Transcript Gender and vulnerable groups

Gender and
vulnerable
groups
committee
MISSION
The gender and vulnerable group’s
committee acknowledge the need to
promote fundamental human rights and
equality in the judiciary. The aim is to
facilitate the transformation of the judiciary
to be in line with the Constitutional values
and rights of the Republic of South Africa.
The committee acknowledges the role of the
International Conventions in the
transformation and development of new
legislation to protect vulnerable groups.
AIM
To instill a responsibility on all members to become
involved, and to become advocates for the
protection of the vulnerable groups. To facilitate the
eradication of violence against women and
vulnerable groups, and to eradicate gender bias
from our judicial system. Through ‘ubunto’ and bahto
pele we will take hands with various NGO’s and
government departments to empower and educate
communities with the focus on the prevention,
intervention and eradication of violence and abuse
against vulnerable groups. To become involved in
inter-sectorial initiatives, to address the problem of
abuse of women and children. To educate different
disciplines on the acts applicable to them.
OUR GUIDING
PRINCIPLES
Our guiding principles are derived from the
Constitution of South Africa and other
relevant legislative documents, for example
the Child Care Act, Equality Act and
Domestic Violence Act. Internationally our
guiding principles are derived from the
Convention for Elimination Of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women, The Beijing
Rules, African Charter and the Un
Convention on the Right of the Child.
The Program of the
committee is rooted in the
following principles:
 Gender equality must be considered as an integral
part of all policies, programs and projects.
 Achieving gender equality requires the recognition
that every policy, program and the project affects
women and men differently.
 Achieving Gender Equality does not mean that
women become the same as men.
 Gender Equality can only be achieved through
partnership between men and women.
 Policies, programs and projects should contribute to
gender equality.
Critical Activities and
Action
 Develop strategies that address the needs and
efforts of gender and vulnerable groups
 Facilitate gender and vulnerable group’s access to
resources and the law.
 Participate in projects to empower vulnerable
groups.
 Gender mainstreaming and involving men in
empowerment programs within organizations that
drive development initiatives.
 Promote the harmonization of work and social
responsibly and community involvement.
PROGRAMME FOR THE
YEAR
 21 March: Human Rights Day
 17 June: Youth Day
 9 Augustus: National Women’s Day
 20 November: 16 Days of Activism
Information and resources
 The JOASA Gender Helpdesk is also
meant to provide an overview of South
Africa’s available information on the
existing situation with respect to gender
equality issues and vulnerable groups.
Conventions/UN system
ratified by South Africa
 Women and gender equality related conventions
 CEDAW-International Convention on all forms of
Discrimination Against Women (1979)
 CERD-International Convention on the Elimination of
all forms of Racial Discrimination
 CRC-Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
 C100- Equal remuneration convention (1951)
 C111-Convention concerning Discrimination in Respect
of Employment and Occupation (1958).
 Convention on Consent to marriage, minimum age for
marriage and registration of marriages
Conventions / African
Union
 African Charter on Human and People’s
Rights (1986)
 Maputo Protocol (Protocol of the Charter
on Human and People’s Rights related to
the rights of women-1003
National resources
 Governmental institutions/Ministries
 National gender equality policy
documents
 National reports on women’s and gender
equality status
 NGO networks
Information resources
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National Resources
National Gender Policy
http://www.info.gov.za/otherdocs/2000/gender.pdf
Legislation on equality
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/natlexbrowse.country?pla
ng=en&pcountry=ZAF
S.A Legislation
http://www.polity.org.za/pol/home/
CEDWA Report
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw.cedaw.reportsw.ht
m#s
National institutions
 Office on the status of women
 http://www.capegateway.gov.za/eng/yourgov/9
0566
 Commission on gender equality
 Tel 011 4037182
[email protected]
 Joint Monitoring Committee on the improving of
the quality of life and status of Women
 www.parliament.gov.za
NGO’s
 Contacts on NGO’s on women issues
 http://www.peacewomen.org/contacts/afri
ca/south%20africa/sou index.html
 List of NGO’ s and organizations
 http://www.devidir.org/file/South
International resources
 UN Common Country Assessment
 http://www.undg.org/accessfile.cfm?cat=1%doc=1689&file=1564
 This document provides useful
information on the situation of women in
the country in terms of health, education,
employment, poverty
Human development
 A gender profile of South Africa's
available at
http://www.bridge.ids.ac.uk/reports/re45c.
pdf
 Report on sustainable development in SA
regarding gender
 http://www.undp.org.za/NHDRF.htm
Education
 Education/ measuring gender equality
and inequality in education
 http://k1.ioe.ac.uk/schools/efps/GemderE
ducDev/Elaine%20Cape%20Town%20pa
per%2015%20june%2004.doc
Labour
 Labour Market
 Http://www.commerce.uct.ac.za/dpru/WorkingPapers/PDF
Files/Wp 05-100.pdf
 This paper ‘ What has feminization of the labour market ‘bought’
women in South Africa?’
