The Commission for Gender Equality is pleased to announce that we have recently completed the above mentioned report.
This report serves to assess from a gender perspective the progress made by South Africa with regard to MDG commitments. While this includes a review of state interventions in pursuit of goal three of the MDGs, on gender equality and women empowerment, the report equally assesses the gendered impact of the state's progress regarding the remaining seven goals' targets. An electronic version of this report is attached for your information, and is available on the CGE website.
The CGE shared its draft findings at a recent consultative dialogue with a range of stakeholders from government departments, including Statistics South Africa, gender analysts and experts and civil society, and received substantive feedback and input from these stakeholders. The CGE wishes to acknowledge and thank these stakeholders for their contribution. The CGE has formally tabled the final version of this report with Parliament and The Presidency.
Key findings and recommendations flowing from the CGE report include the following:
- South Africa should review its macro-economic policies to ensure that these are gender responsive
- There is a need to accelerate infrastructure development in rural areas, as this will have a huge positive impact on women
- There is a need for better, more reliable data capture, accurately classified and disaggregated on the basis of sex
- Government departments need to tailor their responses in terms of programmes and budgets to respond to the disparities in vulnerability, needs and access of women
- Government departments need to strengthen monitoring and evaluation interventions, with particular engendered indicators, to assess implementation and determine the impact of policies and programmes designed to address gender inequality and women's empowerment
- More fundsmust be allocated within departmental budgets for the necessary resources, training and awareness for effective implementation
- There is a need to address the skills and attitudes of state employees tasked with ensuring access to services and justices, these entrench discrimination against women and poor access to services, and ensure that real opportunities are created for women to participate in policy and decision-making processes.
There is also a need to considerably improve the performance of the state in coordination and allocation of responsibilities between the spheres of government, regarding the implementation of the MDGs.
South Africa needs to address the rural-urban disparity as a matter of urgency. This is a key factor in the access to necessary services impacting on women's quality of life. In addition, we need to see more outreach and awareness programmes for men, from behaviour-changing interventions, to bringing men into the care net.
Finally, there is a clear need to introduce a compulsory quota system in our electoral legislation to bring about 50/50 targets. We need enforcement of legislative measures to address discrimination in the workplace, as well as the particular vulnerabilities of farm and domestic workers.
Through our continuous monitoring and other forms of engagement with the state, the CGE will seek to influence and strengthen the state's understanding of the gendered implications of each of the MDGs. The CGE's intention is to advocate for improved policy formulation, budgeting and programme implementation to address the gaps and challenges highlighted in this report, impacting on the quality of life of women and girl children in South Africa.
Contact person:
Javu Baloyi
Tel: 083 579 3306
