Statement on Oversight Visit by Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities
The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) is pleased with progressive outcomes that emanated from the working session it held with Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities. The Committee was on an oversight visit to assess the work of the CGE in the North West and Gauteng provinces.
The objective of the visit is twofold: firstly, apart from having an engagement with the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), the Portfolio Committee met with the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) to assess progress and outcomes of specific programmes by the CGE in addressing gender -based violence and femicide (GBVF) in accordance with its mandate.
Secondly, the Portfolio Committee also assessed progress made on the implementation of recommendations contained in the legal investigative reports of the CGE titled “the state of Shelters in South Africa” and how SAPS’ responds to domestic and gender-based violence (GBV). This was done through visits to some of the shelters and police stations the Commission has monitored and worked with. The visit was also an opportunity for the Portfolio Committee to take Parliamentary work to the people and play its oversight role.
The Portfolio Committee and Commissioners discussed the gender related complaints received by the CGE from members of the public, the state of CGE investigations, and the cooperation of the South African Police Service (SAPS) with CGE including their compliance with GBV requirements.
The Committee expressed its support for the work that has been done by the Commission for Gender Equality to protect and promote the attainment of gender equality and monitor the compliance of government entities, private sector and civil society organisations in promoting gender equality. “It is a fact that gender-based violence and Femicide is on the increase in all provinces and it's important that the work of the CGE reaches communities, where a lot of people are suffering gender related injustices" said Portfolio Committee Chairperson, Honourable Ms Nonhlanhla Ndaba. The following Shelters and Police Stations were visited by the Committee during its oversight programme:
• Grace Help Centre, Rustenburg (North West) - Wednesday
• Ikhaya LeThemba Shelter, Johannesburg (Gauteng) - Thursday
• Temba Police Station, Hammanskraal (Gauteng) – Friday
Contact Person:
Javu Baloyi (Spokesperson)
Cell: 083 579 3306
