the Law for Women 28 Problem Statement: Women Face Structural Barriers that impede the Realization of Problem Statement their Human Rights, due to an Inadequate Access to Justice Priority Actions (1): Advancing Effective Equality in the Development, Application, Priority Actions (1) Adjudication, Interpretation and Enforcement of the Law for Women Priority Actions (2): The Approach (to be) taken by Judges and Practitioners Priority Actions (2) Priority Actions (3): Legislative Sector Responsibilities Priority Actions (3) Priority Actions (4): Equality in the Judiciary Priority Actions (4) STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 5: Expand Access to Quality Education and Training for Women and STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 5 28 29 29 30 30 Girls 32 Problem Statement: Biased Teaching and Educational Materials Limit Fields of Study, Problem Statement Marginalizing Women from Various Fields of Study, such as Science and Technology 32 Priority Actions: Accessible and Appropriate Institutions shall be Established to enable Priority Actions Accessible, Quality Education, thereby enabling the Active Participation of Women in all
 Platforms and Sectors of Society.
(Rural Women, Single Mothers, and Disabled Women Shall Also be Prioritized) 32 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 6: Accelerating Women’s Development: Infrastructure and the STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 6 Environment Community Development (Infrastructure) 36 36 Problem Statement: The Medium Term Prioritizes the development of human Problem Statement settlements, water and electrification programmes, public transport and municipal infrastructure.
However, this allocation has not been allocated in a gender disaggregated manner Environment and Climate Change 36 36 Problem Statement: Women are disproportionately affected by environmental Problem Statement and climate change 36 Priority Actions: Development Projects such as Human Settlements, Water and Priority Actions Electrification Programmes, Shall be structured taking cognizance of gender disaggregated Data and Women’s Socio-Economic Needs 37 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 7: Promote Equitable Access to Comprehensive, Adequate and STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 7 Sustainable Social Protection Systems for Women 40 Problem Statement: Social Protection has been a Key Policy Response to the COVID 19 Problem Statement Pandemic, but the extent to which these measures have recognized and addressed the gendered impacts of the crisis, remains far from adequate Priority Actions: Social Protection as a Mechanism to Advance Gender Equality Priority Actions 40 40 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 8: Deconstructing Patriarchy and Inequality in Political and STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 8 Civic Life: Advancing Women’s Adequate Representation Across the Three Spheres of Government, Particularly at Local Government Level 44 Problem Statement: It is Imperative that Women’s Representation at Local Government Problem Statement Receives the Necessary Focus, in order to ensure Adequate Representation at Local Government Level 44 Priority Actions: Eliminating Structural Barriers that Prevent Women from Priority Actions Adequately Participating in Political and Civic Life STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 9: Deconstructing Patriarchy in Family Life and Partnerships .
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 9 44 46 Problem Statement: Eradicating Patriarchy and Advancing Gender Equality and Problem Statement Respect for Women’s Rights starts at home, where often, Power and Financial Resources are still in the Hands of men 46 Priority Actions: Gender Stereotyping of Work in the Home, Shall be Combatted Priority Actions through the Appropriate Awareness Campaigns, offered by the Department of Social Development and other Social Partners 46 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 10: Deconstructing Patriarchal Hegemony in Custom, STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 10 Culture and Religion 48 Problem Statement: Culture and Religion have played a significant role in impeding Problem Statement Women from Accessing their Human Rights 48 Priority Actions: Custom, Culture and Religion Shall be Subject to the Equality Clause Priority Actions in the Bill of Rights 48 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 11: Accelerating Women’s Equitable Access to Land 50 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 11 Problem Statement: Throughout the world, Gender Inequality, when it comes to Problem Statement Land and other Productive Resources is Intimately related to Women’s Poverty and Exclusion 50 Women’s Access to Land: The Legislative and Policy Paradigm Priority Actions (1): The Role of the State Priority Actions (1) Priority Actions (2): Translating Commitments into Tangible Outcome Priority Actions (2) STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 12: End All Forms of Violence Against Women and Femicide STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 12 Problem Statement: Violence in all its Forms, is Endemic to the South African Problem Statement Society.
Both Sexual and Domestic Violence are Pervasive and all Women Live Under 50 51 52 54 the Threat of, or Experience Violence 54 Priority Actions: Government Shall Consistently Implement Measures to Promote Priority Actions Gender Equality and Actions Against GBV and Femicide 55 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 13: Human Settlements - Accelerating Women’s Equitable STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 13 Access to Housing (Particularly the Poor and Vulnerable) 58 Problem Statement: The Inadequate Provision of Housing and Infrastructure Contributes Problem Statement to the Poor Conditions in Which the Majority of South Africa’s Communities Live 58 Priority Intervention: Link General Housing Strategies and Housing Policy to the Needs of (Victims of GBV, the Vulnerable and Indigent) STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 14: Advancing Women’s Equitable Access to Health Care STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 14 58 60 Problem Statement: Women’s Inadequate Access to Health Care is exacerbated by Problem Statement Vast Distances and High Travel Costs, Especially in Rural Areas; high out-of-pocket (OOP) Payments for Care; Long Queues and Disempowered Patients 60 Priority Actions: Government Shall Ensure that Healthcare Services are Accessible Priority Actions to Women, with Adequate Consideration of Women in Rural Areas 60 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 15: Advancing Transformation and Gender Equality in the Media STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 15 Industry 62 Problem Statement: In South Africa, Women do not Enjoy Equal Access to, or Problem Statement Coverage in the Film, Print and Electronic Media.
Very Few Women Own or Control Media Institutions or Occupy Executive or Editorial Decision-Making Positions 62 Priority Actions: Media Houses Shall Develop Content that Addresses Gender Stereotypes and Patriarchy, Including Issues of Gender Based Violence and Femicide 62 PARLIAMENT’S MANDATE CONTEXTUAL OVERVIEW Parliament’s Constitutional Mandate Since the advent of democracy in South Africa, Parliament has played a fundamental role, to build a new democratic social order that is premised on freedom and equality.
The Constitution has set in place, a sovereign democratic state, where governance is effected through Parliament, the Executive and the Judiciary, with the State Institutions Supporting Democracy (ISDs), as the fourth sector, holding a particularly important place within the broader construct of the constitutional design of our democracy.
As enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Parliament’s role is to represent the people and to ensure government by the people under the Constitution, as well as representing provinces in the national sphere of government.

This mandate is achieved through passing legislation, overseeing government action, and the facilitation of public involvement, co-operative government and international participation2.
The Constitution further asserts that the role of Parliament includes the promotion of the values of human dignity, equality, non-racialism, non-sexism, the supremacy of the Constitution, universal adult suffrage and a multi-party system of democratic government.

It upholds our citizens’ political rights, the basic values and principles governing public administration, and oversees the implementation of constitutional imperatives.
In its resolve to advance the ideals of an equal society, the South African government has committed itself to building a democratic developmental social order, that is able to lead efforts to overcome unemployment and poverty and reduce inequality.
These efforts are given effect and are sustained by the imperative that the developmental state, as the enabling nucleus of transformation in South Africa, must continue to play a strategic guiding role in social, political and economic life, thereby decisively intervening to advance the interests of the people, particularly the workers and the poor.
The progress made to eradicate the legacy of more than 340 years of colonialism and apartheid in South Africa, gives a clear indication of the complexity and extent, of inherited underdevelopment in the country and emphasizes the efforts that will be required, to push back the frontiers of inherited inequality.
Furthermore, the historical impact of oppression, particularly on the lives of previously marginalized and subjugated communities, particularly women, has left deeply embedded socio-economic disparities, deeply entrenched patriarchal doctrines of oppression, which still undermine efforts of realizing gender equality in our life time.
Parliament Functioning in the Context of Developmental State-To Accelerate Gender Equality Given the inherited inequalities and the broader transformation agenda before the state, Parliament finds itself striving forward and advancing the country’s transformation agenda, as guided by the precepts of a developmental state.
A developmental state is defined as a state that brings about rapid and sustainable transformation in a country’s economic and/or social conditions through active, intensive and effective intervention in the structural causes of economic or social underdevelopment.

Developmental states are active.

They do not simply produce regulations and legislation.

They constantly strive to improve the quality of what they do by building their own capacity and learning from experiences.
They also recognize the importance of building constructive relations with all sectors of society, while insulating themselves from capture by sectional interests.3 https://www.parliament.gov.za/storage/app/media/StratPlan/3/II-Core.pdf National Development Plan, 2012 2 3 1 During the Sixth Dispensation, and as further necessitated as a result of the far reaching impact COVID 19 pandemic, Parliament continues to give expression to its constitutional mandate, taking cognizance of the impeding challenges of resource constraints, amidst widening gendered socio-economic disparities, as it seeks to actively advance the country’s developmental agenda.
Parliament is also continuing to execute its constitutional mandate, being cognizant of the prevailing fluidity of perceived social and economic degeneracy and slow progress, particularly given the global impact of the pandemic.

Parliament has therefore positioned itself to function more effectively as a Parliament operating in the context of a developmental state, to effectively respond to global exogenous and regional, as well as the internal shocks, of the COVID 19 pandemic.
As one of the of the three arms of state, it therefore actively strives to operate under the auspices of the mandatory norms and character traits of a developmental state, by contribute towards the: • • • • (i) Formulation of a cohesive and focused set of goals and objectives for national growth and development, and delineate a clear set of policies to achieve these goals (In line with the electoral mandate, as guided by the National Development Plan and accompanying International and Regional Development Policy Perspectives) (ii) Co-ordinate and allocate (financial and human) resources for investment in line with the policies identified (Through the division of revenue processes, strive to effectively oversee and ensure the necessary financial prudence and accountability in the usage of state resources) (iii) Monitor and evaluate progress towards the implementation of shared objectives as a result of implemented Policies (Effective oversight and accountability Mechanisms, advancing outcome based oversight) (iv) Oversee the adjustment, mobilization and allocation of resources in response to progress made towards existing objectives, while observing changes in objectives and exogenous pressures and shocks (is striving towards Effective and Necessary Budget Adjustment and effective budget realignment in line with standing priorities, particularly to address gender inequality and the various other social economic ills )4 The developmental state must also play a much stronger role in establishing clear, measurable and time-bound targets for common programmes, and for monitoring their implementation.5 Given the necessity for Parliament to embody the characteristics that underpin the paradigm of a developmental state, it continues to do so in a manner that seeks to accelerate economic recovery and growth, while responding decisively to challenges currently facing the country.
In order to function more effectively within the broader framework of South Africa’s constitutional unitary state, Parliament will hence continue to strengthen its oversight mechanisms, so as to ensure it operates more effectively, as part and parcel of a vibrant and efficient developmental state.
Completing the 25-Year Review of the 1994 Women’s Charter for Effective Equality Despite the plethora of policy and legislative instruments enacted since the advent of democracy in 1994, women in South Africa still continue to bear the brunt of high levels of inequality, economic exclusion, unemployment, gender based violence and femicide.

The Women’s Charter Review Developmental State: the nature of statal policy and institutional reform 4 5 What is a developmental State?
https://www.etu.org.za/toolbox/docs/govern/state.html https://www.slideshare.net/Costantinos/the-developmental-state-the-nature-of-statal-policy-and-institutional-reform 2 Process was therefore initiated and implemented, as an important marker in the life of South Africa’s democracy, so as assess the extent of poverty and inequality, particularly as faced by women.
The 25-Year review was also positioned as the litmus test of the functionality and effectiveness of South Africa’s 25-Year democratic project, which subsequently exposed both successes and failings of South Africa’s democratic dispensation, to advance effective gender equality.
Therefore, in an effort to enable the institutionalization of gender sensitive-good governance norms and practices, Parliament has successfully completed its nation-wide, 25-Year Review of the 1994 Women’s Charter for Effective Equality.
The review process was undertaken in collaboration with strategic partners and stakeholders across the three spheres of government, chapter nine institutions, academics, civil society organizations, women’s formations, as well as ordinary South African Women across the country.
Initiated by a resolution of the inaugural Women’s Parliament of the Sixth dispensation on August 28th 2019, a process to review the entire women’s rights regime was undertaken, in order to assess the efficacy of existing systemic and institutional mechanisms across the three spheres of government, to advance the realization of gender equality.
Review engagements have explicitly exposed the glaring gap between policy and practice and the disjuncture between public endorsement of gender equality and actual institutional practice, which also characterizes the state’s inadequate response to give effect to the women’s rights regime, in the first 25 years of its democracy.

The disproportionate share of poverty, inequality and unemployment held by South African women, is further exacerbated by unabating levels of Gender Based Violence and Femicide.
These further served as additional markers, of gender equality policy implementation failures.

Various indicators also linked to the persistence of the multiple vulnerabilities of South African women, importantly underscored that black female headed households, continue to be the poorest of the poor, with unemployment and NEET (not in Education or Training) rates being particularly high amongst female youth.
The 2019 Women’s Parliament also forewarned the inadequacy of existing frameworks to address the social, political and economic needs of women in South Africa, further indicating that institutional arrangements often fail to create the platform for women to grow and develop.
Developmental policies and legislative frameworks have also not made the necessary impact that was hoped for in terms of changing the status of women in society, as the gender discourse has remained primarily events driven, with no strategic and performance plans to bring about real transformation.
The challenges in the governance system has hence led to unintended consequences for women, where the lack of adequate planning, budgeting and unsatisfactory efforts towards supporting strategic projects and interventions, has done very little to positively impact the material conditions of women.
Through the country wide, provincial, metro and district level review engagements, Parliament was able to gather valuable information and findings, which have become the basis upon which, sustained engagement with, provinces, metro’s and districts will now continue to be based on, particularly for the advancement of gender equality, through the various oversight mechanisms necessary.
The newly developed Women’s Charter for Accelerated Development, which encompasses 15 strategic objectives and a set of broad priority actions, appropriately encompasses the invaluable inputs received from all sectors of society, for accelerated implementation by all sectors of society.
Adherence to the precepts, strategic objectives and priority actions of the Charter, will require a social compact and a resolute commitment to re-engineer systemic and institutional arrangements across the three spheres of government, to enable gender sensitive good-governance policy re-design, planning, budgeting and implementation practices.
The women’s Charter for Accelerated Development, is being adopted nine 3 years before the 2030 target of the National Development Plan, effectively sets a 25-Year Vision and Agenda for the accelerated realization of gender equality and transformation in South Africa, by advancing the appropriate policy, legislative, systemic and institutional machinery interventions, so as to bring about measured change and positive impact in the material conditions of women.
The review process successfully accumulated important findings under the below categories, for further processing and implementation by The Three Arms of State, The Three Spheres of Government and All Sectors of Society: With the 1994 Women’s Charter for Effective Equality as the backdrop to commence the review process, the charter provided both scope and context to assess the efficacy of key development policies, legislative instruments and frameworks, planning, programmatic and institutional arrangements currently in place, aimed at advancing the gender equality agenda.
Women’s Charter Review Pillars The review process was underpinned by the following key pillars: • Gender Analysis Local Government (Planning – Integrated Development Plans (IDP), Gender Responsive Planning and Gender Responsive Budgeting, as well as the gendered provision of services at local government level); • Gender Analysis Provincial Government (Provincial Planning Processes – PGDS, Gender Responsive Planning, Gender Responsive Budgeting across All Provincial Departments) • An in-depth review of the systemic weaknesses in the National Gender Machinery (National, Provincial and Districts Level); • An in-depth review of the systemic and institutional arrangements, particularly at provincial and local government level, which weaken or create exclusionary systemic processes, thereby undermining the gender transformation agenda; • Review systemic weaknesses that impede Gender Responsive Budgeting across the three spheres, in order to ensure that women (and children) benefit fairly from financial and other resources; and • Law Reform: Review existing legislation through a gender lens, in order to identify gaps in our laws and policies, so as to prevailing structural constraints, which perpetuate poverty and inequality; • Public Participation: The review process was also underpinned by a strong public participation component, enabling women across every district, in all nine provinces in South Africa to make their voices heard.
• Towards the Women’s Charter for Accelerated Development: To develop a charter that is responsive to the challenges that women are facing in the current epoch, taking cognizance of the poverty and economic impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on women’s quality of life.
Emanating from the countless review deliberations, the Women’s Charter for Accelerated Development is a strategic and live document that is supported by clearly articulated strategic objectives and priority actions, for immediate implementation, which must remain on governments developmental agenda.
The Women’s Charter for Accelerated Development serves as the Demand Document for the Women of South Africa, articulating matters for urgent prioritization: by the Three Arms of State, the Three Spheres of Government, including all Sectors of Society.
The revised charter will also serve as a road map for effective policy re-design going forward, legislative instrument efficacy assessments, three sphere coordination of gender responsive plans and budgets, Implementation Review processes, as well as monitoring and evaluation processes.
4 5 PREAMBLE We the Women of South Africa, recognise the far reaching impact South Africa’s oppressive, colonial past, which continues to disproportionately affect the lives of women, enabling varied forms of state facilitated patriarchy, sexism and gender inequality, to remain deeply embedded within our societal norms, practices, traditions, cultural and religious practices.
We further recognise that South Africa’s democratic dispensation, as guided by the constitution of the republic, has enacted various policies, legislative instruments and strategic programmes, which have thus far, not been adequately implemented, since the inception of our watershed democracy.

