NATIONAL COUNCIL ON GENDER BASED VIOLENCE AND - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

NATIONAL

COUNCIL ON GENDER BASED VIOLENCE AND FEMICIDE

PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON WOMEN, YOUTH AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

15 MARCH

2022

PURPOSE (1)

The purpose of this presentation is to clarify the establishment of Board of Trustees and provide an update on the development of the National Council on Gender Based Violence and Femicide Bill (“the Bill”)

The Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities intends to introduce the Bill to parliament in the current financial year.

PRINCIPLE ELEMENTS (1)

The Bill provides for the establishment of the National Council on Gender – Based Violence and Femicide (“the Council”); which as a statutory body responsible for providing strategic leadership on elimination of gender – based violence and

femicide in South Africa.The Bill seeks to,

inter alia

; legislate for a multi –

sectoral

and inter –

sectoral

approach to ensure effective implementation of the National Strategic Plan on Gender – Based Violence and

Femicide

; and

to provide for reporting mechanisms to facilitate the effective performance monitoring, evaluation and corrective action in the prevention of, and response to, Gender-Based Violence and

Femicide

in South Africa.

PRINCIPLE ELEMENTS (2)

The first call to establish the Council was made at the Presidential Summit on Gender Based Violence and Femicide that took place during November 2018. At the end of the Summit a declaration was signed, which called for; inter alia;

The development of a National Strategic Plan on Gender Based Violence and Femicide; andThe establishment of a National Council on Gender Based Violence and Femicide.

BACKGROUND (1)

On 11 March 2020, my office tabled the GBVF-NSP and the NCGBVF model structure to Cabinet for consideration. Cabinet

approved the GBVF-NSP and establishment of a NCGBVF; as well as formation of an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on GBVF mainly tasked with establishment of the Council.The National Strategic Plan on Gender Based Violence and Femicide (NSP on GBVF) approved by Cabinet on the 11

th

March 2020 is the founding document of the National Council on Gender Based Violence and Femicide (NCGBVF

).

The

department consulted with various stakeholders including the National Treasury, the Department of Public Service and Administration and the Office of the Chief State Law Adviser, to solicit guidance on the process of establishing the Council

.

The

department began the process to set up an interim structure, Board of Trustees in absence of National Council GBVF following the South African National AIDS Council model.

BACKGROUND (2)

The Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) refused the establishment of the Board of Trustees while the department was halfway through in the process.The

Civil Society Organizations made it clear that they require a statutory body which is National Council GBVF as prescribed in the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based- Violence & Femicide.After several meetings and deliberations that took place between the department and the above-mentioned stakeholders; a consensus was reached that the department must develop legislation that seeks to establish the Council

.

Therefore, the Board of Trustees route was completely abundant by the department and started the process to establish a National Council on GBVF.

PROGRESS AND STATUS UPDATE (1)

On 30 September 2021, the Cabinet granted the department approval to publish the Bill in the government gazette to solicit public inputs and comments.

Subsequently, the Bill was published in the gazette on 5 October 2021; and also, in the www.gov.za website.

In addition, a media statement was released on 7 October 2021 to inform the members of the public about the publication of the Bill.

In addition, the department conducted public consultation in all the nine provinces for public participation.

Furthermore, the Bill was submitted to the National Economic Development and Labour Council for deliberation.

PROGRESS AND STATUS UPDATE (2)

Upon incorporating the inputs that were received during the public consultations the department submitted the Bill to the Directors – General Clusters and the NEDLAC for deliberation.

Subsequently, the department was invited to present the Bill to the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security and the Social Protection, Community and Human Development Director – General Clusters; and to the NEDLAC.The Bill is scheduled for discussion at the SPCHD Cabinet Committee meeting on 15 March 2022.

The purpose of the submission to the Cabinet is request for the Cabinet’s approval to introduce the Bill to parliament.

Thank you