Multi-party women’s caucus calls for re-engineered budgets to be gender responsive
The Chairperson of Parliament’s Multi-Party Women’s Caucus (MPWC), has made an appeal to all government ministries to re-engineer their budgets to be gender responsive.
Committee Chairperson Ms Kate Bilankulu said it is important for National Treasury to ensure that all approved budgets are gender responsive and that the Ministry of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities develop a gender-responsive planning and budgeting framework to be utilised by all departments.
“This is in line with the recommendations of the committee in the previous Parliament. We further make a call on the Independent Electoral Commission, the Ministry and all political parties for the introduction of mandatory gender quotas. Currently very few political parties have gender quotas in their Constitutions,” said Ms Bilankulu.
The MPWC was established as a platform for women parliamentarians to champion gender equality and women’s issues in and outside of Parliament, across party political lines. It is comprised of all women Members of Parliament from both the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces. The MPWC’s mission is to lobby, influence and advocate for the emancipation of all women in South Africa by challenging barriers and stereotypes that hinder equitable participation of women in all aspects of their lives. The MPWC is committed in moving the gender equality agenda forward, while uniting all women across racial and political lines for a common cause.
“On the eve of Women’s Day and during this Women’s Month, we further call for the establishment of women’s caucuses in all provincial legislatures and municipal councils. This will ensure that all women issues are never neglected or seen as an afterthought,” Ms Bilankulu said.
The MPWC intends to further the work of its predecessor in advocating for legal reform in relation to sex work. The MPWC will also aim to put the spotlight on religious and cultural practices that are harmful to women, and to implement an empowerment programme aimed at reviving moral regeneration and the economic empowerment of women. “We further wish for males to advocate as champions of gender equality,” said Ms Bilankulu.
For media enquiries or interviews:
Rajaa Azzakani
Tel: 021 403 8437
Cell: 081 703 9542
E-mail: razzakani@parliament.gov.za