To date, the vast majority of South African women, are still languish in extreme poverty, which is exacerbated by persistent economic exclusion, Gender Based Violence and Femicide.
We hereby re-affirm and reclaim our inalienable rights as equal citizens of the Republic of South Africa and proclaim that our indivisible constitutional rights, including our civil and political rights, our social and economic and cultural rights, as equal citizens of the republic, must find accelerated and urgent expression across all sectors of society, including all governance structures, all social and political structures, all economic structures, all cultural, traditional and religious structures, as well as in the rural and urban communities where we reside, across very province, every metro, every district and every locality in South Africa.
We the Women of South Africa emphatically declare, that the Women’s Charter for Accelerated Development, its accompanying strategic objectives and broad set of priority actions, constitutes our collective demand document, to guide and accelerate the Total Emancipation of Women, from All Forms of Oppression, Discrimination, Socio- Political and Economic Exclusion.
It constitutes the Roadmap setting all structures of our society on a clear trajectory, articulating the priorities, instruments and strategic programmes required for accelerated and priority implementation.
These actions shall be actualised through equitable access to state resources, and supported and underpinned by effective gender responsive policy design, gender responsive planning, budgeting and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, across the three spheres of government, including all institutions that form part of South Africa’s National Gender Machinery.
We also recognise the adoption of the first Women’s Charter on 17 April 1954, during the founding conference of the Federation of South African Women (FEDSAW), which laid a solid foundation for the development of a broad and overarching regime of emancipative rights for all women, regardless of colour or creed.
We also affirm our Resolute Recognition of the 1994 Women’s Charter for Effective Equality, as a key pillar of our gender struggle trajectory, which remains the bedrock from which we now advance to build gender sensitive institutional norms and practices and as well as gender equal good governance practices.
As we continue the trajectory of the important gender struggle, we collectively affirm that this struggle trajectory can only be traversed and effectively advanced, through sustained contestation and confrontation, so as to realise effective gender equality.

Progress shall be confirmed by measurable economic freedom, socio-political and cultural freedom and freedom from all forms of discriminatory practices, and end to gender based violence and femicide.
6 77 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1: ACCELERATE THE REALIZATION OF GENDER EQUALITY “The eradication of patriarchy needs all forces of society, more so because it coexists and survives under the most progressive political systems; because it is articulated in many diverse subtle and hidden or open and crude forms; because it is explained away in many logical sounding ways ranging from the natural, biological to religious and cultural arguments; because one of its strongest bases is the family, the home and among loved ones, it is the most complex and entrenched system, embedded in and permeating through all spheres of life, it needs all forms of struggle, persuasion, contestation, compromise, pressure and confrontation”6 Gender Equality Context: The Status of Women in South Africa The South African Constitution (Act 108 0f 1996) lays the foundation for protecting women’s rights.
Chapter 2, the equality clause, provides the legal framework within which gender equality is protected and forbids discrimination against anyone on the grounds of race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation and ethnic or social origin.

It laid the basis for the introduction of progressive, rights-based legislation, that is mindful of gender realities.

Sections 59 and 72 make provision for public access and involvement in the law-making processes of Parliament.
Despite South Africa’s transformation trajectory and legislative gains emanating from the construct of its watershed democratic project, South Africa still remains one of the most unequal society’s in the world, with women counted amongst the poorest.

The triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment, including the pervasive levels of gender based violence and femicide, represent the amalgamated and most persistent challenges faced by women.
The feminisation of poverty is significant because poverty is experienced differently by women, as compared to men, more so due to the economic political, and social dynamics prevalent in the country.

South Africa is the most unequal country in the world and incomes are highly polarized.

The country is characterized by high wealth inequality and low intergenerational mobility which arise from high income inequality and inequality of opportunity for children.
These inequalities appear to be passed down from generation to generation, implying little change in inequality over time and perhaps even a worsening of the already bad situation.”7 Overcoming this deeply entrenched and cyclical nature of generational poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment, particularly as disproportionately experienced by women, will require concerted and sustained efforts from all sectors of society.
It is also important to emphasize that the status of women is no merely a statistical matter, as poverty for women is often more severe and poses greater development challenges for women.

When women are poor, their rights are not protected and they face double discrimination, on account of their gender and economic situation.
Women, their families, communities and economies suffer as a result.8 If the state machinery fails to effectively respond to the cyclical and generational nature of the prevailing challenges faced by women, the disproportionate impact of multi-dimensional poverty, economic exclusion, gender based violence and femicide, will continue to impede tangible advancements to realise substantive equality.
The imperative for the institutionalisation of the precept of equality across all sectors of society is therefore advanced, as a key tenet of the social, political and economic fabric of our society, as well as the state’s planning and operational machinery.
The state at large, remains society’s leading implementing agent alongside various other important partners, is obligated to ensure that all policies, all legislative instruments and all accompanying strategic programmes, all institutional arrangements, across the three spheres of government, are developed, taking cognizance of the pertinent gender precepts and legal obligations.
These must be effectively positioned for implementation, so as to enable the attainment of tangible, measurable and impact driven equality.

Positioning the Equality Precept The precept of Equality therefore remains the overarching nexus and apex priority for the women of South Africa, including gender non-conforming and broadly, the LGBTQI+ community rights.
Equality is hence positioned as a fundamental precept in pursuit of democratic and constitutional justice for the vulnerable and marginalised, whose quality of life is characterised by discriminatory and exclusionary practices.

Equality, as the pinnacle and founding precept of our democratic state, must cut across every developmental instrument, to ensure that women, equitably and effectively benefit from all resources and opportunities available for their growth and development.
6 7 8 Now is the Time, our age of hope: Paying Tribute to the Heroic Women of 1956, Ms. T Mtintso overcoming poverty and inequality in South Africa: an assessment of drivers, constraints and opportunities, 2018 The Beijing 12 Critical Areas, unwomen.org 8 Despite the existence of the draft Gender Policy Framework on local government (2007), provincial review sessions have highlighted systemic weaknesses in gender mainstreaming at local level.
These weaknesses point to: (i) A lack of resources (ii) A lack of gender mainstreaming in IDP processes, (iii) A gender discourse that is events driven, (iv) Uncoordinated Provincial Gender Machinery (PGM), (v) The lack of expertise and know how in implementing gender mainstreaming processes and (vi) A general lack of support, amongst others.
Furthermore, the Gender Policy Framework for Local Government was launched in September 2007, and emphasized the role that IDPs can play in mainstreaming gender in policies and implementation plans, as well as the importance of key stakeholders such as gender focal points and structures, such as gender forums and M&E mechanisms, to institutionalize government’s commitment to achieving gender equality.
Yet to be finalized, the framework remains in draft form and has not been broadly adopted by municipalities, indicative of the failure to institutionalize gender mainstreaming at local level.

Taking into consideration that black female headed households remain the most vulnerable group in society, this finding must find reflection in planning processes, the annual and vertical division of government revenue as well as within the horizontal budget allocations of the 3 spheres of government.
Gender responsive budgeting in particular remains an urgent vehicle for contributing to gender equality at local government level.

An intergovernmental fiscal mechanism must further be an inherent key element in this process.

At a provincial level, the Commission for Gender Equality found that no provincial executive was found to have a clearly articulated Theory of Change embedded on women’s empowerment principles and gender equality prescripts.
Furthermore, most Provincial Gender Machinery programs are campaigns and celebrations of commemorative dates and events and these programs have no impact or monitoring and evaluation frameworks attached to them, hence the difficulty in pronouncing on the substantive improvement on the quality of life of women.
Most provinces have special programmes that are directed at youth, women, children, people with disabilities and elderly persons and these are often not gender responsive in their approach nor do they take into consideration the status of women.

Some of these challenges can be associated with the lack of mechanisms to institutionalise gender through the Provincial Growth and Development Strategies (PGDS) of the provinces.
Out of all 09 (nine) sampled Provinces none had a PGDS underpinned by gender responsive planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation and gender auditing (GRPBM&E & A).

9 During the provincial and District level review sessions, the Financial and Fiscal Commission (FFC) placed emphasis on the importance of an intergovernmental Fiscal Relations System (IGFR) as an avenue to institutionalize gender responsive budgeting.
It was further expanded that a successful IGFR system would be sensitive to the needs of women and contribute to moving women out of poverty.

In this sense, innovations in policy design and implementation are required to further ensure gender sensitive resource allocation.
Priority Actions (1): Re-Engineering Government’s Planning Machinery, by Institutionalizing Gender Mainstreaming in Planning Processes, Across the Three Spheres of Government In order to advance effective equality, women’s rights and gender equality shall be institutionalised, implemented and actualised through the Development Planning Prescripts, Planning Instruments and Implemented through the Effective Management of the functions assigned to the three spheres of government.
Gender equality shall further be implemented through development policy integration, budgeting, M&E and Structured Implementation processes and further emboldened, through Targeted Oversight and Feedback to women across all Provinces, Metro’s, Districts and Local Municipalities.
This implores the imperative that all implementing agencies must deliberately outline plans in line with the principles of gender equality, and that they must attach resources to these plans, in a manner that demonstrates a firm commitment to accelerate the realization of gender equality.

Radical systemic and institutional shifts must be therefore be effected, as guided by the necessary integration of the appropriate gender prescripts within all development planning frameworks.
This includes the National Development Plan (NDP), the Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF), National Spatial Development Framework (NSDF), Provincial Growth and Development Strategies (PGDS), Provincial Development Plans (PDP), Integrated Development Plans (IDP), including the District Development Model (DDM), Departmental Strategic and Annual Performance Plans, as well as other important planning and strategy execution mechanisms.
9 9 Ms T Mathebula, National Gender Machinery Summit, Parliament, 6 March 2020 Priority Actions (2): Advancing Gender Equality, through Effectively Mainstreamed Development Policy and Government Planning Instruments, across the Three Spheres of Government: • • • • • The Precept of Equality Shall be effectively Mainstreamed into the National Development Plan (NDP), cutting across all strategic policy proposals of the NDP as well as the National Spatial Development Framework (NSDF).
(The NDP and NSDF Shall be Reviewed for mainstreaming, together with the National Executive (Presidency) Parliament and the (Commission for Gender Equality) The Precept of Equality Shall be effectively Mainstreamed into the Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) and shall be cascaded cross its seven priorities and related interventions, as well as all priorities and outcomes, which are all intrinsically linked to women’s overall development and the advancement of gender equality.
The MTSF Shall also be reviewed annually from a gender perspective, in order to develop effectively mainstreamed priorities to guide planning, particularly across the cascaded, implementing spheres.

The Principle of Equality shall tangibly find expression in the Strategic and Annual Performance Plans of National and Provincial Departments and Sector Plans.

These plans must tangibly reflect gender targets and agendas, before approval by Parliament and the legislative sector broadly.
Such planning shall reflect gender equity as well as equality within all government departments (internal equity/numbers), which must also tangibly translate into equality in delivery and impact on women’s lives in communities (external community focussed, tangible and impact driven plans) The responsibilities for gender mainstreaming for the advancement of equality shall be placed firmly with accounting officers across the three spheres of government.
Furthermore, gender mainstreaming shall become an integral part of the process to interrogate all strategic plans Government officials in line departments Shall further also account for how their policies, programmes and related budgets advanced gender equality.
The Principle of Equality shall be Embedded in and Mainstreamed into the Provincial Growth and Development Strategies (PGDS) and Provincial Spatial Development Frameworks (PSDF) of All Provinces The Principle of Equality Shall be Embedded in and Mainstreamed into the Provincial Development Plans (PDP) • Given the constitutional role of Provinces of institutional development and capacity building, Provincial executives shall ensure that they build Municipal Capacity, to ensure integration of Gender Equality Precepts and Perspectives into the Integrated Development Plans.
The Principles of Equality Shall be Embedded and Mainstreamed into the Integrated Development Plans (IDP) and District Development Model processes across District and Local Municipalities, in order to ensure that Local Government effectively institutionalises Gender Responsive Planning, based on gender desegregated data and gendered poverty mapping data, in each spatial dimension and locality, as informed and guided by PGDSs and PSDFs • This shall be achieved by ensuring that municipal integrated development plans: - institutionalise gender planning by sector (e.g.
water and sanitation, local economic development etc.)
and include gender ddisaggregated performance indicators and targets - Develop and utilize gender budgeting good practice guides and toolkits - Develop Guidelines for collecting sex- disaggregated data for budgeting processes - - - Ensure that municipalities have the capacity to analyse budgets from a gender perspective Ensure gender-responsive appropriations and budget allocations and Ensure gender-sensitive public participation and consultations at local level • • The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities and Treasury shall provide the necessary support for skills development and capacity building, to enable gender responsive planning.
Regular Progress updates shall be provided, quantifying progress made and impact, in skills development and capacity building The Principle of Effective Equality Shall be Embedded in the State of the Nation address, State of the Province Addresses as well as State of the Municipality Addresses (All Metro’s, Districts and Local Municipalities) • Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting shall be embedded and institutionalized across multiple institutions and sectors of society.
This includes the public administration, parliamentary committees, and all other state institutions, political parties and civil society 10 Problem Statement: Government’s Existing Gender Responsive Budgeting Mechanisms, are often Fragmented and Lack Coherence and Broad-Based Political Support.
Gender Budgeting: Advancing Gender Equality through Effective Budget and Fiscal Measures - Towards Institutionalizing Gender Sensitive – Inter-governmental Fiscal Relations Systems A key measure for ensuring gender transformation and equal participation between women and men is the allocation of budgets to effect policy and legislative changes.

Government budgets and fiscal measures can play an important role in promoting women’s development and gender equality.
The link between economic and political empowerment is key to enhancing the equal participation of men and women in decision-making – economic and political resources must be accessible to both men and women in order to address inequalities between them.

In order to achieve the empowerment of women, various measures can be employed to ensure that states do indeed meet their developmental goals.
One such measure is gender budgeting.10 Gender-responsive budgeting is not about creating separate budgets for women, or solely increasing spending on women’s programmes.

Instead, gender-responsive budgeting seeks to ensure that the collection and allocation of public resources is carried out in ways that are effective and contribute to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment.
It should be based on in-depth analysis that identifies effective interventions for implementing policies and laws that advance women’s rights.

It provides tools to assess the different needs and contributions of men and women, and boys and girls within the existing revenues, expenditures and allocations and calls for adjusting budget policies to benefit all groups.

Gender-responsive budget analysis, along with legislation, and other practical policy measures can address gender bias and discrimination.
It is a step not only towards accountability to women’s rights, but also towards greater public transparency and can shift economic policies leading to gains across societies.11 While various gender responsive budgeting mechanisms exist across the three spheres of government, the Majority of them are often fragmented and lack coherence and broad- based political support.
There are no binding mechanisms for the implementation of the Gender Responsive Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing Framework.

There are structural and institutional weaknesses that impede gender responsive budgeting, which must be urgently addressed across the three spheres of government.
There is a lack of coherent policies, programmes, systems and procedures to promote gender-responsive policy, research, planning, budgeting, monitoring, evaluation and auditing.12 Tangible plans developed for the advancement and realization of gender equality, must be backed by the necessary budget allocation, so as to ensure implementation.
Priority Actions (3):Tangible plans developed for the advancement and realization of gender equality, must be backed by the necessary budget allocation, so as to ensure implementation.

