DELIVERY TO THE WOMEN
Section 2
Achievements of Individual Ministries and Departments
1. Agriculture and Land Affairs
1.1 Internal Achievements
* The Land Reform and gender Policy sub-directorate was established in July 1996 to develop policy guidelines to facilitate women’s participation in land reform. A policy framework has been developed and approved by the Minister and a Departmental gender committee has been established to implement the policy.
@ Gender indicators are being developed by the department to monitor and evaluate policies and programmes as well as gender disaggregated data.
@ The department’s in-house diversity management programme has included a component on training and facilitation in anti-sexist and anti-racist behaviour.
@ The Director-General of Agriculture is a woman.
@ The Deputy Minister is a woman.
@The Department has launched an annual programme of awards for outstanding woman in agriculture, including women in:
@ The Department is currently investigating the possibility of introducing a psycho-socio counselling service in the department
@ The following gender issues are being addressed through training:
@ The gender sensitisation workshops have enabled the Department to compile a full report on the status of gender awareness in the Department, and the report is used as a management tool to unpack and address gender issues, including sexual harassment.
@ The Department is consulting a flexi-time policy to accommodate women’s domestic responsibilities within the working hours of the Department, and is investigating the provision of creche facilities either on its premises or nearby.
1.2 Achievements for South African Women
1.2.1 Policies and Legislation
# A land reform gender policy has been approved by the Minister to give women security and equal rights with men regarding ownership, control and use of land.
# The White paper on South African Land Policy stresses that gender equity be ensured in all of the land reform programmes so that women achieve fair and equitable benefits
# The Land Right Bill, which is still at a formation phase, is another legal instrument that aims at:
# Enactment of Communal Property Associations Act (1996) makes provision for non-discrimination between women and men in communal property ownership and use of communal land, expressly protecting the interests of women in accordance with the principles of democracy, accountability and equality.
# In 1994, the Department redefined ‘farmer’ to include previously disadvantaged farmers, and the new definition makes specific reference to women - this allows for a focus on the specific needs of women farmers.
# Principles of agriculture policy were examined to ensure they were both gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory.
# The Department is reviewing laws so as to give women security and equal rights with men regarding ownership, control and use of land.
# Restitution of Land Rights Act (1994) assists the Land Claims Courts to make restitution awards and provides that this shall be done in a manner which is fair and non-discriminatory towards women.
# Extension of Security of Tenure Act (1997) gives women and children independent rights as occupiers on farms owned by another person, to ensure women are protected against arbitrary or unfair eviction.
1.2.2 Programmes and Activities
* The Department has instituted a "Women in Agriculture Day" that runs parallel to National Women’s Day on the 9th August
* It is planning to institute a ‘best female farmer of the year’ award
* A submission was made to the SA Law Commission on traditional customary practices that prevent women’s access to land and secure tenure (to this end a workshop was facilitated by the Gender sub-directorate)
* A project has been initiated by the National Department of Agriculture on improving rural women’s agricultural productivity to investigate how law can be used as an economic development tool to promote agricultural productivity of rural women.
* The Department has participated in a Woman in Land Exchange Programme to provide a framework within which women may plan and implement a process of information-sharing and debate on women’s rights to land within their respective communities.
* The Department has co-operated with NGO’s on a range of issues relating to women and land including exploring enabling mechanisms for women at project level, identifying systems and procedures for effective implementation of Departmental policy, Beijing commitments and the Women’s Convention; and participating in the development of the CEDAW training manual.
* The Department is currently drafting a programme to integrate all women engaged in agriculture and related activities into the national economy, to ensure that women:
* The Department launched an Agricultural Youth Development Initiative on the 16th June 1998. Although not solely aimed at women, it does target young females, ranging in age from 14 to 35, and thus addresses some of the needs of future females in agriculture.
* The Department has introduced a bursary scheme to empower women through education, and plans also to introduce a graduate internship programme.
1.2.3 Budget Allocations
$ Funds were made available for a women’s conference in North Western Province in Sept 1995
$ The Budget for the Gender sub-directorate is R1.2 m.
2. Arts, Culture, Science and Technology
2.1. Internal Achievements
The Department has an official policy on acceleration of equality between men and women
The Deputy Minister is a woman
2.2 Achievements for South African Women
2.2.1 Policies and Legislation
# Both the Arts and Culture, as well as the Science and Technology Policies are gender sensitive, however, there is no gender specific legislation emanating from the policies within the Department
# The Constitution and national gender specific legislation provide the legal framework, guiding the state and the South African people in general
2.2.2 Programmes and Activities
* Programmes are designed in accordance with the policies of Arts and Culture as well as Science and Technology. The Deputy Minister provides political leadership in all gender related programmes
* The Department supports Arts and Culture programmes initiated by women or benefiting women. Special attention is given to initiatives by rural women and poor women in urban areas.