 Gender Dimensions of the growth in informal and flexible work in
South Africa and the government’s response to this.
 http:// www.tipsl.afrihost.com/research/papers.pdfs/394.pdf
 Fighting Poverty: Labour Markets and Inequality in SA
 http://www.commerce.uct.ac.za/ADRU/Fi9ghtingPoverty.htm
HIV/AIDS
 Gender and HIV in South Africa
 http://www.rhru.co.za/images/Docs/hswp
aperversion3%200104finaldraft.doc
 Sexual power on both HIV status And
condom use
 http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol10no22
/04-0252.htm
Migration
 Policy paper, migration, sexuality and the
spread of HIV/AIDS
 http://www.queensu.ca/samp/sampresources/s
amppublictiona/policysereies/Acrobat31.pdf
 Gender and cross-border migration to SA
 http://www.queensu.ca/sdamp/sampresources/
samppublications/policyseries/Acrobat9/pdf
Man and Masculinities
 Men as partners
 http://www.engenderhealth.org/ia/wwm/p
df/map-hiv-sa.pdf
 Perception of Gender Roles
 http://www.gwsafrica.org/kinowledge/chet
ty-edit.htm
Land Reform
 Women and land reform
 http://www.gwsafrica.org/knowledge/land
%20sa.htm
 Human rights and women’s land right
 http://www.sarpn.org.za/douments/doo14
47/P1786-Women-rights June2005.pdf
Child support and Child
maintenance in South Africa
 Summary on children's right to maintenance
and how a parent can enforce this right
 http://www.capegateway.gov.za/eng/pibs/public
-info/y/17473
 Reciprocal enforcement of maintenance orders
 http://www.lac.org.na/namlex/maintnce.pdf
 South African child's Right to Maintenance
 http://www.childjustice.org/docs/clark2005.pdf
Gender Budgeting
 Paper on gender equity within the SA
budget
 http://www.internationalbudget.org/resour
ces/library/gender05sa.pdf
Domestic Violence
 Domestic violence and SA
 http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw./egm
.vaw-gg2005/docsd/experts/velten.waw.pef.
 Women’s legal centre
 http://www.,wlce.co.za/advocay/presentat
ion/.php.
Women and Peace
 Paper on women’s contribution to the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
 http://www.womenwagingpeace.net/conte
nt/articles/SouthAfricaTJFullCaseStudy.p
df
Constitution of the
Republic of SA
 Constitution of SA
 http://www.chr.up.ac.za/hrdocs/countries/docs/SA-english.pdf.
Equality
 Affirmative action vs equality
 http://www.frontpagemag.com/articles/Re
adArticle.asp?ID=21746
 Promotion of Equality and Prevention of
unfair Discrimination act
 http://’www.ilo.org/public/english/employ
ment/gems/eeo/lkaw/south/pepu.htm
A Few ideas for the
campaigns:
 All Magistrates are encouraged to participate.
(Nominate a provincial member to take
responsibility).
 All the Chairpersons of JOASA will be
motivated to participate in events and to come
forward with ideas.
 The Commissioner of Human Rights could
play an active roll
 Partnership with registered NGO’s
encouraged
 Law Race and Gender should be involved in
campaigns
 Interaction with ARMSA and IAWJ on
awareness campaigns
Youth day
 Visits to schools to create awareness on drug
and alcohol abuse amongst the youth's.
 Youth’s could be educated on the Bill of Rights
 Orphanages could be visited.
 Invite youth roll models to participate in activities
 Visits to youth prisons can be arranged in all the
provinces
National Women’s Day
Guest speakers at functions on topics such as
domestic violence HIV/AIDS
 The Commissioner of Gender Equality could be
involved and we can partner with them.
 Workshops on Equality could be arranged.
 Video’s can be showed at magistrate offices on
domestic violence
 Here again a provincial member should be
motivated to participate.
16 Days of Activism
 The LRG unit could be approached to arrange for
speakers/workshops.
 Visits to the prison can be arranged.
 Prisoners could become involved in projects such
as bead work/painting/needlework.
 Functions should be organized during this time. It
is also the ideal time to launch the gender desk in
the provinces.
 Candle burning at the front entrance of the
magistrate buildings.
Electronic Help Desk
The Gender and Vulnerable Groups
Committee is committed to develop a
electronic help desk to bring justice to the
people.
Aim of the Gender Help Desk
 To provide an overview of the country’s
available information on the existing situation
with respect to gender equality issues
 To provide an overview of available information
on the existing situation on vulnerable groups
 The main issues that need to be addressed in
order to support the promotion of gender
equality and protection of vulnerable groups