• The Principle of Equality Shall be embedded as an Apex Priority and Cross Cutting Imperative in the Budget Process including: The Mandate Paper, Division of Revenue Bill, the Fiscal Framework, the Appropriations Bill and the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement.
Inculcated gendered perspectives shall take into consideration gendered-poverty mapping perspectives across provinces, districts and localities, so as to effectively consider the spatial, socio-economic challenges faced by women across the country.
• Budget Vote Process: Budgets Shall be approved tangible based on clearly articulated and gender responsive strategic plans and annual performance plans, as a commitment of intent to follow through with the implementation of all Cáceres, R. M. (n/a) Overview of Gender-responsive Budget Initiatives Wehner, J.

& Byanyima, W. (2004) Parliament, the Budget and Gender mainstreaming and gender equality priorities.
• Budgets Shall be clearly linked to gender equality outcomes (SDGs, Agenda 2063, SADC Gender and Dev Protocol, NDP (gendered NDP perspectives), including priority actions articulated for Accelerated Development).
Gender Equality Outcomes Shall be articulated by every department and entity across the three spheres of government the Women’s Charter in • Gender Responsive Budget Principles: Shall be consistently applied, clearly demonstrating a theory of change paradigm: Across the three spheres of government (National, Provincial and Local), through tangible, impact driven developmental plans, which recognise the urgency of gender equality in South Africa Ms T Mathebula, National Chairperson of the Commission for Gender Equality, National Gender Machinery Summit, 6 March 2020, Parliament of 10 11 12 RSA 11 • Government Shall incorporate tangible gender perspective into the design, development, adoption and execution of all budgetary processes, as appropriate, in order to promote equitable, effective and appropriate resource allocation; Shall further establish adequate budgetary allocations to support gender equality and development programmes that enhance women’s empowerment; and to develop the necessary analytical and methodological tools and mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation; • • The responsibilities for gender mainstreaming for the advancement of equality shall be placed firmly with accounting officers across the three spheres of government and gender mainstreaming to become an integral part of interrogation of all costing and budgets of strategic plans Legislation targeting women shall be properly costed, ensuring that appropriate resources, financial and otherwise, are dedicated towards successful implementation thereof • Based on evidence-based research, where there are budget deficits, allocation shifts shall be including recommended all economic (Economic Development Cluster) participation projects and as an integrated approach to women’s development and wellbeing; in education, health, • • Ensure the revenue measures including fuel levies and sales taxes do not adversely affect women; For each sector, resource allocations to particular sectors should be monitored to ensure that they benefit women.
• Standardized requirements and guidelines for the collection of gender disaggregated data shall be instituted to serve as the basis for targeted, evidence-based policy and legislative formulation • All spheres of government will be required to mainstream gender by way of gender responsive planning, budgetary processes, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) mechanisms and auditing practices.
include Gender The Auditor General: Shall Performance Indicators in the assessment of Financial Management Processes • • All Departments across the three spheres of government Shall be subject to an Annual Gender Audit to assist in the institutionalization of Gender Mainstreaming; • Poverty Mapping Perspectives in Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting, Shall be institutionalised as an imperative for planning, in order to ensure that the needs of women across varied incomes are effectively considered.
Spatially specific (Provincial, District and Ward Specific) disaggregated data, with wealth differentials Shall be used for planning and budgeting and delivered through the district based development model.

This process will ensure that no one is left behind.
Mandatory Skills Development and Capacity building on Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting • In order to ensure continuity and implementation, the department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities and Treasury shall ensure it builds capacity on the integration of socio-economic policy issues, with public spending, through ongoing training and capacity building across the state machinery.

framework.
framework.

Ongoing capacity building in order to ensure that government officials across the three spheres of government have the capacity to implement planning and budgeting from a gender perspective.
Such mandatory building/training capacity initiatives, shall also focus on the gender responsive planning, budgeting, monitoring, evaluation, and auditing framework and the country gender indicator • Capacity building initiatives shall be limited to strengthen knowledge on gender issues, for the development of substantive gender responsive plans and budgets 12 During the Provincial and District Level Women’s Charter Review sessions, the Financial and Fiscal Commission (FFC) placed emphasis on the importance of a gender sensitive Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations System (IGFR), as an important avenue to institutionalize gender responsive budgeting.
It was further expanded that a successful gender sensitive IGFR system, would be sensitive to the needs of women and contribute to moving women out of poverty.

In this sense, innovations in policy design and implementation are required, so as to further ensure gender sensitive resource allocation, that is mandatory and stipulated by the necessary statutory instrument obligations.
Furthermore, given the non-binding nature of the Gender Responsive Budgeting, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (GRBPMEA) framework, it is imperative that mandatory statutory instruments are developed, which must become an obligatory feature of mainstreaming across the three spheres of government.

It is imperative that the below pieces of legislation are amended to mainstream gender responsive budgeting.
Amendments will ensure an inclusion of the gendered implications through the necessary Budget and Fiscal measures: Specific and Relevant Pieces of Legislation in Need of Revision and Amendment in this Regard Include: • The Municipal Fiscal Powers and Functions Act, 2007; • • • The Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003; The Appropriations Act, 2020 and the Division of Revenue Act, 2013; and The Public Finance Management Act, 1999 13 1414 1515 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2: ADVANCING THE INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH PARADIGM- INCULCATING A GENDERED IMPERATIVE INTO ALL ECONOMIC GROWTH POLICY FRAMEWORKS AND STRATEGIC INTERVENTIONS “A growing body of evidence shows that economic growth is a gendered process and that gender inequalities can pose barriers to shared prosperity.
Growth patterns that exploit women’s position as a source of flexible labour, may result in jobs that do little to transform their bargaining power within the economy or lessen the burden of their unpaid care work.

And growth that generates forms of employment that favour male workers, can also buttress existing ideologies of the male breadwinner, leaving pre-existing gender inequalities largely intact.
Such evidence makes it clear that unless the gender dimensions of inclusive growth are made explicit, and unless policies for inclusive growth aim to improve women’s well-being and address gender gaps, it is unlikely that growth will benefit women and men equally.”13 Policy frameworks on inclusive growth, have rarely called into question current models of production or proposed macro-level policies and structural reforms necessary to correct the distributional bias of growth.
Rather, policy attention has focused on measures to promote equality of opportunity.

For instance, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) framework for policy action on inclusive growth emphasizes policies that can improve the prospects of households in the bottom 40 per cent of income distribution.
It identifies actions needed in three areas: (1) investing in people and places that have been left behind through targeted quality childcare, early education and lifelong acquisition of skills, and effective access to quality health care, justice, housing and infrastructure; (2) supporting business dynamism and inclusive labour markets through broad- based innovation and technology diffusion, strong competition and vibrant entrepreneurship, and access to good quality jobs, especially for women and underrepresented groups; and (3) building efficient and responsive governments through integrating distributional aspects upfront in the design of policy, and assessing policies for their impact on inclusiveness and growth.14 The World Bank, regional development banks such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and bilateral development agencies (such as the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development), among others, have also recommended that equality of opportunity should be at the core of inclusive growth policies.
For instance, the World Bank’s approach to shared prosperity or inclusive economic growth seeks to foster income growth among a nation’s bottom 40 per cent of households.

It focuses on economic growth as “growth that generates jobs and economic opportunities for all segments of the population”.
It advocates for a social contract in every country that commits to investments in safety nets that protect the poor and vulnerable against deprivation and shocks, and that improve and equalize opportunities for all citizens.

15 Problem Statement: The Gendered Implications of High Unemployment Rates, High Inequality and Low Growth, Continues to Characterize the Development Landscape in South Africa.
The roots of South Africa’s high rates of unemployment, poverty and inequality can be traced back to more than a century of colonial exploitation and apartheid – denying African people access to land, and the right to run businesses, to own certain assets, to access quality education and to live in well-located, economically productive areas.
Decades of racial discrimination in the workplace, also led to social stratification based on skin colour, with social and economic institutions largely reinforcing these inequities, including deeply entrenched gendered-economic inequalities.
Despite the fact that South Africa has since the inception of its democracy, passed some of the most progressive laws and other legislative instruments, women still continue to face social, economic and ideological barriers to full and equal participation in the economy.

Reports by Statistics South Africa, continue to demonstrate that the face of poverty is African-female.
One of the key challenges in bringing about development and economic transformation in South Africa is the fact that the structure of the economy has not changed and continues to reflect distorted patterns of ownership and exclusion, which has very specific race and gendered dimensions.

South Africa remains an unequal society and this is reflected in gross disparities in income and wealth.

Survey data shows that an estimated 10 % of South Africans own 90 – 95 % of all assets.
Women participate in large numbers in sectors of the economy which D Elson and A Seth, “Gender equality and inclusive growth: economic policies to achieve sustain- 13 able development” https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/library/publications/2019/ gender-equality-and-inclusive-growth-en.pdf?la=en&vs=3753 14 15 Ibid Ibid 16 are characterised by low wages and poor working conditions.
The gender pay gap persists, confining women to low remuneration and is worsened by discrimination against women in the receipt of social benefits.

In general, women remain in a disadvantaged position in terms of access to productive employment in the formal sector, with the vast majority of South African women working in vulnerable employment.
In addition, due to the gendered division of labour, the burden of care work almost always falls on women and girls to fulfil the family’s needs for food, water, clothing, shelter and care for children, the elderly and sick.

This, in turn, limits women’s opportunities for paid work and other activities.
Factors such as women’s lack of access to social protection, limited education and training and lack of control of and equal access to economic and financial resources, combine to reinforce inequalities and further impoverish women and girls.

key problems prohibiting economic development in South Africa, noting the two aspects of economic development that act as important constraints to wellbeing.
First and foremost is the ability of the economy to achieve sustainable economic growth, then the necessity of human development alongside economic development and the need for industrial structural transformation.

These aspects of economic development are interrelated because human and industrial development impact on one another through conditions of employment and income.
Overall, the Office analysis noted the existence of large constraints on the path to economic development and growth due to the inadequacy of human development, economic and industrial transformation, food and energy security, and infrastructure.16 Inclusive economic growth demands that effort to advance a country’s growth and development should be produced with the contribution of all citizens.
The country’s economic policies, legislative instruments and strategic economic programmes, must be underpinned by equity principles.

Furthermore, given the disproportionate impact of poverty, unemployment and economic exclusion, endeavours to build an inclusive economy must centrally take cognizance of the equality precept, which inadvertently demands that entry barriers must be identified and accordingly eradicated.
it is then pertinent to focus on the gender factors that trigger an increase in and stimulate economic growth in both low and high income countries, and result in inclusive economic growth.

Women are able make a large contribution to productivity and the economic prospects of a society.

Furthermore, as estimated by The World Economic Forum when observing the current rate of progress, it will take 170 years to close the overall global gender gap in economic participation and opportunity.
This places greater urgency on prioritizing and accelerating the economic inclusion and participation of women in South Africa.

Given the bleak outlook based on current progress, engaging in targeted and strategic efforts to close the gender gap in economic participation of women and tangible opportunity, is now imperative.
The State of South Africa’s Economy - Gendered and Poverty Implications: o In mid 2020 the South African population was 59.62 million of which 51.1% (30.5 million) are women and 48.9% male.

o South African women have higher unemployment rates and higher levels of poverty.

o In 2020 Q1 South Africa had an overall Expanded Unemployment Rate of 39.7%.

In the same period, women had an Expanded Unemployment rate of 43.4% with men at 36.5%.
o Black African women are the most vulnerable with an unemployment rate far exceeding other women.

o The proportion of women employed in the unprotected informal sector of the economy is 75% higher than men.

o Women spend 2.5x more in unpaid care and domestic work than men.

o In both Q1:2019 and Q1:2020, more than four in every ten young females were not in employment, education or training (NEET) – Q1:2020 Female NEET at 45.4% and male NEET at 38.1%.
o In money-metric headcounts done in 2015, Females (41.7%) remain more disadvantaged than males (38.2%), consistently recording a higher headcount, gap and severity measure at each point in time.

However, the difference between sexes has narrowed from 2006 to 2016. o The biggest multidimensional drivers of poverty are unemployment and years of schooling, by large margins and account for predominant reasons for experiencing poverty.
o According to the Marginalised Groups Indicator Report (Statistics South Africa, 2018), 39.2% of female- headed households in SA do not have an employed household member vs 19.5% of male-headed households.

By province it varies from lowest of 21.7% F / 14.0% M to highest 52.5% F / 26.5% M. This means that female headed households are experiencing much greater levels of poverty than male headed households and so much more in the rural provinces.
o At the moment it is estimated that 30 million South Africans are living below the poverty line with 17 16 Dr D Jantjies, Budget Office Policy Brief-Parliamentary Budget Office, July 2021 women much more effected by poverty than men.

o According to the Marginalised Groups Indicator Report (Statistics South Africa, 2018) 11.6% of female- headed households in SA suffer from hunger vs 8.3% of male-headed households.
By province it varies from lowest of 3.8% F / 4.8.0% M to highest 17.4% F / 14.6% M. Women headed households are much more exposed to hunger than male headed households.
o The trend of women inequality carries through to persons living with disabilities, where people living with disabilities earning less than their abled counterparts and women living with disabilities earning less than their male counterparts by a large percentage (39.6%).17 Priority Actions: Entrenching a Gender Sensitive – Inclusive Economic Growth Policy Paradigm • South Africa’s Economic Development Policy, must secure a central place for women in the economy • Priority focus Shall be given to the policy imperatives of the NDP (towards a revised gender sensitive NDP), as South Africa’s overarching development nexus, (with a particular focus on the inclusive growth priorities of the NDP and its gendered implications).
This underpinning policy focus will further be supported by the Key Inclusive Growth Policy Drivers articulated in the (Functional Electoral Mandate) and further supported by the (gender sensitive) Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan interventions.

• Women’s economic empowerment Shall therefore be clearly articulated in public policy documents: Including but not limited to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD), Cluster Departments.
including all Economic • Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP) Government Shall inculcate a Gender Focus in the interpretation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of ERRP Objectives, focusing on the following: - - for women through jobs, primarily To create aggressive investment infrastructure and mass employment programmes (equitable access in procurement and labour opportunities) To the economy, focusing on growing small businesses (aggressively build a new cohort of Black African women industrialists, based on emerging and untapped re-industrialize industrialization opportunities across provinces, metros, districts) - - Accelerate economic reforms to unlock investment and growth (Reforms shall be gender focused, in order to accelerate women’s participation) To fight crime and corruption (to decisively address crime and corruption, particularly as it impacts on women’s quality of life) To improve the capability of the state (State capability shall be strengthened, taking into consideration the imperatives of constructing a gendered/gender for sensitive state machinery, the accelerated inclusive realization of growth and economic gender equality) - • • Sector Master Plans: Shall be developed in a gendered/gender sensitive manner, so as to give women equitable access to existing and emerging economic recovery and reconstruction projects, across provinces, metros, districts and localities ERRP and Support for women in the informal sector: In order to reach women (who make up the highest proportion of those employed in the informal sector), the economic recovery plan needs to incorporate support for the informal sector.
• Given the disproportionate impact of poverty on women’s quality of life, government shall undertake and implement policies that both accelerate gendered inclusive economic growth and reduce poverty.
Meaning that there Shall be an equitable and targeted focus on accelerating the realization of women’s social, economic, civil, political and cultural rights, particularly because women continue to face oppression, discrimination and exclusion on all these platforms (with tangible inclusivity, access and equitable benefit fostered focussing on women’s 17 Mr R Maluleke, Women’s and Poverty, Statistics South Africa, Women’s Charter Review Session 18 multifaceted, integrated and indivisible needs, in the spatial- geographical localities where they reside) • Assessing the Gendered Infrastructure Implications of All Government costing and facilitating women’s access to an equitable share) Enable a Strategic Focus on Inclusive Growth Catalysing Policy Priorities, while ensuring their translation into well aligned and costed programmatic outputs across all Provinces, Metros, Districts and Localities in the country, with women gaining equitable access and benefitting from such government infrastructure projects.
Projects, Women Shall have equitable access, with access to 50% of Infrastructure Projects awarded to female owned companies in every financial year • Gender Responsive procurement: A Gender equity policy Shall be included in public procurement processes, so as to ensure that women benefit equitably, with penalties imposed on non-compliant departments and entities.
An annual gender audit on procurement, shall be undertaken, in order to ensure compliance • The National Development Plan (NDP) which emphasizes South Africa’s strategic priorities and objectives until 2030 envisages that municipalities, particularly those covering urban regions, will play a key role in ensuring that the impact of measures aimed at generating inclusive economic growth to reduce high levels of poverty and unemployment, are felt in localities as well as nationally.
Government shall undertake a targeted focus on urban Municipalities, as catalysts to accelerate the inclusive economic growth paradigm and the gender agenda, so as to ensure that those most disproportionately affected by poverty, inequality and the COVID 19 pandemic (Black African Females), benefit equitably from inclusive economic growth measures and interventions, aimed at poverty reduction and the reduction of unemployment • The Financial and Fiscal Commission (FFC), emphasises the importance of making use of the potential of accelerated urbanisation, making use of intergovernmental fiscal relations instruments, to drive the positive transformation of the economy towards the attainment of rapid economic growth that reduces poverty and inequality The necessary gendered analysis shall be undertaken to harness the potential of accelerated urbanization, making use of intergovernmental fiscal relations instruments, to drive an integrated and gendered inclusive growth trajectory.
Special focus Shall be placed on such municipalities, in order to maximize their inclusive growth potential • Government Shall Regularly assess Interventions and recovery, to transformation, for women’s equitable benefit and participation in the economy reconstruction accelerate • • • • Targeted Spatial Growth: Sources / place of growth matters – growth Shall take place where the women to whom growth is directed, live and breathe, through targeted interventions to facilitate equitable and measurable access, otherwise the growth will not be inclusive.
To this end, women in the Informal Sector, Shall be prioritised for support interventions by Local Government, including women who are functioning in the digital/ technological space, where women are now dominant participants Structure of growth matters – where is the growth coming from, big, SME’s, micro businesses.