* With regard to Science and Technology, all major projects have a gender focus and are therefore designed to ensure that the outcome of such projects address gender related problems. Accordingly, the National Research and Technology Audit which focussed on human resources in Science and Technology highlighted the need for increasing access of women to science and technology.
* The review of science, technology and engineering institutions underscored the need for an increased pace of transformation within Science Councils. A co-ordinated approach in human resource development, that includes the participation and advancement of women in science and technology was recommended.
* To initiate discussions and set up programmes for women in Science and Technology, the Department held a national conference on "Women in Science and Technology" in August 1998.
2.2.3 Budget Allocations
$ The Department funds a number of women’s art and culture projects. These have included: A course for domestic workerin crafts production, a women’s cultural festival in Alexandra, a rural womans art festival, a legacy project to reclaim the role that women have played in South African culture and history, and the Culture and Economic Development Strategy.
$ The Department provides study bursaries for women.
3.1 Internal Achievements
The Department is focussing the acceleration of equality between men and women.
3.2 Achievements for South African Women
3.2.1 Policies and Legislation
# Women interface with the Department as prisoners, probationers and parolees, and also as employees and support workers for prisoners. Policies are gender sensitive. (Women only constitute about 2% of the prison population in South Africa).
# The Constitution and national gender specific legislation provide the legal framework that guides the Department generally.
# The aim of the Department is to render correctional services by means of appropriate detention, control, care utilisation, development, treatment and community integration of prisoners and probationers in a humane way. This includes appropriate treatment for women.
# Specific problems experienced by women prisoners and probationers are receiving attention. These include: insufficient movement within the prison grounds, limited work options, skills training that is based on stereotypical attitudes to ‘women’s work’, and limited recreational and sporting opportunities.
# The Correctional Services Bill contains provisions that mention women particularly. Special provision is made for the dietary needs of pregnant women. Mothers are permitted to have a child with them until the child is five years old, and where practicable, mother and child units are available to accommodate them.
# The Bill also provides that only women officials may search women prisoners and probationers and that men may not be present. Similarly only men may search men and women may not be present.
# Prisoners are classified according to gender, age, health and security considerations. This offers vulnerable female prisoners some measure of protection.
# Prison regulations take specific not of other gender related issues like diet and clothing.
3.2.2 Programmes and Activities
* The Department observes National Women’s Day on the 9th August each year.
3.2.3 Budget Allocations
$ 9% of budget has been set aside for training of female prisoners.
4.1 Internal Achievements and Challenges
cThe military career paths of women are theoretically the same as for men. Women undergo the same training and can apply for the same posts, including combat posts, as men. However, there is still a great deal of resistance to women serving in combat. This comes from men and women inside the Defense Force, as well as from spouses and the general public.
@ The Department is fighting the perception that women cannot be mothers and continue to be an asset to the military.
@ A senior officer (Deputy Director level) has been appointed to deal solely with gender issues in the Department.
@ There are 7 women at senior management level today, compared to none in 1994. There are 5 women generals and 2 civilian women who have the rank of director or higher.
@ 25.5% of the women in uniform hold the rank of lieutenant or higher, and 73% of these female officers are white.
@ The majority of female senior officers are still concentrated in either personnel posts or in the medical services.
@ Since 1994, women in the lower ranks can be found across the broad spectrum of occupations, including combat. However, it can take up to 17 years in the military to become a colonel, which means that the demographics in the Department are unlikely to change much in the short or medium term, even if an aggressive affirmative action plan for women is followed.
@ The percentage of women in the Department is 19%.
@ Approximately 53% of the women in the Department are women in uniform
@ The percentage of women serving in uniform in the SANDF, namely 13%, is one of the highest in the world
# The Equal Opportunities Chief Directorate has drafted the following policies, plans and programmes:
# Service benefits like: medical benefits for dependents, medical aid contributions. Housing benefits etc are all being given consideration by the Department in terms of gender equality.
* A Department Gender Forum has been established to promote and monitor gender equity and equality.
* The Department’s Gender Forum works closely with the OSW and the CGE, who provide assistance and guidance in aligning the Department’s policies with national objectives and with the policies of other departments.
* The SANDF still exhibits a strong patriarchy, and to eradicate this the Department is doing ongoing gender sensitivity training at all levels.
