- WATER AFFAIRS AND FORESTRY
Internal Achievements
- A gender policy has been developed to provide a framework for implementation
of gender main-streaming.
- The Department has an official policy on acceleration of equality
between men and women.
- The Department has issued regulations under the Water Act to specify
that at least one third of all members of Water Services Committees
should be women.
- There has been strategic positioning of women so that they can influence
debates on the conditions of service for women in the Department.
- Women are represented at all levels of decision-making with regards
to water provision at community level because women, as primary care
givers, are the main users of water.
Achievements For South African Women
Policies and Legislation
- The Water Supply and Sanitation Programme stipulates that preference
will be given to local labour and fair opportunities for women will be
ensured, so that women and girls can save time in fetching water. This
allows them the freedom to engage in other activities and opens opportunities
for skills development and thus improves their prospects of employment.
Programmes and Activities
- Water has been made available to 2.1 million people in South Africa
since 1994.
- Training and capacity building programmes have been undertaken to ensure
that women’s capabilities are enhanced to give technical input into
water services and has contributed to economic growth.
- The Working for Water Programme is part of the Water Conservation Campaign
that employs local people in the clearing of invasive aliens. This improves
the available water supply and provides a means of livelihood for unemployed
people. The programme has created 43 000 jobs, 63% of which are for women.
- Community forestry is benefiting a large number of poor African rural
women.
Budget Allocations
- The Department has invested R1.5 million towards community participation
processes in which women are actively involved.
- R24 million has been spent on providing water supplies to communities
and women benefit directly from this.