Most poverty alleviation will emanate from SME’s and micro businesses.
A focus on women owned SMME’s is therefore imperative for the advancement of inclusivity in the structure of growth Increasing the number of women who manage, own and control enterprises and productive assets through interventions by the DTI, DSBD, PIC, DSD and other departments and other departments in the economic development cluster, Shall be prioritised • Accelerating access to finances: Policy mechanisms shall be developed to ensure financial inclusion as well as access to working capital for small, micro and medium enterprises.
Quarterly Gender Audits shall be undertaken, in order to follow expenditure and disbursement patterns and processes of fiancés to emerging and developing women owned enterprises • Engage the Financial Sector: to strengthen efforts to make financial services accessible and affordable to South African women Women need access to credit, which is not based on the need for collateral or linked to their marital status.
• Provide support for infrastructure and capital to SMMEs, mainly in the informal sectors – microfinance.
• Constraints: economic Structural constraints, which disproportionately impact women’s ability to access tangible economic opportunities, shall be identified for urgent redress Structural 19 Government Shall ensure processes to remove structural constraints and barriers to Inclusive Economic Growth (as it pertains to advancing gendered inclusive growth) and device innovative mechanisms for the effective removal of such constraints.
Interventions shall be time bound assessed on a quarterly basis, so as to ensure transformation, progress and impact • Ongoing, consistent, sustained, and effective support Shall be provided to women who have benefited from loans and skills development programmes, so as to ensure the success of new and growing enterprises • • Increased monitoring of programmes and initiatives Shall be provided, to ensure that women owned businesses are recorded and are consistently growing and developing.
The promotion of gender equality and women’s economic empowerment requires regular and careful planning and monitoring, as well as gender budgeting to ensure sustained growth Formulate legal instruments to address matters relating to the overconcentration of Big companies (Monopolies and Oligopolies): overconcentration of business in big companies, which inhibits the growth of small and medium enterprises.
SME’s are the real engine of growth and job creation in an economy, but are weakened by big companies.

Gender dynamics which feed into discriminatory practices, make women vulnerable, as they are subjected to exclusionary practices • De-regulation is required – overregulation often inhibits SME’s from being the engine of growth such as is taking place in the banking and telecoms sectors to name a few.

Legislation for de-regulation shall be identified and reviewed to effect the necessary de-regulation.
There is a (Need for liberalization of overregulated sectors (including banking and telecoms) • The Gender Pay Gap: financial penalties shall be applicable to companies that perpetuate the gender wage gap • A fund for the economic assistance of victims of Gender Based Violence Shall be put in place.

This funding Shall be used to train victims and employ women into formal and informal markets, in order to reduce dependence.
Innovative employment strategies shall be put in place for victims of Gender Based Violence • Poverty reduction strategies must include long- term structural change – macro-economic structural change with women at the centre of such strategies • Industrialisation as a key gender sensitive inclusive growth driver – institutions and macro- policy instruments must be well aligned, so as to give women equitable access to owning the means of production, which must further translate into women’s equitable access to employment opportunities • District Development Model as a game changer (with women at the centre of district development), bringing development to the people.
- Growth and Development Projects Shall be localised at community level, giving an equitable number of women access to owning production process through the business transacting mechanisms - One one community factory (community factories shall be owned by communities, giving women shared ownership) Value chain and circular economy approach Connecting the rural economy to the national economic ecosystem - - Economic Development Cluster: Three Spheres of Government its • Preferential procurement is not a choice, it remains an act through BBBEE to ensure that redress for women and black people occurs.
Public procurement targets are however in vain unless there is monitoring of whether government meets targets, whether treasury actually records the businesses and whether the uptake of loans and benefits are recorded.

Without proper monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, for procurement targets will continue to be made without ascertaining whether these targets have been met or not.
These shall be monitored and audited annually to ensure adherence and implementation Effective public information dissemination on programmes and initiatives targeting women shall be implemented announcements new • • ensure an inclusive economic development process.

• Provincial Growth and Development Strategies (PGDS) shall be reviewed to enable Women’s Equitable access to Overall Economic Activity in each province.
which Shall be planned and 20 implemented in a gender sensitive manner • Sections 152(1) and 153(a) of the Constitution requires that beyond acting as administrative units tasked with the provision of public services, authorities within South Africa’s local government sphere must fulfil a developmental mandate.
developmental mandate requires that municipalities promote social and economic development This for Impact assessment and for recording tangible progress towards the attainment of gender equality through inclusive economic growth priorities • BBBEE - Economic growth with redistribution – ensure equity in workforce & supply chain, to ensure women’s participation.
Enforce equity in the workforce through sanctions • ECONOMIC industrialisation, production & productive labour force STRATEGY rural UNDERPINNED development by and • PFMA recapitalization of NEF/SEFA – targeting women, youth, black Africans Entrepreneurial revolution (finance) • Identify entry points into the African Continent for ACFTA: Support women owned enterprises to develop products for the Africa Free Trade Market.
• Key Policy instruments that will continue to drive government’s development agenda to give clear expression to a gendered Inclusive Growth Agenda include: - National Development Plan (Gender Reviewed) Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan - (Gender Inculcated) Sector Master Plans The New Growth Path (gender Reviewed) The National Reviewed) Industrial Policy Action Plan (Gender Reviewed) Infrastructure Plan (Gender - - - - These policy instruments, which also form part and parcel of the commitments emanating from the electoral mandate, must anchor the gendered inclusive growth trajectory, in order to ensure that women’s economic inclusion is approached from within the country’s key developmental and growth catalysing policies - - - Local government must also in cooperation with the Provincial and National Spheres of government, implement policies to improve the extent and quality of economic development, thereby improving the material conditions of the communities located within their jurisdiction Local (IDP) and Through the Integrated Development Plan Economic Development Plans (LED), municipalities to develop broad are expected development priorities in order to give impetus to the catalysing economic development priorities expounded in the NDP.
The Poverty Mapping Perspectives, including effectively analysed and synthesised gender disaggregated data, Shall be effectively engaged and utilised, in order to develop the appropriate economic programmes, initiatives and interventions, which respond to the social and economic status of a particularly province, metro, district and locality (considering education levels, population skills level, in order to design the appropriate local economic programmes and interventions for a spatial environment) • (DDM), The District Development Model Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) Local Economic Development Strategies (LEDs) across Districts, Metros Shall there facilitate Women’s to economic activities Equitable Access and projects, which Shall be planned and implemented in a gender sensitive manner.
These shall be Time Bound and Measurable, 21 2222 2323 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3: ADVANCE GENDER SENSITIVE WORKERS RIGHTS - ADDRESSING THE GENDERED AND POVERTY IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON WORKING CLASS AND POOR WOMEN “Even as globalization has brought millions of women into paid labour, the number of women in the workforce is far behind that of men.
Gender inequalities have also concentrated women at the bottom of the global value chain — in the lowest paid jobs, in piece-rate, subcontracted work, and insecure forms of self-employment, with little or no access to decent work and social protection.

Women are half the world’s potential and unleashing it requires access to decent, good-quality paid work as well as gender-sensitive policies and regulations, such as adequate parental leave and flexible hours.
The economics make sense, too: If women played an identical role in labour markets to that of men, as much as US$28 trillion, or 26 per cent, could be added to the global annual Gross Domestic Product by 2025.”18 Problem Statement: Inclusive Economic Growth, must be Prioritized, so as to Materialize Decent, Sustainable and Gender Inclusive Employment Opportunities for Women Over a year and a half into the COVID-19 pandemic, gender equality in the world of work has worsened.
Women have suffered disproportionate job and income losses, including because of their over representation in the hardest- hit sectors, and many continue to work on the front line, sustaining care systems, economies and societies, while often also doing the majority of unpaid care work.

All these factors underscore the need for a gender-responsive recovery to respond to the commitment of “building forward fairer”.
It confirms that women’s employment has been negatively impacted in terms of both quantity and quality, although with substantial regional variations.

19 This is largely due to the impact of lockdowns that affected sectors, including manufacturing and services where women are overrepresented and where they are often working with informal working arrangements.
Enduring gender gaps in time spent in unpaid care work, limited access to social protection and an upsurge in violence and harassment have also made it difficult for women to keep their jobs, compared to men.20 The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the large gender gaps in the quality of employment, especially for the many women working in feminized sectors and occupations, and in the informal economy.
Even before the pandemic, jobs with a high concentration of women were characterized by low wages, long working hours, limited opportunities for career advancement and exposure to occupational health and safety risks as well as violence and harassment.

When the pandemic hit, these trends put women workers at greater risk of being laid off, seeing a significant contraction of their working hours and/or experiencing a further deterioration in their working conditions.
Migrant workers, ethnic and racial minorities, older persons and those with disabilities and living with HIV and AIDS have also seen the quality of their jobs dampened.21 Compared to men, women and especially black African women, also continue to have low access to paid employment.

When they do find paid work, black women typically have lower incomes and less security than men.
Most women are found in poorly paid domestic labour and micro enterprises, where they do not enjoy job security and benefits.22 Economic stagnation is currently the biggest threat facing the South African society, which further hampers women’s ability to access decent employment opportunities.

We cannot meaningfully address gender based unemployment, which is a by-product of gendered poverty, inequality, which is further exacerbated by a stagnating economy.
The country’s economic growth and development plans must necessarily be gender sensitive by design, in order to meaningfully address the impact of poverty and unemployment and mitigate the COVID 19 Aftershocks, which continues to disproportionally affects women in South Africa.

The economy must be transformed and government must address all the structural constraints in the economy that make it difficult for women to access the mainstream economy and secure decent employment opportunities.
improved policy coordination and effective implementation, is critically important to address the country’s development and labour market challenges.
Building Forward Fairer: Women’s rights to work and at work at the core of the COVID-19 recovery, https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/--- World Employment Social Outlook, Trends 2016, International Labour Organization; The Power of Parity, September 2015, McKinsey Global Insti- 18 tute, Mckinsey & Company https://interactive.unwomen.org/multimedia/infographic/changingworldofwork/en/index.html 19 dgreports/---gender/documents/publication/wcms_814499.pdf 20 jobs for the future of decent work’ (Geneva) 21 ILO.
2020.

‘The COVID-19 Response: Getting Gender Equality Right for a Better Future for Women at Work’ (Geneva); ILO.

2020.

‘COVID-19 and the World of Work: A Focus on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples’ (Geneva); ILO.

2020.

‘A Policy Framework for Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis’ (Geneva); ILO.

2020.

‘COVID-19 and the World of Work: Ensuring the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities at All Stages of the Response’ (Geneva); ILO.

2020.
2020.

‘COVID-19 and the World of Work: A Focus on People Living with HIV’ (Geneva).

22 ILO.

2020.

‘The COVID-19 Response: Getting Gender Equality Right for a Better Future for Women at Work’ (Geneva); ILO.

2018.
‘Care work and care Gender Inequalities in South Africa Society-African Portal 24 A failure to grasp the importance of inclusive economic growth and its implications for decent employment and a gender sensitive labour market, means that we have been unable to create jobs, invest in infrastructure and skills, raise wages and productivity, and embark on ambitious social welfare projects that are fundamentally linked to economic development projects, at a pace fast enough to meet the needs of a growing population.
In addition, it is imperative to underscore emerging and historical labour market dynamics, taking cognizance of the COVID 19 pandemic, which has also exacerbated pre-existing development challenges, with a particularly profound impact on the labour market, leaving millions unemployed, particularly women.

By the end of the first quarter in 2020, the country’s increasing rate of unemployment had reached a staggering 30%.
Throughout the first three months of 2020, 350,000 joined the ranks of the unemployed, taking the total number up to 7 million jobless people in the country.

Furthermore, most industries and sectors had also witnessed unprecedented job losses, including the banking sector, agriculture and community services.

According to the national treasury, a total of 1.8 million jobs could be lost as a result of the current pandemic, while unemployment might surge to 50% in the worst-case scenario.
Job security, unemployment and precarious jobs are hence some of the major threats in the context of a shifting labour market, that may require skills that are more commensurate to the fourth IR landscape.

The South African labour market is characterised by a structural gender division of labour, despite legislation making unfair discrimination illegal, such as the payment of different wages for the same work, based on racial, gender or other discrimination.
Women are disproportionately represented in the most insecure forms of work in the agricultural sector, such as seasonal work; in domestic work; in care work; in major sectors of the informal economy such as informal trade, including informal cross-border trade and home-based work, including unpaid work which still goes largely unrecognised in labour market analyses.23 Priority Actions (1): Ensure Labour Market Policies and Interventions that Effectively Facilitate Women’s Adequate Participation and Equitable Benefit • Ensure that labour market policies effectively facilitate the participation and protection of women in the informal market and economy, particularly in the fluid and unfolding COVID 19 context • Government Shall effectively use fiscal policy to promote female labour force participation, as well as the protection of and prevention of job losses • Gender sensitive strategies must be devised and adopted to mitigate and target the widening female casual / contract / temporary employment dilemma.
for women owned enterprises • Achieving equitable in all occupational categories / levels in the workforce.

representation • Both at the macro and sectoral levels, prioritizing expenditures that support gender-egalitarian outcomes and avoiding premature fiscal consolidation, triggered by either mounting debt burdens or the fear of inflationary pressures, are preconditions to sustain recovery and avoid inflicting further damage on women’s employment prospects.
• Government Shall Adopt gendered labour absorbing strategies – prioritise sectors that are supported by existing state procurement.

• Of utmost importance is the need to improve the quality of women’s earnings not only to recognize the value of their work but also to fight poverty.
• Government livelihoods support women’s throughout and beyond the pandemic, particularly in the informal economy, given their difficulties in gaining access to employment • A gender-responsive, inclusive, and job-rich recovery, needs to explicitly counterbalance the gender-specific effects of the COVID-19 crisis and create conditions that support the creation of decent work for women.
Unprecedented gendered macroeconomic policies, both fiscal and monetary must be put in place to cushion the impacts of the pandemic and ensure a speedy recovery, particularly as it impacts women • Developing human resources and skills in women, • Promoting equal pay for work of equal value.

This crisis has brought to the fore the undervaluation of work performed by women, in particular in the care economy, and the need to redress it.
Addressing this issue through a combination of measures, such as inclusive legislation with wage transparency and close interactions with social partners would help improve the quality of work performed by women.

With women representing 40 per cent of total wage employment globally but 47 per cent of those earning at or below the minimum wage level, adequate minimum wages would also have a huge impact on women’s economic autonomy.
Considering the “lighthouse” effect that minimum wages have on “Social emancipation of SA women not possi 23 https://www.politicsweb.co.za/politics/social-emancipation-of-sa-women-not-possible-under.

24 25 23 ILO.

2021.

‘Global Wage Report 2020–21: Wages and Minimum Wages in the Time of COVID-19’ (Geneva).

ILO.

2021.

