Beijing +25 South Africa's Report on the Progress Made on The
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BEIJING +25 SOUTH AFRICA’S REPORT ON THE PROGRESS MADE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BEIJING PLATFORM FOR ACTION 2014-2019 1 | P a g e Table of Contents Abbreviations 03 Introduction 04 Background 04 Part 1: Comprehensive National Level Review 07 Part 11: National Report on Beijing +25 13 Chapter 1: Priorities, achievements, challenges and gaps 14 Chapter 2: Progress across the 12 Critical Areas of Concern 26 Chapter 3: National Institutional Processes 154 Chapter 4: Data and Statistics 155 CONCLUSION 161 Annexure 1: South Africa’s SDG Indicator List 162 References 167 2 | P a g e ABBREVIATIONS ABET - Adult Basic Education and Training AIDS - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome AU - African Union BPA - Beijing Platform for Action CEDAW - Convention on Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women CODESA - Convention for a Democratic South Africa CSE - Comprehensive Sexuality Education CSW - Commission on the Status of Women DoJ&CD - Department of Justice and Constitutional Development DoW - Department of Women DPW - Department of Public Works DSD - Department of Social Development DTI - Department of Trade and Industry EPWP - Expanded Public Works Programme GBV - Gender Based Violence GHS - General Household Survey GII - Gender Inequality Index HCI - Human Capital Index ICT - Information and Communication Technology IEC - Independent Electoral Commission ILO - International Labour Organisation ISRDP - Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme LGBTI - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex MDG - Millennium Development Goals MIG - Municipal Infrastructure Grants MTSF - Medium Term Strategic Framework NCOP - National Council of Provinces NDP - National Development Plan NGM - National Gender Machinery NGO - Non-governmental Organisations NPA - National Prosecuting Agency NPC - National Planning Commission PMTCT - Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission RDP - Reconstruction and Development Programme SADC - Southern Africa Development Community SALGA - South African Local Government Association SANAC - South African National AIDS Council SASSA - South African Social Security Agency SCA - Supreme Court of Appeal SBC - Social and Behaviour Change SDG - Sustainable Development Goals SIGI - Social Institutions and Gender Index SMME - Small, medium and micro-enterprise SRHR - Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights STI - Sexually Transmitted Infection TRC - Truth and Reconciliation Commission UIF - Unemployment Insurance Fund UN - United Nations UNDP - United Nations Development Programme UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund VAT - Value Added Tax VAW - Violence Against Women WEF - World Economic Forum WEGE - Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality WHO - World Health Organisation WNC - Women’s National Coalition 3 | P a g e INTRODUCTION In 2020 the global community will mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the United Nations (UN) Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, China in 1995 as well as the adoption by world leaders of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995). It will also assess five years of the adoption of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is the momentous occasion when the world will review the progress made on its accelerated realisation of women and girls’ empowerment and the achievement of gender equality. 2019 also marks twenty five years of democracy in South Africa since 1994 when the country held its first democratic elections following the era of apartheid and colonialism. The timing of the Beijing+25 review coincides with the 25 year review of democracy in South Africa. The Government has undertaken its twenty-five year review process towards emerging with a set of priorities for the country going forward. In 2012 South Africa adopted its National Development Plan: Vision 2030 which serves as a blueprint for development in the country towards 2030. The country has also embarked on national elections in May 2019 and the 6th Administration of Government has just come into place. It is an extremely exciting moment in the country where a strong mandate has been given to the incoming 6th administration by the general electorate, responding to the call by the President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa to his “Thuma Mina” (Send Me) rallying call, adding the tag line “Khawuleza” meaning “move faster”. It was during the election campaigning that the people of South Africa iterated very clearly to the ruling party their impatience for speedy implementation of the ruling party’s manifesto as well as the country’s plans, programmes and strategies – “a coherent and bold people’s plan for a better life for all, addressing the persistent realities of unemployment, poverty and inequality… The campaign illustrated that the [country’s] top 10 priorities are jobs, housing, water, roads, electricity, sanitation, crime, corruption, education and land.”1 The overview of the twenty-five year review indicated that South Africa was able to construct a new society based on a Constitution that guarantees political, social, economic and environmental rights. The commitment to a non-sexist society was written into the Constitution and the country has made advances in women’s political, social and economic spheres as well as in attaining human rights and dignity, in particular women’s rights and women’s representation in parliament, government, the public service, and in the private sector. BACKGROUND Following the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and its Platform for Action in 1995, the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) have reviewed the progress made by Member States in implementing the Platform for Action on a five yearly basis. The initial review, called Beijing+5 occurred in 2000, followed by the Beijing+10 review in 2005 and the Beijing+15 review in 2010. In 2015, the global entity of UN member states gathered together during the fifty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women to review the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The main focus of the session was an assessment of the progress made on implementation of the Platform for Action, including current challenges that affect its implementation and the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The session also addressed opportunities for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women in the post-2015 1 African National Congress; June 2019: BULLETIN: NEC Lekgotla: Report and Outcomes of the NEC Lekgotla held on 1-3 June 2019”A Five-Year Programme to Translate our Contract with the People of South Africa, Johannesburg 4 | P a g e development agenda. The session concluded with the adoption of a Political Declaration by Member States which highlighted a number of implementation strategies for the full, effective and accelerated implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action. The Beijing+25 review is therefore an assessment of the accelerated realisation of the Platform for Action. The process is coordinated by UN Women who had issued a Guidance Note on how the review was expected to be conducted at national levels. These included: (i) all national reviews should speak to the progress made in attempting to accelerate implementation; (ii) such a review be comprehensive and involve all stakeholders at the national level: (iii) be championed by the leadership of the Head of State/Government; (iv) mobilise all levels of government, civil society organisations, the private sector and business, legislature/parliament, local government, academia, researchers, media and other relevant stakeholders; (v) include both men and women of all ages, including around a renewed dialogue for change, and actions to prevent and eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against all women and girls. It is also envisaged that the 25th anniversary of the Platform for Action will be used as an occasion to bring together a younger generation of gender equality advocates and those who remain on the side lines into the centre of a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach. This joining of forces between government and civil society is deemed to provide the capacity required to overcome and eradicate the root causes of gender inequality and chart a new path forward for genuine, substantive equality, with equal rights and equal opportunities for women and girls. Furthermore, it is envisaged that this review provides the opportunity to strengthen gender-responsive action and implementation of other global commitments such as those under the Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions on women, peace and security; the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (2015); the Paris agreement on climate change (2015), among others. This national review report is an assessment of South Africa’s progress in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action for the period 2014 to 2019 in response to the issues raised in the Guidance Note provided by UN Women. It is therefore structured as follows: PART 1: Comprehensive National Level Review This section covers the process undertaken in the country, the institutional mechanism for the review, multi-stakeholder participation and preparation of the national report. PART II: National Report on Beijing +25 Chapter 1: Priorities, achievements, challenges and gaps - with a focus on the period 2014- 2019, and emerging priorities