* Adjustments are being made to instruments and weapons to accommodate the physical differences between men and women.
5.1 Internal Achievements
@ The Minister of Education established the Gender Equity Task Team (GETT) in October 1996 headed by full-time gender equity commissioner, Dr Ann Marie Wolpe and nine Task Team members, drawn from a range of stakeholders. A Permanent Equity Unit has been established within the Department. GETT has produced a report with recommendations. An Inter-Branch Committee on Gender Equity Policy was established which has developed a draft proposal on the establishment of structures for gender equity in the national and provincial Departments of Education and legislative measures on sex-based violence and harassment in the education system. The Director-General has approved the establishment of the Gender Equity Unit in principle.
@ The Department has developed a post-provisioning model that is non-discriminatory
@ Male and female employees contribute equally to the pension fund and receive equal benefits from the fund.
Female educators are entitled to paid maternity leave for two confinements.
The salary grading system is non-discriminatory as between male and female educators.
5.2 Achievements for South African Women
5.2.1 Policies and Legislation
# The Education White Paper reiterates government’s commitment to giving people an education.
# South African Schools Act (1996) makes schooling compulsory for all children for 10 years and states that there should be no discrimination between boys and girls;
# The White Paper on Education and Training established government’s commitment to provide early Childhood Development and recognised the issues of gender inequality that manifest in the education system. The Department has focused on the year before entry into primary school (one free year of education for children).
# The Act on Higher Education (1997) mandates that the council must be advised on the race and gender equity policies of the public higher education institution and that members of the Council must consist of equal numbers of men and women;
# The National Education Policy Act (1996) protects every person against discrimination by an education department or institution.
5.2.2 Programmes and Activities
* Curriculum 2005 was launched which makes provision for eradicating gender stereotypes.
* In 1996, government launched the Ithuteng Ready to Learn Campaign, a Presidential Lead Project of the RDP, targeting 90 000 learners. It was launched together with the Thousand Learner Unit Project. By the end of 1996, the target had been exceeded, although there were regional imbalances.
5.2.3 Budget Allocations
$ A budget has been allocated for setting up Gender Equity Unit.
6. Environmental Affairs And Tourism
6.1 Internal Achievements
@ The Department has an official policy on acceleration of equality between men and women until it reaches 50% at all levels. The current gender statistics are as follows:
@ The Deputy Director General is a woman.
# A policy on sexual harassment has been drafted and will be implemented before May 1999.
# It is the culture of the Department to celebrate National Women’s Day on the 9th August.
* Gender sensitization workshops, with participation from NGO’s, have been held for managers and officials in the Department and in some of the Provinces.
* The Department plays a role in the initiative of women and environment, which aims at a national co-ordinating body including NGO’s and Provincial Departments.
6.2 Achievements for South African Women
6.2.1 Policies and Legislation
# The White Paper on Environmental Management aims at encouraging and supporting women in the design, planning and implementation of environmental education and capacity building programmes and projects
# The Departmental Tourism Policy acknowledges that women, and particularly those living in rural areas, can play a significant role in the new tourism drive of the country and earn benefit from it. The paper gives emphasis to the roles that women can play in tourism - in awareness development, as decision makers and as implementers of community projects. The Tourism Policy is also enabling, so that by 2010, more than 174,000 new jobs can be created directly in the travel and tourism industry, and 516,000 jobs can be created, directly and indirectly, across the boarder South African economy. These will involve high levels of training, pay higher than average wages and be particularly accessible to women, unskilled people and new entrants to the job market. Most of the new jobs will be in areas where structural unemployment is most high.
# The White Paper on Integrated Pollution and Waste Management Policy committed the Department to providing education for women integrated pollution and waste management because they are the traditional custodians of natural resources, especially in rural areas.
6.2.2 Programmes and Activities
* The environmental management programme includes provision for training, public liaison and broad-based environmental education. There has been some training of women in environmental conservation.
* The following steps are proposed for engendering the Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD):
* The Departments five-year programme includes eliminating violence against women by implementing environmental rights that will make women less vulnerable, and by implementing the tourism strategy to empower women.
* A national capacity building framework in the field of waste management will be targeted at women.
* The Department will develop a community awareness programme on natural disasters primarily targeted at women and children.
6.2.3 Budget Allocations
$ The Department intends to have a specific budget for projects and programmes aimed at women, especially in terms of the Department’s five-year programme to eliminate violence against women.
7.1 Internal Achievements
@ The Deputy Minister of Finance is a woman and is playing a key role in the gender and macro-economic policy pilot study.
@ The Director-General of the Department is a woman.