‘ILC.109/Record of proceedings No.

7A’; ILO 2021.

‘ILC.109/Record of proceedings No 5A’ Ibid.


25 wage formation in the informal economy, informal women workers would also benefit from it.
Joining the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) would be a concrete step forward in this area.24 • Group Benefits: Shall be made available for women outside formal employment, such as accident and disability insurance, group housing schemes, sick leave and maternity benefits, including for women in the informal economy • Government Shall take action to increase women’s participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), which offer better paid employment opportunities, while others are working towards implementing pay transparency policies and wage reporting25 transfers, more • Government Shall put measures in place to provide inclusive unconditional cash legislation, and support doe women.
Such measures need to have a long-term vision to facilitate the transition of workers from the informal to the formal economy.
Furthermore, the promotion of universal access to comprehensive, adequate and sustainable social protection systems, which are adapted to the developments in the world of work, Shall be prioritized in the overall emergency and recovery COVID-19 policies.26 This is essential in order to support workers in vulnerable situations and enable women to enter, stay and progress in the labour market and enjoy decent work on par with men.
• • Trade Unions are to advance gender sensitive worker’s rights, by ensuring that the labour market is both accessible to and conducive for women to thrive in The proportion of women employed in the unprotected informal sector of the economy is 75% higher than men.
Government is to device the appropriate mechanisms to protect female workers residing in the unprotected informal sector of the economy • Government shall device gender sensitive strategies, to mitigate the widening female casual / contract / temporary employment dilemma.
• Gender Sensitive Vulnerability in the Labour Market: Taking cognizance of Livelihood Strategies and the gendered impact of Poverty, which Characterizes South Africa’s Labour Market Vulnerability particularly for women, government Shall devise mitigation strategies and develop alternative livelihood strategies for the reduction of women’s unemployment and poverty • Government Shall address the Risk Factor of Precarious and Vulnerability in the Labour Market, particularly as experienced by Women, by devise the appropriate mitigating strategies • Assessing the impact of Low Pay and Informality- Outlining the Multi-Dimensional Needs of Women in a post COVID 19 Labour Market Context and devising mitigating strategies to address the multi- dimensional needs • Safe and healthy facilities be Shall be provided for women in the informal sector.
• Government Shall device the appropriate support mechanisms, to create a safety net for female headed households • Equal benefits shall generally be provided including housing, pensions and medical aid, amongst others.

• Government shall subsidize benefits for female headed households, including for housing, pensions and medical aid, amongst others.
• Develop a social compact between government, business and civil society as a basis for long- term economic development, in order to bring unemployed women into the labour market • Develop targeted policy/legislative and legal instruments, which are supported by targeted oversight mechanisms, to advance the protection of female workers rights, particularly in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic and its gendered poverty impact on the economy • Develop the appropriate policy/legislative/Legal Instruments, to protect women against unfair, monopolistic and other exploitative business practices that affect women’s participation in the informal economy • • • End all forms of Gender Stereotyping and the categorisation of jobs on the basis of sex and gender Sexual Harassment Policies: Women shall be protected from sexual harassment and violence in all the places where women are working.
The definition of what constitutes economic activity must include all women’s work.

• Unpaid labour shall be recognised as contributing to the creation of national wealth and should be included in the national accounts.

• Put the appropriate systems in place to address matters relating to the Gender Pay Gap, particularly in the Private Sector.
The appropriate regulatory systems shall be put in place, for adherence by the private sector, with financial penalties imposed for non-compliance The Private Sector shall be subjected to Annual Gender Audits and Gender Pay Gap Audits to ensure compliance • Women in Sports shall be Prioritised: Sports must be developed and development of sporting codes must find expression in teh municipal IDPs.
26 272727 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 4: ADVANCING EFFECTIVE EQUALITY IN THE DEVELOPMENT, APPLICATION, ADJUDICATION, INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAW FOR WOMEN “When we are looking at the law as an instrument of gender equity and gender justice, this means a process of developing and sustaining an accountable mechanism for inequalities, it means investing in institutions to dispense justice in a gender sensitive manner.
It implies access to and control over resources, combined with the ability of women to make free and voluntary choices, which includes access to justice.”- Prof. W. Domingo, Commissioner at the South African Law Reform Commission Poverty in South has a gender dimension that challenges the equal status of women in the law and the administration of justice and poses a threat to their full equal human rights.
The Constitution aims to ‘dismantle systemic forms of disadvantage and subordination in our post-apartheid society.’ Law and justice institutions play a key role in the distribution of rights and resources in South Africa.

The mainstreaming and institutionalisation of a gender perspective in the justice system is an essential step toward recovering a feeling of trust and security and combating its impunity.

This mainstreaming entails an understanding of women’s experiences within the justice system.
There are still significant challenges, in ensuring that women’s rights are promoted and protected.

The courts, together with Parliament, have a joint duty to ensure that the laws provide effective and sufficient protection of women.

This may mean that various elements of the common law need to be further developed, to be in line with the demands of the Constitution.
Parliament should be vigilant in developing laws that do not perpetuate sexist and outdated norms, particularly in cases of sexual offences.

Some of these laws include the marital rape case exclusions, which have since been abolished; and the burden of proof, which entails survivors having to testify in open court rooms.

There are certain statutory provisions that should be considered unconstitutional, and these should be brought back to Parliament for reconsideration.
For example, the procedural processes that need to be followed for rape cases.

There is a need to relook the burden of proof that rape survivors have to provide to investigators.

The apex court has emphasised the right of the state to protect victims against domestic violence and have strengthened common law to ensure that police officers safeguard and protect the rights of those who have been assaulted, raped and victimised.
Problem Statement: Women Face Structural Barriers that impede the Realization of their Human Rights, due to an Inadequate Access to Justice Women face a number of structural barriers that impede the realisation of their human rights, which are either overlooked or not adequately addressed in national laws, policies and budgets.
In addition to often experiencing secondary victimisation when taking up issues such as gender-based violence within the criminal justice system, women face a myriad of other developmental challenges, which are meted out under patriarchal, systemically discriminatory socio-economic norms and traditions, which hamper the realization of women’s broader inalienable rights, as enshrined in the Bill of Rights.
The challenge of transformation permeates all areas of life in SA, and the legal profession and the judiciary, are no exceptions.

These realities have defined the law and the composition of the legal profession and ultimately the judiciary.

Transformation of these institutions will enable equitable enjoyment of a whole range of rights and resources for women.
28 Priority Actions (1): Advancing Effective Equality in the Development, Application, Adjudication, Interpretation and Enforcement of the Law for Women • There shall be accessible and affordable legal services for women, particularly women who require support for family law and criminal law related matters (gender based violence and related matters).

The position of paralegals in assisting women to claim their rights shall be recognised.
• Courts to break down patriarchy by implementing measures within the court rooms that are victim- and gender-sensitive, and prevent secondary trauma and humiliation of survivors by protecting their rights.

• Urgently formalise norms, that give the necessary protection, respect and dignity to women during the hearing of these cases.

• There Shall be a standardisation of procedures that give effect to these norms across all courts.
• ensure provisions for survivors (of sexual assault or rape) to testify in camera or through intermediaries; and through anonymization.

This is to inhibit cross examinations of rape survivors by the defence team and to prevent secondary victimisation or trauma.

• The Judiciary MUST strive for better court procedures, in order to make the process of seeking justice accessible and trauma-free for women and children.
For example, the United Nations office on drugs and crimes compiled a handbook in 2019 for the Judiciary, on effective criminal justice responses to GBV for the benefit of women and girls.

This outlines (amongst other things) the conduct of judges when interacting with the survivors.

Further, it provides good practices for judicial training and development, and recommends taking a gendered lens when approaching these type of cases.
Priority Actions (2): The Approach (to be) taken by Judges and Practitioners Judges Shall respect and interact with rape • survivors in a manner that promotes their dignity.

The wording in the judgements should embrace the lived realities of the survivors and the norms of the community in which they live.

Furthermore, it should consider how they may face intersecting power dynamics and inequality; whether it is on their basis of gender, class, race and sexuality.
soon as possible and without any unnecessary delay, so as to encourage other rape survivors to report their cases - justice delayed is justice denied.

• Terminology used in the judgements and in court rooms is very important.

Judges and practitioners should acknowledge the vulnerability of women.

However, this does not imply that women are lesser or weaker than men.
Vulnerability in the South African context may be embedded in structural patriarchal norms, individual inequality, discrimination, and gender stereotypes.

Thus awareness and understanding of the gender intersectionality; and how gender, race, class, and sexuality (among other things) may exacerbate the vulnerability of other groups is crucial.

It is most often the powerless that are affected by crimes such as rape and murder, and are characterised by power or desire of power.
As such it must not be seen amiss that continuous training of judges and practitioners must be accelerated.

Each member of the legal profession and Judiciary should be cognisant of the words they use – how their argument may affect the victims who only seek justice.

A humane and just approach may retain hope to the survivors.

• Trial courts shall attempt to finalise these cases as • Members of society must commit to report violent crimes perpetrated against women to the police.
There is a need for collaboration by all law enforcement agencies involved.
Police must properly investigate these crimes; the police should ensure that the rights of survivors are protected, the prosecutors must effectively present the findings against the perpetrators, Investigators should ensure that they investigate these cases properly, to minimise the risks of cases drawn out of court due to lack of evidence.27 • All spheres of government, civil society and all South Africans must come together, to bring an end to the scourge of GBVF.
• Women shall have equal legal status and capacity in civil law, including, amongst others, full contractual rights, the right to acquire and hold rights in property including land, the right to equal inheritance and the right to secure credit, (even those married in community of property).

• All public and private institutions shall enable women to exercise their legal capacity.

There shall be equality for women offenders.


• 29 27 Republic of South Africa Justice S Khampepe, Women’s Parliament 2020, Parliament of the • Women shall have equal representation on, and participation in all traditional courts, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and local community courts.
• A centralized digital tracking system linking health, police and court services shall be available for victims to track their cases through a central tracking number, in order to ensure that women victims of violence are kept informed on the progression of their cases • • Education programmes shall be provided on relevant legislation to women living under customary law The hosting of legal clinics and the provision of pro bono legal representation to divorced and widowed women burdened by issues of tax and debt (Free State provincial session) Priority Actions (3): Legislative Sector Responsibilities • Women demand equality in the development, application, adjudication, interpretation and enforcement of the law.
This can only be achieved if the social, economic and political position of women is taken into account in deciding policy, determining legislative priorities, and in formulating, applying, interpreting, adjudicating and enforcing all laws • • At all times the law, and its application, interpretation, adjudication and enforcement, shall promote and ensure the practical realisation of equality for women.
• Parliament shall oversee and undertake, the Priority Actions (4): Equality in the Judiciary • There shall be equality for women in the legal profession • Parliament shall ensure transformation in the justice system, by observing gender equity precepts, in order to ensure that women are equally represented in the constitutional court, the judiciary, the magistracy, all tribunals and commissions effective gender responsive amendments of all key legislation, in order to ensure that it integrates into the design, implementation and review of all legislative instruments, to enable the requisite benefits and access to justice for Girls and Women is to oversee Through effective Oversight and Accountability the processes, Parliament implementation of all key legislative instruments, ensuring that Girls and Women’s benefit from the implementation of enacted laws, through a focus on monitoring gender mainstreaming, gender equity as well as the equality precepts, as enabled by the three spheres of government and through the justice system sustained system, in order to address gender bias, stereotypes and to promote equality for women in the legal system, as well as ensuring that victims of gender based violence do not experience secondary victimization in the justice system.
• There shall be equality in the treatment of women in all legal and quasi-legal proceedings.

• To address Patriarchy in the legal landscape, Parliament Shall enact legislation for mandatory Gender Sensitivity Programmes in the justice • Positive and practical measures shall be taken to ensure equality for women complainants in the criminal justice system.
30 31 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 5: EXPAND ACCESS TO QUALITY EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS “Education is the great engine of personal development.

It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mine worker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation.
It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.”28 Problem Statement: Biased Teaching and Educational Materials Limit Fields of Study, Marginalizing Women from Various Fields of Study, such as Science and Technology women account for an increasing proportion of student enrolment at higher levels of education.

As a result, at post-secondary education level, women outnumber men by a ratio of around 3 to 2.
Despite this favourable position, women remain less likely than men to enrol in higher degrees.

In addition, regardless of access to education, women remain more likely to be employed in lower skilled occupations.

Biased teaching and educational materials limit fields of study, marginalising women in various fields of study, such as science and technology, for example.

Only 30% of the world’s researchers in science are women.
Education includes early childhood development, adult basic and continuing education, primary, secondary and tertiary education and vocational training for the formal and informal economy.

Measures must be put in place to ensure that Education and Training must meet the economic, social, cultural and political needs of women in South Africa.
Priority Actions: Accessible and Appropriate Institutions shall be Established to enable Accessible, Quality Education, thereby enabling the Active Participation of Women in all Platforms and Sectors of Society.
(Rural Women, Single Mothers, and Disabled Women Shall Also be Prioritized) • Women Shall enjoy their right to equality within education, irrespective of sex, gender, pregnancy, race, sexual orientation, age, disability, urban or rural location, domestic and child care responsibilities and financial status.
• Government Shall ensure adequate Promotion in of Women Academics and Lecturers Institutions of Higher Learning into Executive Management, rather than the concentration at lower levels Every woman shall have the right to education and training at any stage of her life, in order to realise her full potential.
• Outcomes of proportion and outcomes of school and TVET college outcomes – improve ANA outcomes and the like The Department of Basic Education and the Department of Health Shall develop programmes aimed at curbing pregnancy amongst girls of school going age.

• Department of Basic Education developed the National Policy for the Prevention and Management of Learner Pregnancy.
Interventions shall be put in place to effectively prevent learner/teenage pregnancy • Accessible and appropriate institutions shall be established to provide education, thereby enabling the active participation by women, particularly rural women, single mothers, and disabled women.

• There shall be no negative gender stereotyping in both curriculum development and educational practice.
• • The DBE has also put in place the provisions on the readmission of the teenage mothers into the schooling system and retaining them.

However, this provision is contravened by some SGB, hence there is a need to ensure enforcement/adherence as education is a basic human right for all.

• Women shall have special access to funds for education and training.

• Childcare facilities shall be provided at all education and training institutions.
• Gender Equality Education, Human Rights Former President of the Nelson Mandela 28 https://borgenproject.org/nelson-mandela-quotes-about-education/ 32 Education Shall be compulsory, in order to inculcate a better awareness amongst girls and boys about women’s rights, so as to build women’s self-confidence, and enable them to claim their constitutional and legal rights in an evolving South Africa society.
• • • Gender awareness and training Shall be a Compulsory Part of the Education and Training Curriculum.

• • • The Department of Basic and Higher Education, shall develop empowerment programmes for girls, which foster greater cohesion and prevent bullying and violence amongst girls in schools and institutions of higher learning.
The Department of Basic and Higher Education shall conscientise Girls and Women about varied career options, in order to address gendered career decisions, which often keep women in lower paying jobs.

• The Department of Social Development and the Department of Basic and Higher Education, are to create awareness about gender roles in the home, such as holding girls responsible for domestic chores, treating them as if they have less rights than boys and limiting their life opportunities.
• Girls and women in education institutions must be protected against sexual harassment and abuse (mandatory sexual harassment policies must be developed and adhered to) • • The Department of Basic and Higher Education Shall develop the appropriate response plans, to curb violence against Girls and Women in schools and institutions of higher learning, which includes sexual harassment, bullying (including bullying amongst girls), verbal attacks, verbal abuse, body shaming and the objectification of women and girl children.
Addressing these issues will aid in creating a safe environment for girls and women to learn.
The Department of Basic and Higher Education shall provide sex education for boys and girls, at an appropriately determined level of schooling, particularly to address issues relating to rape and other forms of sexual violence against women and girls, through the appropriate and effective preventative educational programmes • • Women and Girls Access to Menstrual Health Women and Girls Access to Menstrual Health Facilities (Sanitary Dignity): Provincial Government as well as the Department of Higher Education shall provide Sanitary Towels for identified improvised schools as well as for students in every institution of higher learning, in every province, Metro, District and Local Municipality.
Government is to budget for the provision of Sanitary Towels, in order to prevent girls and young women from dropping out of school and higher education institutions 33 There is a need to continually monitor spending in the education and training of women and girls, both in the public and private sector.
Interventions that should be considered in relation to education and gender equality include removing financial barriers to education, increasing the number of women in decision-making in all areas; expanding life-skills based adult literacy programmes (given the link between education of mothers and health and education outcomes for their families) • Women shall be represented at all levels of the policy-making, management and administration of education and training The Department is currently not meeting its requisite employment equity targets, including disability and gender, which has highlighted a need for more advocacy work.
The issues of disability and gender equity are more prevalent at senior management level with lack of visibility of females and people living with disabilities.

Women, particularly black women, are not well represented in senior academic, professional and leadership positions in public universities.

• Despite 45 % of academic staff being women in 2011, there were four times as many men as women in the senior ranks of the academy.
• Women and Girls will benefit from improved coordination between departments dealing with the well-being and development of women and girls, such as the departments of Education, Health, Social Development and Economic Development • • • There remain disparities of wealth, educational access and attainment, health status and access to opportunities, which are still largely based on race and gender.
Patriarchy, which still exists and is a legacy of the past, ensures that women and girls continue to experience a subordinate position in many areas of life, including in much of the education and training system.
The Not in Education, Employment of Training (NEET) rate is gender-skewed, being 29.7 % among men and 36.1 % among women, thus emphasising the need to focus on the expansion of opportunities for women Create better opportunities for further education for adults (mainly women) who attend the DBE’s KhaRiGude mass adult literacy initiative and some of those who attend Public Adult Learning Centres (PALCs) 3434 35 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 6: ACCELERATING WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT “It was to address the fundamental challenges that we adopted the National Development Plan in 2012, in order to guide our national effort to defeat poverty, unemployment and inequality.
However, with 10 years to go before we reach the year 2030, we have not made nearly enough progress in meeting the NDP targets.

Unless we take extraordinary measures, we will not realize Vision 2030.

This means that we need to prioritize.

We need to focus on those actions that will have the greatest impact.
Actions that will catalyze faster movement forward, both in the immediate term and over the next 10 years”29 Women’s Development Community Development (Infrastructure) Problem Statement: The Medium Term Prioritizes the development of human settlements, water and electrification programmes, public transport and municipal infrastructure.
However, this allocation has not been allocated in a gender disaggregated manner Community development, represents the spatial arena, where government, including all sectors of society, are able to pour development resources into.

This is the arena (Localised Community Level) where policy implementation, as juxtaposed against the stark realities of gendered poverty and underdevelopment find expression.
An estimated R196.3 billion has been allocated to community development over the course of the medium-term (2019- 2024).

This has been targeted at supporting the development of human settlements, water and electrification programmes, public transport and municipal infrastructure.
However, this allocation has not been allocated in a gender disaggregated manner, so as to bolstered the implementation of targeted plans, to address the deeply entrenched levels of gendered poverty, gendered economic exclusion, as well as a myriad of other social ills, which can be effectively addressed through a gender disaggregated budget Medium Term budget.
Medium Term should be provided in a gender disaggregated manner, so as to ensure that women benefit equitably, thereby advancing women’s adequate development and participation in productive sectors of society.

Environment and Climate Change Problem Statement: Women are disproportionately affected by environmental and climate change.

Women are disproportionately affected by environmental and climate change.

Women’s human rights are undermined by the impacts of, and responses to, climate change.
It is recognised that women are exposed to increased risks because of their primary role in care work and agricultural production, as well as their role in water and food collection.

Rural women, in particular, are more likely to suffer higher disaster-related mortality and carry the burden of the long-term impacts of loss of land, livelihood and security because of climate change.

Rural women and informal settlement residents in particular have been denied vital resources.
The gradual destruction of the natural environment soil erosion, deforestation and air pollution increases women’s household, agricultural and community work responsibilities 29 President CM Ramphosa, State of the Nation Address, 2019 36 Priority Actions: Development Projects such as Human Settlements, Water and Electrification Programmes, Shall be structured taking cognizance of gender disaggregated Data and Women’s Socio-Economic Needs • Adequate, accessible and safe water supplies and sanitation Shall be made available to all communities, including those in rural areas and informal settlements.
Services such as communications and electricity or other appropriate sources of energy must be extended to all communities as a matter of priority.

• • Women need safe transport networks.

• Women Shall have affordable and secure housing with non-discriminatory subsidies and loans.
• Accessible health care, recreational, educational and social welfare facilities should be provided to women and these needs Shall be given adequate consideration in human settlements projects • • There shall be protection of natural resources to benefit women South Africa’s Climate Change and South Africa’s carbon footprint Shall be addressed, with a particular focus on how it impacts Women, Girl children and Women in rural areas • Government shall urgently address issues relating to access to safe and clean drinking water, sanitation facilities and waste management, particularly in rural areas and informal areas, particularly as it impacts on the health and safety of women in informal settlements • that Ensure infrastructure projects equitably include gender awareness as part of their investment decisions.
• The budget supporting the implementation of the Medium Term Strategic Framework, Shall be structured in a gender disaggregated manner, in order to ensure that development projects such as human settlements, water and electrification programmes, the provision of public transport and municipal infrastructure, are approached and delivered taking cognizance of the gendered needs lives of women at community level.
impacting the • Employment generated from development and infrastructure programmes Shall benefit women, across provinces, metros, districts and local municipalities • Government, including all socio-economic and political partners, Shall mitigate the impact of climate change on women and girls and such mitigation strategies Shall be developed, for the adoption of gender responsive strategies to climate change and by giving women a greater in discussions about climate change voice mitigation.
• Government, including all socio-economic and political partners, Shall effectively mitigate the impact of human-caused changes in the climate, by ensuring economic stability, addressing deepening inequalities as well as mitigating declining food and water security and increased threats to health and livelihoods, bearing in mind that women and girls are disproportionately affected by climate change and disasters, with many women and girls experiencing greater risks, burdens and impacts.
37 3838 3939 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 7: PROMOTE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO COMPREHENSIVE, ADEQUATE AND SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL PROTECTION SYSTEMS FOR WOMEN “Social protection coverage for women of working age, and for children and adolescents – especially in Africa, Asia and the Pacific – has improved over the past two decades but nevertheless remains limited.
• A gendered political economy analysis approach can help to understand why and how progress has (or has not) been made in promoting gender equality objectives in social protection design, implementation and outcomes, and to identify entry points for priority action.”30 A substantial body of evidence exists on the positive impact of social transfers, family allowances, subsidised food and services, and graduation interventions on consumption, human development, economic opportunities, and reduction of monetary poverty.
Evidence on gender-related outcomes is uneven but convincing.

Cash transfers reduce demand-side barriers and lead to increases in school enrolment, particularly for girls, and use of preventative health, and health monitoring for children and pregnant women in many countries.
A well- designed gender-responsive social protection programme considers the dynamics of gender-based differences and their intended and unintended consequences to inform objectives, target group, eligibility, benefits, geographical coverage, scale, and delivery systems.31 Problem Statement: Social Protection has been a Key Policy Response to the COVID 19 Pandemic, but the extent to which these measures have recognized and addressed the gendered impacts of the crisis, remains far from adequate.
The impact of the Covid-19 crisis has exacerbated gender inequalities.

The crisis has increased women’s care responsibilities, disproportionately affected women’s jobs and livelihoods, and increased the risk of violence against women and girls.

Social protection has been a key policy response to the crisis, but the extent to which these measures have recognised and addressed the gendered impacts of the crisis remains far from adequate.
Without an explicit gender-informed approach, programme choices may further exacerbate gender inequalities, including risking women’s own entitlement to social protection through restrictive eligibility criteria, and exploiting and exacerbating women’s unpaid work.

Gender inequality and dependency is inherently linked to a lack of access to opportunities and power.
When women are limited in their ability to participate in the mainstream economy, they are more likely to be dependent on state interventions to bring about the much needed relief, particularly in the unfolding context and impact of the COVID 19 pandemic.32 Priority Actions: Social Protection as a Mechanism to Advance Gender Equality:33 • Providing regular adequate transfers and services to households with young children and adolescents to tackle the intergenerational transmission of poverty.
• • Providing access to adequate protections for girls and women of reproductive age, including pregnant women and girls and new mothers.

• Providing paid parental leave and promoting shared responsibility for care.

Extending coverage of social protection benefits and quality public services over women’s working lives and into old age, including for those in informal, low-paid and precarious work.
• Build the capacity of governments and partners to design and deliver gender- responsive social protection systems, and provide linkages to complementary services and programmes.
M Siraj, 2020, Setting a clear ambition: a first step towards gender-responsive social protection N Jones and P Domingo, 2019, The politics of gender-responsive social protection, Rebecca Holmes 30 https://cdn.odi.org/media/documents/politics_of_gender-responsive_social_protection_final_digital.pdf 31 https://www.unicef-irc.org/article/1957-setting-a-clear-ambition-a-first-step-towards-gender-responsive-social-protection.html 32 lessons from a gender perspective https://cdn.odi.org/media/documents/ODI_Gender_final.pdf 33 the commission on the status of women https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@dgreports/@nylo/documents/genericdocument/wcms_674612.pdf R Holmes and A Hunt, Have social protection responses to Covid-19 undermined or supported gender equality?
Emerging Social Protection to Promote Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment: a joint statement to the 63rd session of 40 • • • • Invest in (i) gendered poverty and vulnerability assessments; (ii) improved data disaggregation, collection, quality and analysis; and (iii) research and evidence on policy design features to improve social protection effectiveness.
Support local, national and international women’s rights organisations and movements to articulate demand for improved design and delivery of social protection for all women and girls, and to strengthen accountability.
The Social Protection/ Social Grants programme, as targeted at Women and Children, shall be linked to the available economic development opportunities for beneficiaries of Social Grants, so as to ensure that women and their children are safely navigated out of the social grant/social protection system, so as to ensure that they do not fall through the cracks, as and when they no longer qualify for grants.
To this end, the department of social development and the departments of trade industry and competition, together with department of small including all economic development business, cluster departments and entities, Shall target social grant beneficiaries, for skills development and small business opportunities.
This affirms the indivisible for social linkages between those protection, whose dependency and vulnerability is often re-established, as soon as child beneficiaries reach the age of 18. identified • An integrated development approach will ensure that vulnerable female families headed houses holds) receive skills development (particularly and business development opportunities, ensuring that social protection programmes are effectively linked to economic development programmes for vulnerable women of productive age The state is to introduce a social welfare tax system for big business, which will be utilised towards the overall development of women.
This is premised the principle that Social welfare services should be provided by both the state and the private sector, in accordance with the principles of social justice, equality and accessibility.

Social services Shall apply to all areas of women’s lives, in particular in the home, the workplace, health and education.
The system of social services Shall pay special attention to the needs of rural and disabled women • • • • Women’s Charter Review submissions alluded to a lack of accountability and responsibility for effectively addressing GBV.

Social welfare spending points to low spending on GBV, which has shifted the burden towards NGOs for service delivery.
A submission to the summit detailed the findings of the DPME Diagnostic Review (2016), which estimated that 60% of social services for women and children were provided by civil society, which are well placed to respond to their needs, given their location within communities.

NGOs struggle with funding and are providing services despite being inadequately remunerated.
• Government Shall therefore employ reasonable efforts to fund NGO’s and increase the budget expenditure on social services for women 41 4242 4343 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 8: Deconstructing Patriarchy and Inequality in Political and Civic Life: Advancing Women’s Adequate Representation Across the Three Spheres of Government, Particularly at Local Government Level From the local to the global level, women’s leadership and political participation are restricted.
Women are underrepresented as voters, as well as in leading positions, whether in elected office, the civil service, the private sector or academia.

This occurs despite their proven abilities as leaders and agents of change, and their right to participate equally in democratic governance.

Women face several obstacles to participating in political life.

Structural barriers through discriminatory laws and institutions still limit women’s options to run for office.
Capacity gaps mean women are less likely than men to have the education, contacts and resources needed to become effective leaders.

34 Problem Statement: It is Imperative that Women’s Representation at Local Government Receives the Necessary Focus, in order to ensure Adequate Representation at Local Government Level Since 1994, the representation of women and participation of women in the public sphere has greatly improved, resulting in a greater number of women being represented at the national sphere.
It is imperative that all political parties advance gender equality, by ensuring that more women are represented across the three spheres of government.
It is imperative that women’s representation at local government receives the necessary focus, in order to ensure adequate representation at local government level Priority Actions: Eliminating Structural Barriers that Prevent Women from Adequately Participating in Political and Civic Life • Women shall have equal opportunity and access to leadership and decision-making positions at all levels of government, the private sector and civil society organizations • The IEC shall run awareness campaigns to advance women’s involvement in political and civic life matters • All political parties shall adhere to a 50/50 representation • Rural women shall be part of decision-making • structures in traditional communities.
Traditional institutions shall be restructured in accordance with the principles of equality and democracy.

• Women shall have equal access to, and representation on, public bodies • There shall be adequate and appropriate support services to facilitate the full political participation of women • Women shall have the right to acquire, change or retain their nationality and to pass it on to their children.

• Women shall be free from political intimidation and threat to her person.
• Women shall put systems in place to navigate the politics and advantages of access and inclusion, to ensure that those women who have been included in leadership structures, advance gender transformation United Nations Women, “Women’s leadership and political participation” 34 https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/leadership-and-political-participation 44 45 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 9: Deconstructing Patriarchy in Family Life and Partnerships There are many different types of families which have not enjoyed the same rights, duties and benefits.
Women bear an unequal burden in maintaining the family and yet have little power to make decisions.

The White Paper on Families states that along with the economy, polity and education, the family is universally viewed as one of the essential sectors without which no society can function.

It also acknowledges that there is a strong link and interplay between the family and other institutions in society.
For example, the structure of a country’s economy will not only influence the extent to which members of a family are able to enter and participate in the labour market but it will also determine, to a large extent, whether family members are able to derive livelihoods from decent work opportunities, earn a living wage and have benefits which enable them to have acceptable standards of living.
The way an economy is structured will also have a bearing on the ability of family members to access quality health care and education.

Problem Statement: Eradicating Patriarchy and Advancing Gender Equality and Respect for Women’s Rights starts at home, where often, Power and Financial Resources are still in the Hands of men.

Traditional societal expectations of women, i.e.


predetermined social roles as child-bearers and carers - Prescribed gender roles, lead to women assuming larger responsibility for childcare and domestic work.

Such values lead to people believing women are not able to make decisions and take responsibility outside of these roles.
Priority Actions: Gender Stereotyping of Work in the Home, Shall be Combatted through the Appropriate Awareness Campaigns, offered by the Department of Social Development and other Social Partners • All family types shall be recognised and treated equally.

• Women shall have equality within the family and within marriages and intimate relationships.

• Women shall have the right to choose the partner of their choice.

• Women shall have equal rights during, and at the dissolution of, a marriage.
endeavour to share domestic responsibilities.

• Women should have equal access to the financial resources of the household.

• Women should have equal decision-making powers and access to information with regard to the economic management of the household.

• The integrity of the partnership has to be maintained without external and familial interference, except where physical, sexual and emotional abuse occurs.

• Women married under customary law shall have the right to inherit from their husbands.
• Women must have the right to decide on the nature and frequency of sexual contact within marriage and intimate relationships.

• Partners and all members of the household should • Women shall have guardianship over their children.

• Women shall have adequate, effective and enforceable maintenance and/or social welfare benefits for themselves and their children.
46 4747 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 10: Deconstructing Patriarchal Hegemony in Custom, Culture and Religion “The fact that patriarchy is a term so many shy away from using is one of the things that enables it to survive.

Patriarchy is everyday sexism, but it is more than everyday sexism.

Patriarchy embraces misogyny, but relies on more than misogyny.

Patriarchy produces gender inequality, but its consequences run deeper than gender inequality.
Patriarchy is a system – a dynamic web – of particular ideas and relationships.

Patriarchy can be updated and modernized.

It is stunningly adaptable.

‘Sustainable patriarchy’ simply describes how a system of ideas and relationships that so many women have risked their reputations and lives to challenge has, nonetheless, managed to survive.

Exposing how patriarchal systems are being perpetuated today will enable us to more effectively challenge and dismantle them.
The ideas and relationships that comprise any patriarchal system are multiple, but knowable.

They are not mysterious.

They are not abstracted from daily life.

Patriarchy is what we live.

Patriarchal ideas include both beliefs (how we explain how the world works) and values (what we deem is worthy, good, attractive, as well as what we find unworthy, bad, distasteful).