7.2 Achievements for South African Women
7.2.1 Policies and Legislation
# Policy and legislation was amended in 1995/6 fiscal year to eliminate all overt gender discrimination.
# Pension Fund laws for civil service have been amended to ensure that men and women contribute the same amount (7.5%) of their salaries to a pension fund.
8.1. Internal Achievements
@ Ms Mavivi Myakayaka - Manzini (a member of Parliament and Counsellor in the Office of the Deputy President) was elected to sit on the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) which is the treaty monitoring body at the UN. She will serve a 4 year term beginning in January 1999.
@ South Africa submitted its first country report in terms of CEDAW to the Secretary General of the UN in February 1998 and to the CEDAW Committee in June 1998.
@ The Department has an official policy on acceleration of equality between men and women.
@ 13 of SA’s 92 foreign missions are headed by women (London, Frankfurt, Rome, Chicago, Walvis Bay, Dar-Es-Salaam, Bonn, Paris, Vienna, Kuala Lampur, Berne, New York and Hong Kong).
@ The Department has been elected to chair the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, which is overtly concerned with women’s rights, in particular violence against women.
@ A Gender Unit has been established within the Department.
8.2. Achievements for South African Women
8.2.1 Policies and Legislation
# SA signed CEDAW on 29 January 1993 and ratified it on 15 December 1995 without reservation.
8.2.2 Programmes and Activities
* The Department advances women in its representation on the Economic and Social Council at the UN, the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women; the UN International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women; the UN Division for the Advancement of Women; the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the Africa Regional co-ordination Committee for the Integration of Women Development; the UN Development Fund for Women and the Southern African Development Community.
* The Department provided aid to the Nelson Mandela Peace Village near Kigali in Rwanda
8.2.3 Budget Allocations
$ The Department pledged R100 000 to both the UN International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women and UNIFEM in 1997/8
9.1. Internal Achievements
@ The Department provides creche facilities to staff.
@ The Minister led the SA delegation to Beijing.
9.2 Achievements for South African Women
9.2.1 Policies and Legislation
# Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act (1996): allows all women access to termination of pregnancy under certain circumstances. A women no longer requires the consent of her spouse or male partner for a termination. Termination is now legal up to 12 weeks upon request by pregnant women, and between 13-20 weeks under certain conditions (socio-economic situation of woman, rape, incest and health risk to woman).
# The Department is developing a model for women-focused mental health care at primary health level.
# New policy guidelines for the provision of contraception are being developed to take into consideration recent developments, in particular the move towards lower dose oral contraceptives and emergency contraception.
# The Sterilisation Act has been amended, particularly in relation to the rights of women with mental illness. The law now requires:
9.2.2 Programmes and Activities
* Since December 1997, maternal deaths have been notifiable. This means that every maternal death is reported, preventable causes are identified and corrective measures are taken. The statistics and other information will give the Department a more objective picture of problem areas in obstetric care and will therefore lead to improvements in obstetric care,
* Primary Health Care was introduced with major benefits for poor rural women.
* The Community-Based Nutrition Component and Protein Energy and Malnutrition Scheme of government’s Integrated Nutrition Programme assists pregnant women to maintain good levels of nutrition. Breastfeeding is also promoted.
* The Department distributed female condoms to try and protect women from HIV infection.
* In 1994, the government introduced free health care for pregnant women and children under six at state clinics and hospitals. In 1996, free primary health care was extended to all South Africans.
* Government has embarked on a Clinic Building Programme to try and reach people in rural areas.
* Recently built toilets in clinics include baby nappy changing areas.
* Family planning services are available to all women in SA, including women in rural areas
* The Cabinet Committee on HIV/AIDS has been established and is chaired by the Deputy President.
* Family planning and/or contraception are available free of charge at health facilities.
9.2.3 Budget Allocations
$ Allocations have been made for maternal and reproductive health.
10.1 Internal Achievements
@ The Deputy Minister is a woman.
@ The Department’s Affirmative Action Policy commits the Department to a target of 30% for women in middle and senior management by the year 2000. The current position is 27.9%
* A Gender Desk was established in 1997 to focus on issues pertaining to the advancement of women within the Department. It is guided by the broad principles and policies formulated by the Department of Public Service and Administration, the Office for the Status of Women and the Commission on gender Equality. It is primarily responsible for promoting representation of women at all levels in the Department.
* Training on the Management of Diversity has been developed and presented to employees in the Department. A significant portion of the course deals with gender.
* The Department has undertaken a programme for the promotion of a gender sensitive culture conducive to the advancement of women, through workshops conducted at head office and throughout the regions.