Both can be appealing – and in fact are appealing – not only to most men, but to a lot of women.
That appeal is one of the things that sustains them.

patriarchy’s essential core remains, which perpetuates the privileging of particular forms of masculinity over despised masculinities and over all forms of femininity.
A few select women can be let into the boardroom – or onto the television sportscast or into the law school – but on (usually unwritten and denied) conditions: that those few women do not insist that many more women of diverse races join them; that those allowed inside internalize masculinized ways of thinking (about profits, war, sexuality, inequality); or, by contrast, that those few selected women act out a form of patriarchal femininity that complements but does not supplant masculinized privilege.”35 Problem Statement: Culture and Religion have played a significant role in impeding Women from Accessing their Human Rights Many cultures, throughout the course of history, have traditionally exercised strict control over women and girls, which is also reflected in a wide range of customs and practices.
Domestic violence and the exclusion of women from inheriting land are examples of cultural practices that have harmed women’s human rights.

It is important to promote the understanding that while culture is a significant component informing identity, it is not sacrosanct.

It does not stay static over time and is able to adapt to new ideas and thinking as people change over time, allowing societies to grow and adjust to different ways of thinking.
In addition, it is important to note that both culture and religion are permeated by power relations, where power is skewed so that women are at a disadvantage.
Priority Actions: Custom, Culture and Religion Shall be Subject to the Equality Clause in the Bill of Rights • as identified through public engagement processes Custom, culture and religion shall be subject to the equality clause in the Bill of Rights, in order to Establish alignment with the constitutional values of Gender Equality • Protecting the rights of women and girls, particularly those living in rural areas, shall be prioritised by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, including All Traditional structures and Monarchs across South Africa • • Through engagement with Traditional and Religious structures, identify all cultural, religious and customary practices, which are used as mechanisms to exercise strict control over women and girls, particularly women and girls in rural areas.
Through engagement with traditional structures and monarchs across South Africa, develop programmes and legal instruments, to bring an end to All harmful cultural practices such as ukuthwala, female genital mutilation and All other gender discriminatory practices, • There shall open engagement on prevailing social norms that reinforce gender stereotypes and creating an enabling environment within which gender-based violence can occur.
• All women shall have the freedom to practise their own religion, culture or beliefs without fear.

• Notwithstanding legislative reform, women and girls are often evicted from their homes when their husbands/ fathers pass on.

Inheritance practices that favour men at the expense of women who should rightfully inherit property, are placing many women in precarious positions where they have to live at the mercy of others.
The appropriate mechanisms to address these discriminatory practices shall be developed • The appropriate systems and mechanisms shall be developed, to increase the numbers of women in positions of traditional leadership C Enloe, 2017, The Big Push: Exposing and Challenging the Persistence of Patriarchy 35 https://newint.org/columns/essays/2017/10/01/patriarchy-persistence 48 4949 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 11: Accelerating Women’s Equitable Access to Land “Women are responsible for between 60 and 80 percent of food production in developing countries.36 Yet they rarely own the land they are working on, have tenure security or control over the land.
They often have limited decision making power and control over how to use the land or its outputs.

Women’s access to land and property is central to women’s economic empowerment, as land can serve as a base for food production and income generation, as collateral for credit and as a means of holding savings for the future.

Land is also a social asset that is crucial for cultural identity, political power and participation in decision making.

Women’s equal access to land is a human rights issue.
It also has other benefits.

Evidence shows that women’s land rights reduce domestic violence4, that women who own land are more capable of exiting violent relationships and negotiating safe sex.37 Agricultural production and food security also increase when women are granted tenure security.”38 Problem Statement: Throughout the world, Gender Inequality, when it comes to Land and other Productive Resources is Intimately related to Women’s Poverty and Exclusion.
Women’s access to, use of and control over land and other productive resources are therefore essential to ensuring their right to equality and to an adequate standard of living.

Throughout the world, gender inequality when it comes to land and other productive resources is intimately related to women’s poverty and exclusion.

Women’s access to productive resources in general, and land in particular, cannot be divorced from the broader context of macroeconomic policy and the global economic system.
The exclusion of women from owning land and property are some of the practical ways in which control over women has been exerted.

Access to land is a key challenge for many women living under customary law and in rural communities.

With secure land rights, rural women usually have a greater say in their household investments and in community matters.

Inclusive growth requires equal access to opportunities and resources for all segments of society, including for both women and men.
The High Level Panel Advisory on Land Reform revealed in its report that women in South Africa still carry the cost of oppression, marginalised by the land reform programme with women constituting less than a quarter of land beneficiaries nationally.
The South African Human Rights Commission recently in its Investigative Report into the Impact of Rural Land Use and Ownership Patters on Human Rights in South Africa stated that “Women make up the majority of the rural population and labour force on commercial farms, yet they are deprived of land ownership.

Women who benefit from land reform projects are in most cases excluded from decision-making processes on issues regarding land use.
Women constitute only 23% of land beneficiaries in South Africa, despite progressive laws and policies in place.

The country’s National Development Plan (NDP) recognises the need for an inclusive and integrated rural economy, with the aim of implementing effective land reform, ensuring food security, and developing the potential of industries such as agro-processing, fisheries and tourism.
Women’s Access to Land: The Legislative and Policy Paradigm Various human rights instruments guarantee women’s equal rights related to access, use and control over land.

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, establishes the principle of non-discriminative practices including discrimination based on sex.

Among many rights the declaration recognises women’s rights to property, food, housing and education.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, in article 3, guarantees equality between women and men, and it prohibits discrimination based on sex.

• On its Platform for Action, the Fourth World Conference on Women called on Government’s to enable women to obtain affordable housing and access to land and to undertake legislative and administrative reforms to give women equal access to economic resources, including the right to inheritance and ownership of land and other properties.
The Habitat Agenda, which was adopted at the Second United Nations Conference, on Human • • Action Aid ”Securing women’s rights to land and livelihoods: a key to ending hunger and fighting COHRE, (2006) ‘A Survey of Law and Practice related to women’s inheritance rights in the MENA 36 AIDS” Action Aid briefing paper, p.7 37 Region’ 38 Action Aid p.7-8 50 Settlements, committed governments to providing legal security of tenure and equal access to land to all people, including women and those living in poverty, as well as undertaking legislative and administrative reforms to give women full and equal access to economic resources, including the right to inheritance and to ownership of land and other properties.
• The Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), recognised women’s land rights.

The RDP also stated that the national land reform programme that support should address services and government assistance for agricultural production should benefit women.

inequities and Priority Actions (1): The Role of the State • The state Shall develop adequate capacity to embark upon gender responsive planning and budgeting in order to accelerate women’s land ownership, in both urban and rural areas.
• The 1997 White Paper on South African Land Policy, places considerable emphasise on gender equity in land access and the effective participation of women in decision-making procedures.
The white paper concedes that “A key contributing factor to women’s inability to overcome poverty is lack of access to and rights to land” The above Protocols, Declarations and Legislative Frameworks laid the foundation for the development of and the progressive realisation of women’s access to, use of and control over land.
However, the disjuncture between public endorsement of land ownership by women and actual institutional practice or implementation is vast, hence only 23% of land reform beneficiaries are women.

• Government Shall embark on a multi- sectoral approach which harnesses the roles, responsibilities, resources and commitment across government departments and spheres to accelerate women’s land acquisition.
• Gender Budgeting must be aligned to International, Regional and National development goals on gender equality and women development.
• • Ensure that the land reform process favours all historically disadvantaged people, including women, to get land • Government Shall incorporate a gender perspective into the design, development, adoption and execution of all budgetary processes, as appropriated in order to promote equitable, effective and appropriate resource allocation to advance land ownership by women in each province, metro, district and locality.
• Concerted efforts Shall be undertaken, to activate the meaningful participation of communities and civil societies in the effort to ensure land ownership by women.

• Cultural traditions that disempower women’s access to and security of tenure on land must be urgently addressed.
• Government Shall ensure that women subsistence and small scale farmers receive adequate support The District Development Model must be instrumental in advancing a gendered Land Reform approach, more so because the District Development Model enables all three spheres of government to coordinate and integrate development plans and budgets, while mobilising the capacity and resources of government and civil society, including business, labour and community, in pursuit of inclusive growth and job creation.
• Government Shall support the development of co-operatives in the land and agricultural sector, which must be embedded in the integrated District Development Model • Government Shall necessary infrastructure to meet the needs of existing and new entries of women farmers.

avail the • Government Shall show its commitment by engaging in the transformation of our grossly inequitable corporate dominated food and agriculture regime.
Monopolies, Oligopolies in these sectors shall be deconstructed, in order to disable old patters of ownership • Women Shall be enabled to play a greater and a co-operative role in food security, both in rural and urban agriculture.
• Vacant Land owned by Municipalities, shall be released and made available to women who require land for subsistence farming and small commercial projects • Government Shall put in place effective systems and Mechanisms, to roll back the increasing corporate power, including control of seeds and other inputs as well as corporate domination in retailing.
• Government Shall provide support to beneficiaries of land redistribution through financing, training, 51 market access, irrigation and the provision of seeds, fertiliser and equipment, all of which contribute to the sustainability of emerging agricultural enterprises.

programmes should have a set quota, which must be annually allocated and the set up date must be 2030.
• When government embarks on land redistribution, the government Shall not treat “women” as a monolithic category, women differ in terms of tenure preference, background, land needs, social standing, class access to wages, location interests and capabilities.

These matters shall be adequately deliberated upon, in order to ensure that women receive targeted support.
• All staff from national and provincial offices of the department of Land Affairs and Agriculture Shall participate in gender-sensitisation programmes/ workshops.

• Proactive steps Shall be taken to ensure that women participate in land reform projects, pre-and post- settlement.
• Land acquired through any of the land reform programmes in South Africa, should be registered jointly in the name of the wife and husband/ life partners, particularly those married in community of property and customary marriages • Women cannot be productive citizens until they are safe.

It is necessary to establish places of safety for women and children in rural areas.

This should be coupled to accessible legal aid and a gender- sensitive and effective police presence in rural areas.
• Offer white commercial farmers and organised industry bodies the opportunity to significantly contribute to the success of black farmers in general and black female farmers in particular through mentorship, chain integration, preferential procurement and meaningful skill development.

• Government Introduce strong monitoring and evaluation component and enforce compliance of Legislation.
• Encourage and support women farm cooperatives through incubators, mentoring and accelerating training in agricultural science.

• All land reform and or rural development • Strengthen Chapter Nine Institutions so that their recommendations must be binding.
Priority Actions (2): Translating Commitments into Tangible Outcome • Parliament must take a three sphere sector oversight schedule underpinned by quarterly engagements, activities in order to ensure three sphere synergy and implementation of gender biased land reform.

• Policies to support smallholder and small-scale farming households (the majority of which are extension female-headed) services.

Access to plant material and breeding stock, and access to markets.
Famers must be given access to better shearing infrastructure and training and be guaranteed market for their produce.

essential include • The state to develop proper enforcement mechanisms in order to keep stakeholders accountable for women land ownership.

The Commission for Gender Equality and Human Rights Commission must be instrumental in developing these mechanisms.

• Gender mainstreaming Annual Performance Plans must be integrated into existing government –wide Monitoring and Evaluation system.
• The Land Bank which is key for the advancement of transformation of the agriculture sector in the country, is facing serious challenges.

The bank cannot access new funding until its defaults status is addressed, the bank liquidity constraints the agricultural sector and transformation and development is compromised by bank inability to support it.

A concerted Oversight and Accountability strategy is needed to save the bank.
Capacity training of officials linked with gender training is needed • Government the shall rectify restitution programme, more so because it was never developed with sufficient emphasis on, or an understanding of gender, hence women did not benefit significantly nor equitably from restitution programmes.

• Recommendations made by the High Level Panel, must be scrutinised and be implemented.
They propose new framework legislation which would clearly spell out the priority categories of beneficiaries effectively handled with clear strategic priorities.

A land redistribution programme, coupled with a range of micro- economic intervention must be prioritised, while further focussing on food security as a priority.
52 5353 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 12: End All Forms of Violence and Femicide Against Women Domestic violence in South Africa is a consequence of the complex interplay of patriarchy, culture, and the negative masculine construct.

The patriarchal cultural beliefs and traditions that emphasise on male assertiveness and domination of women influence the constructions of masculinity and reinforce domestic violence.
Domestic violence is a persistent worldwide problem that affects many women regardless of their demographic characteristics Research shows that the problem of domestic violence in South Africa persists despite the current strategies aimed at addressing it.

South Africa is ranked as one of the countries with high rates of domestic violence in the world.
According to the report by South Africa Demographic and Health Survey (2016), over a quarter of women in South Africa reported experiencing domestic violence from their intimate partners.

This report also suggests that the rate of domestic violence in South Africa may be higher than the recorded figures, given that many cases go unreported.
Research shows that many survivors tend not to report abuse from their partners due to factors like, fear that the abuser will retaliate, desire to protect the family, financial dependence on the perpetrator, and fear of ending the marriage.

Feminist research reiterates that domestic violence is a consequence of patriarchy, a system that promotes male dominance by giving men powers to dominate and control women.
Some researchers have attributed domestic violence to a set of interlocking factors, such as patriarchy, cultural beliefs, community norms, unemployment and low levels of education.

Also, domestic violence is associated with the masculinity ideology, an endorsement of patriarchy related attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours assigned to men during the socialisation.”39 Problem Statement: Violence in all its Forms, is Endemic to the South African Society.
Both Sexual and Domestic Violence Are Pervasive and all Women Live Under the Threat of, or Experience Violence.

“In the words of retired Justice Edward Cameron, whose view is that we should recognise that the sole inhibiting institutional response to criminal conduct is the certainty of detection, the certainty of follow up, the certainty of arraignment, the certainty of prosecution and the certainty of punishment.
The problem with our legal system and framework at the moment is our lack of certainty”- Adv Trudie Nichols, Femicide Legislation Summit, Parliament, July, 2020.

South African women continue to face pervasive structural violence, which is deeply embedded in societal structures.

This pervasive structural violence manifests as the economic exclusion and deprivation of women.

It manifests as women’s endemic poverty and unemployment.
It manifests in the silencing of women through cultural norms and practices, which morphs into harassment, intimidation, assault and killing of women.

It is also worth noting that not all incidents of sexual offences are reported.

The World Health Organisation highlights that many women do not report sexual violence to police because they are ashamed, or fear being blamed, not believed or otherwise mistreated.
Violence in South Africa is common despite the proliferation of legislation and state measures to prevent the crime before it happens, and protect victims after the fact.

For this reason, innovative measures to combat the problem are critical.

Over the past decade, more than a million women in the country have been the victim of gender-based violence.

The cost of this violence is not only to the victim, but to her family, the economy, and to the state.
In addition, it hinders women’s ability to exercise their constitutional rights to live and move freely within South Africa’s borders.

Violence in all its forms is endemic to South African society.

Both sexual and domestic violence are pervasive and all women live under the threat of or experience violence.

Women experience secondary victimization at all stages of the criminal justice system.
Research has shown that it is possible to prevent violence against women in the short to medium term with the right interventions.

There is a very important legislative role that encompasses measures in the criminal justice system, but L Mshweshwe, 2020, Understanding domestic violence: masculinity, culture, traditions 39 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844020321770 54 has a far wider reach with measures across a number of areas of the social cluster.
It was reiterated that there is a solid basis of knowledge from research conducted over three decades, into measures needed for GBV prevention.

Widespread exposure of children to violence promotes anti-social behaviour.

Widespread abuse of alcohol and drugs.

This both increases the likelihood of violence and renders victims vulnerable.

Guns: legal and illegal guns are still widely used to threaten and kill.
Social norms that support and legitimise the use of violence are prevalent, and in particular, acts such as sexual harassment and sexual violence are perceived as normal by many South Africans.

Law enforcement is generally very weak; legislation does not form a deterrent.

The response from Government to violence prevention has been very weak, and does not include social reforms.
Priority Actions: Government Shall Consistently Implement Measures to Promote Gender Equality and Actions Against GBV and Femicide attitudes, roles and social norms; • The extent of GBV shall be accurately captured through a dedicated platform, by including violence against women as a specific incidence/recording category for GBV, in order to address the fact that there doesn’t exist a specific crime called “GBV”.
When referring to GBV, what is generally meant is sexual offences and cases arising from domestic violence.

The establishment of a system to accurately record GBV cases in a detailed manner, will increase the accuracy of GBV statistics and data.
• Government Shall activate Sustained measures and interventions, to reduce poverty and enhance school completion for both boys and girls • Housing strategies and Economic opportunities shall be provided for GBV victims to rebuild lives • Government shall Consistently Implement Measures to promote gender equity and actions against GBVF • Government Shall Consistently implement interventions and actions to reduce all forms of violence in our societies; • Government Shall Consistently implement interventions and programmes to reduce alcohol and drug abuse • Government Shall Increase funding for mental health and support for counselling programmes • Government Shall Increase parenting programmes to support vulnerable parents, young mothers, poor mothers • Government Shall introduce Measures to bring fathers into the full role of parenting, both emotionally and economically • Programmes to build gender equity and counter GBV Shall be mandatory in the work place, in both public and private sectors, including the education system.
• Cash transfers to women (social grant programmes).
Social grant beneficiaries shall be transitioned into skills development and economic opportunity programmes Such measures Shall Effectively Combine economic and social empowerment programmes targeting women; • Parenting programmes to prevent IPV and child • maltreatment; • Social Structures shall implement Interventions that work with individuals and or couples to reduce their alcohol consumption and or substance abuse (with or without other prevention elements); Such Couples Interventions Shall (focus on transforming gender relations within the couple, or addressing alcohol and violence in relationships); • Interventions with female sex workers to reduce violence by clients, police or strangers (i.e.
non-intimate partners) through empowerment collectivisation or alcohol and substance use reduction; • Valuable school-based interventions to prevent dating or sexual violence and school-based interventions for peer violence; and • • • • • Child maintenance programmes Shall be effectively implemented improve oversight mechanisms Legislators Shall in reducing all drivers of violence through the strengthening of laws, promoting a focus on key policies for advanced implementation.
The security and social cluster shall be monitored by the legislative sector, so as to ensure proper coordination of interventions across various departments, to address these drivers, which are not only limited to the Criminal Justice System (CJS).
The NSP GBV-F is driven by the Presidency and needs to lay the foundation for policy reform and periodical review to assess impact The implementation of Serious Case Reviews should be employed to strengthen our ability to monitor why our current system is failing women and their families.

Legislatures Shall Exercise Effective Oversight of the work of the National Council on GBVF (NCGBVF), and its associated structures, in implementing the NSP on GBVF and its budget.
Sufficient Resources Shall be allocated from National Treasury for measures required for GBV and femicide prevention 55 • Government, Civil Society and community structures, Shall activate Community activism to shift harmful gender • Gun, alcohol and drug control: Vigilant enforcement of existing measures, action on illegal guns, measures to reduce harmful alcohol use and drugs human rights.

In a democracy, this is imperative.


• The use of guns and alcohol require a policy response by the government • Government Shall Provide Resources for evidence- based prevention programmes to change harmful masculinities e.g.
Stepping Stones and Creating Futures • Government Shall Provide Resources for mental health programmes, in the health sector and through community-level interventions including psychotherapy from lay counsellors; • Government Shall Provide Funding for shelters including making provision for the LGBTQI+ community, parenting programmes for vulnerable parents, more efficient maintenance, protection orders etc • • • The journey to gender-based violence often begins with derogatory name-calling and a condescending tone towards girls.
Hate-Speech Policies in schools must be addressed The relationship between gender-based violence and the LGBTQI+ community for children and teenagers Corrective rape, which is the raping of lesbians with the intention of trying to “make them” straight or “correct” them, is still highly prevalent.
• Government the appropriate interventions to ensure the protection, safety and human rights of the LGBTQI+ community shall develop • There Shall be Stronger enforcement of Existing legislation, and judicial review of sentencing • • Government Shall Ensure a Solid Research Foundation to guide the GBV prevention strategy and monitor and evaluate its impact.
• Women shall be entitled to security and integrity of the person, which shall include the right to be free from all forms of violence in the home, in communities, in the workplace and in public spaces.

• • The State Shall be responsible for public education about the dignity and integrity of the person.

There shall be legal protection for all women against sexual and racial harassment, abuse and assault.
• Government Shall Provide Facilities staffed by trained personnel, where women can report cases of rape, battery and sexual assault, undergo medical examination and receive appropriate treatment and counselling shall be provided.

• Appropriate education and for police, prosecutors, magistrates, judges, district surgeons and other persons involved in dealing with cases of rape, battery, sexual assault and incest must be provided.
training • There shall be accessible and affordable shelters and counselling services for survivors of rape, battery and sexual assault.

• Dominant ideas of manhood and Toxic Masculinity: There is an emphasised gender hierarchy and competition between men.

Ideas of manhood are founded on the domination of women, and carrying weapons and the abuse of alcohol are part of these ideas.
These toxic ideas shall be deconstructed and replaced with ideas that build cohesion in communities • Gender based violence (GBV) and in particular, domestic violence, is usually the precursor to femicide.

Curbing and eradicating GBV will in turn reduce the incidents of femicide.
Government shall deepen and accelerate efforts to end GBV • Human rights to be taught as a subject in schools and continue to educate the youth from a young age on The following interventions Shall be undertaken: -Education and training for children and teenagers on the psychological impact of homophobia and transphobia as well as corrective rape.

- Assess if schools are cultivating environments where it is safe for children to come out.
• • The role of SAPS in the investigation of GBV and protection orders requires clarity and strengthening to prevent femicide.

Measures shall put in place by the state to ensure the necessary improvements Consideration Shall be given to the relationship between gender-based violence and human rights for children and teenagers • Respond effectively to findings of the Police oversight Directorate’s Investigative (IPID) mechanism.
These include failures to: • • • • Inform victims on where and how to access counselling services; Inform victims on where and how to obtain a protection order; Keep a copy of the protection order after it had been obtained from court; Locate victims and establish whether they were safe; • Note reason why no charge or arrest was made; • Note the incidents in the domestic violence register; • Open a docket and refer the matter to the National to for decision Prosecuting Authority (NPA) prosecute; • • • • • Search and seize firearms and ammunition; Take a witness statement; Inform the victim on where and how to access medical assistance; Issue a notice against the alleged transgressor to appear in court; and Complete the J88 (medical report) and other relevant information.
56 5757 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 13: Human Settlements - Accelerating Women’s Equitable Access to Housing (Particularly the Poor and Vulnerable) During the COVID-19 lockdowns imposed by Southern African countries, some homes across the region became enclaves of cruelty, rape and violence for women and girls trapped with abusive family members and nowhere to report or escape the danger.

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted an escalation in gender-based violence against women and girls in Southern Africa.
It has also magnified existing structural problems such as poverty, inequality, crime, high unemployment and systematic criminal justice failures.40 Furthermore, the termination of a relationship can create considerable housing problems for a woman.

“Given low earnings and a lack of housing options, some women have to choose between continuing difficult domestic relationships in good housing, or better relationships in poorer housing”.
Changing accommodation may well involve moving downward in housing quality terms.41 Problem Statement: The Inadequate Provision of Housing and Infrastructure Contributes to the Poor Conditions in Which the Majority of South Africa’s Communities Live However, female-headed households constitute a disproportionate number of the poor and they experience greater extremes of poverty than male-headed households.
Although women are generally targeted in urban policies concerned with population control, health and family planning, women are less often included in policies, which directly address the problems of low-income housing and infrastructure provision.

Since female-headed households are required to provide these services to their families, gender should play a prominent role in policy consideration.
Priority Intervention: Link General Housing Strategies and Housing Policy to the Needs of (Victims of GBV, the Vulnerable and Indigent) • Government must re-assess the role of housing with respect to vulnerable groups, such as orphans, people living with AIDS (PLWA) and abused women, child and female headed houses holds • Develop a comprehensive shelter and housing policy responsive to the needs of abused women.
• Develop housing strategies that take consideration of permanent housing needs of abused women • • Link general housing projects to benefit Female and Child Headed households Link general housing projects to homeless women with children • Housing Provision, Shall also take into consideration the needs of the LGBTQI+ Community • Shelters shall be provided for vulnerable the LGBTQI+ Community, who often face discrimination and violence in public spaces “Southern Africa: Homes become dangerous place for women and girls during COVID-19 lockdown”, 40 Amnesty International, 2021 https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/02/southern-africa-homes-become-dangerous-place-for- women-and-girls-during-covid19-lockdown/ 41 Vulnerable Groupings) http://www.csvr.org.za/docs/gender/overviewofhousing.pdf S Charlton, An Overview of the Housing Policy and Debates, Particularly in Relation to Women (or 58 5959 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 14: Advancing Women’s Equitable Access to Health Care Women’s improved health status have benefits beyond the individual - when women have adequate access to healthcare and health-related resources they are more likely to not only ensure better health for themselves, but also their families and ultimately their communities.
Healthier families and communities are able to result in a more productive labour force which, given the right conditions, contributes to economic and sustainable development.

The relationship between women’s economic empowerment and reproductive health is often mutually enforcing.

In every society and every household, women provide critical economic support to their families, whether in agriculture or by earning income in the informal or formal labour market.
Therefore, reproductive decisions and sexual health have a great impact on women’s ability to engage in productive labour and contribute to family well-being and that of the nation.

The World Bank highlights that investments in women’s health have multiple payoffs: in addition to improving women’s well-being and productivity, such investments also yield significant benefits for families, communities and the national economy.
Women’s health has a major impact on the health and productivity of the next generation.

Problem Statement: Women’s Inadequate Access to Health Care is exacerbated by Vast Distances and High Travel Costs, Especially in Rural Areas; high out-of-pocket (OOP) Payments for Care; Long Queues and Disempowered Patients.

The Commission for Gender Equality indicates that a number of barriers exist in terms of women’s access to health care.
These include vast distances and high travel costs, especially in rural areas; high out-of-pocket (OOP) payments for care; long queues and disempowered patients.

It further notes that women need access to antenatal care during pregnancy, they need skilled care during childbirth and further care and support in the weeks after childbirth.

In some instances, women have access to the health facilities but are not attended to by a skilled health professional i.e.

doctor, midwife or trained nurse.


In addition, there are still barriers to accessing contraceptives which disproportionately impact on vulnerable and marginalised populations, such as adolescents, and persons living with disabilities.

Women are less likely to have access to most forms of health insurance that are based on formal employment, and to this end the provision of efficient and accessible primary health care is imperative for women’s development and empowerment.
Priority Actions: Government Shall Ensure that Healthcare Services are Accessible to Women, with Adequate Consideration of Women in Rural Areas.

• Government Shall implement the NHI and further consider its gendered implications, for poor and vulnerable women The provision of health care services is directly linked to accessibility and availability.

that healthcare Government Shall ensure services are accessible to women, with adequate consideration of women in rural areas.
• The health care system Shall provide antenatal care during pregnancy for women • Women have the right to control over their bodies which includes the right to reproductive decisions.

• Access to Information and knowledge to enable women to make informed choices about their bodies and about health care should be provided.

• • The accessibility of services is linked to the availability of proper infrastructure development.

Government.
Government.

Shall that infrastructure projects consider the provision of proper infrastructure, where women reside therefore ensure • • • Government Shall ensure the provision presence of the appropriate medical equipment and human resources, to address women’s medical and health needs at health care needs • Equal, affordable and accessible health care services which meet women’s specific health needs shall be provided.
Education about family planning and family planning services should be provided free of charge to both men and women.

Every person shall have access to adequate nutrition.

• Appropriate and accessible mental health care services must be provided to women.

60 6161 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 15: Advancing Transformation and Gender Equality in the Media Industry Media today, from traditional legacy media to online media, still hugely influence our perceptions and ideas about the role of girls and women in society.
Research shows that from a young age, children are influenced by the gendered stereotypes that media present to them.

Research has found that exposure to stereotypical gender portrayals and clear gender segregation correlates “(a) with preferences for ‘gender appropriate’ media content, toys, games and activities; (b) to traditional perceptions of gender roles, occupations and personality traits; as well as (c) to attitudes towards 2 expectations and aspirations for future trajectories of life” .
Women are frequently portrayed in stereotypical and hyper- sexualised roles in advertising and the film industry, which has long-term social consequences.

Media can play an impactful and transformative role in achieving gender equality in societies.

By creating gender- sensitive and gender-transformative content and breaking gender stereotypes.

By challenging traditional social and cultural norms and attitudes regarding gender perceptions both in content and in the media houses.
By showing women in leadership roles and as experts on a diversity of topics on a daily basis, not as an exception.

The media industry needs to be encouraged to produce gender-transformative content and to develop self-regulatory equality policies, including access to decision-making positions.

Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms need to be set up to assess the progress within the sector.
Thereby creating gender equality in content, workplace and management.42 Problem Statement: In South Africa, Women do not Enjoy Equal Access to, or Coverage in the Film, Print and Electronic Media.

Very Few Women Own or Control Media Institutions or Occupy Executive or Editorial Decision-Making Positions.
The African Media Barometer highlighted the following challenges: South African media lacks diversity regarding offering content that addresses the gender, class, race and ethnic complexities of the country.

Voices of women, rural citizens, the disabled, sexual minorities, ethnic and religious groups are marginalised in the media.

There is also little diversity of styles, genres and formats.

Furthermore, women continue to be marginalised in the newsrooms.
Although the number of women reporters has increased, there are very few women at editorial and management levels.

Research has shown that creating gender equality in the newsroom is more than fulfilling a quota or being politically correct – it is good business as gender balance not only helps build readership and a publication’s impact but eventually, its overall revenue.

Women remain under-represented professionally in newsrooms, making it harder for women’s voices to be heard on certain issues.
Women also tend to be stereotyped in terms of topics and are rarely called upon by the mainstream media to discuss certain subjects (such as science).
Research conducted by Media Monitoring Africa found that media sources in South Africa give voices to women only 18-23% of the time in terms of news stories, while male voices remain dominant A 2018 Sanef/Genderlinks report on the glass ceiling for women in South African newsrooms indicated that there was an invisible yet real barrier to the advancement of senior women through pervasive sexism in media houses.
The report noted that challenges for women in the South African media are becoming less about numbers and more about the underlying sexism in the media, with new threats such as cyber-based misogyny emerging.

In addition, issues such as the impact of working hours on childcare, further compounds the unequal burden on women in the media.

Priority Actions: Media Houses Shall Develop Content that Addresses Gender Stereotypes and Patriarchy, Including Issues of Gender Based Violence and Femicide.
International Media Support at el, 2020 “The crucial role of media in achieving gender equality” 42 https://www.mediasupport.org/the-crucial-role-of-media-in-achieving-gender-equality/ 62 • Women Shall have equal access to all media and media institutions.
• Government shall put the appropriate monitoring systems in place, in order to ensure that women’s voices are heard, particularly on matters that advance gender equality Through a social compact with media houses and the overall media industry (all role players and stakeholders), government Shall ensure the production and distribution of media content that ends the portrayals and framing of women, family-focused), (home- and in stereotypical sexualised, or auxiliary roles, which often entrenches patriarchy and its various manifestations.
• As part of the social compact, industry leaders shall ensure the development of social campaigns, education programmes, and more targeted training and awareness-raising (including industry decision-makers) to promote egalitarian values and practices for • Government Shall put systems in place to address matters relating to sexism in media houses, including cyber misogyny and bullying of women across the media houses and newsrooms.
• Negative or injurious stereotypes of women Shall be eliminated, through sustained campaigns that are guides by gender equality precepts.
• A gender sensitive legal framework governing the media Shall be developed, to include laws which are specific to media companies, such as licensing system regulations, diversity, respect for human dignity and ensuring women receive equal pay for the work they do in the media industry • • The contribution of women in all areas of public and private life must be reflected in the media.
The promotion of equality, including affirmative action, in employment must redress current imbalances in the status of women in the media.

• Government Shall put the appropriate monitoring systems in place, to ensure the representation of women in senior management and decision making positions in the media industry • • This Charter gives expression to the common experiences, visions and aspirations of South African women.

We are breaking our silence.


We call for respect and recognition of our human dignity and for a genuine change in our status and material conditions in a future South Africa.

This Charter gives expression to the common experiences, visions and aspirations of South African women.

We are breaking our silence.

We call for respect and recognition of our human dignity and for a genuine change in our status and material conditions in a future South Africa.
All decisions and resolutions taken by women’s forums Shall be monitored so as to track implementation progress.

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