* Gender issues are highlighted on an ongoing basis through the promotion and commemoration of events such as national Women’s Day.
10.2 Achievements for South African Women
10.2.1 Policies and Legislation
# All laws and policies that discriminate against women, like the Aliens Control Act, are being changed.
# Women and men now have equal rights with regard to the acquisition, change and retention of nationality.
# Marriage to a non-citizen or change of nationality by a husband does not affect a woman’s nationality
# Birth or parentage determines citizenship but not marriage.
# Equal rights exist for spouses in obtaining residence where a spouse is a non-national
# Birth and parentage, on an equal basis determine the nationality of a child.
# A woman does not need the consent of her husband or male guardian to obtain a passport to travel.
10.2.2 Budget Allocations
$ Funding for gender projects has been allocated under the Department’s Special programmes Directorate.
11.1. Internal Achievements
@ The Department has an official policy on the acceleration of the equality between men and women.
@ The Minister is a woman
@ The Director-General is a woman.
@ There is one woman director and 40% of the middle management positions are held by women.
@ The Department provides creche facilities to staff.
* The Department has established a Reference Group for Women’s Roles and Access to Housing. It Serves as a think-tank and advises the ministry and the Department on women and related issues in housing delivery.
11.2. Achievements for South African Women
11.2.1 Policies and Legislation
# The White Paper on Housing creates an enabling environment for the poor and homeless, particularly women, to access housing opportunities.
# The Housing Act of 1997 promotes the active participation of women in housing and creates opportunities for women to participate in the industry by granting them bridging finance.
# The Prevention of legal Occupation of Land Act of 1998 lays down mechanisms for resolving conflicts between illegal occupiers of land and land owners. Most illegal occupiers happen to be women. The law promotes negotiation as a tool for dispute resolution.
# The Housing Consumer Protection measures Act of 1998 protects consumers against fly-by-night contractors who build poorly constructed houses. Two thirds of our households are headed by women.
# The Rent Bill will promote healthy relationships between tenants and landlords and creates a rent tribunal to solve disputes.
# The Housing Matters Amendment Bill phases out housing subsidies that would have rendered beneficiaries, most of them women, destitute.
# The Housing Consumer Protection Amendment Bill closes loopholes in the Act.
# The Reference Group has released a three-year plan that examined gender inequities affecting women’s access to housing. It seeks to refine the terms of reference as well as develop a set of principles and practices relating to women’s housing issues.
11.2.2 Programmes and Activities
* The Supporting the People’s Housing Process (PHP) gives consumers who want to build their own houses subsidies and technical support to ensure that the structures are properly built and do not pose any danger to the people who live in them. Most of the respondents in the PHP are women.
* Norms and standards regulating the size of houses to be built with the government’s subsidy grant have been announced to protect poor people with little or no knowledge of the technical aspects of house construction.
* Rural subsidies for people in areas where there are no local authorities, have been announced. This will help rural householders, most of them women, to access subsidies.
* Subsidies have been announced to cater for the special needs of disabled people, many of whom are women.
* One of the Department’s programmes delivers energy saving houses.
* The reference Group assists the Department in ensuring that women developers and contractors get assistance and support to participate in housing delivery.
* The Department’s Gender Focus Desk has played a critical role in drawing together a number of disparate housing organisations like: the SA Homeless People’s federation, People’s Dialogue, the National Urban Reconstruction and Housing Agency, the Women for Housing Group and the National Coalition.
11.2.3 Budget Allocation
$ R 10 million was allocated to the Homeless people’s federation to enable the organisation, whose members are mostly women, to set up a savings scheme to supplement the subsidy grant.
$ The National Urban Reconstruction and Housing Agency (NURCHA) offers bridging finance to emerging housing contractors., 5% of whom are women.
$ R176 000 has been granted, through the National Housing Board, towards a conference that will bring together CBO’s experts in housing, NGO’s and representatives from financial institutions to chart the path towards mass delivery and greater involvement of women.
12.1 Internal Achievements
@ The Ministry has created a Directorate on gender and Representivity that monitors the Intelligence Services adherence to gender equality.
@ The Intelligence Academy runs development workshops for women in the Service.
@ There are 44% women in the management of the Service
@ All statistics in the service are race and gender segregated.
* Since 1998, the Service has observed National Women’s Day on the 9th August
* Civilian Intelligence participated in all activities leading to the CEDAW Report in 1998.
* The Service has given its full co-operation to the OSW and Participates in all its activities.
* The Department provides creche facilities for staff.
* The Service is in the process of adopting all government’s transformation policies, including the gender policies
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