Parliament, Thursday, 10 November 2022 – Parliament will tomorrow, Friday, 11 November 2022 at 9 am, embark on a Women’s Charter for Accelerated Development report back session in Botshabelo, Free State.
The session, led by the Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Ms Sylvia Lucas, and attended by the permanent delegates to the NCOP as well as the Free State Premier is part of a sustained and targeted oversight and accountability campaign, to oversee the effective implementation of the adopted 2021 Women’s Charter for Accelerated Development.
In 2019 to 2021, Parliament embarked on a process to review the entire women’s rights regime, in order to take stock of the progress made in implementing the 1994 Women's Charter for Effective Equality and assessed its impact since the country's advent of freedom and democracy.
The review sessions were held across all nine provinces, 44 districts and eight metropolitan municipalities and culminated in the adoption of the 2021 Women’s Charter for Accelerated Development. Parliament is now embarking on a process of district and provincial level report back sessions, giving the provincial and local government an opportunity to report back to communities on the progress made in implementing commitments made at the provincial high-level sessions, where the provincial executive presented comprehensive gender mainstreaming programmes of action for the provinces.
Free State is the eighth province to be visited, following successful report-back sessions held in North West, Gauteng, Northern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Western Cape, and Eastern Cape in the past few weeks. KwaZulu-Natal is expected to be visited in early December.
The Women's Charter for Accelerated Development Report Back session in Botshabelo will receive feedback from the Free State provincial and local government leadership, including the Premier Ms Sisi Ntombela, MEC’s, Mayors of Fezile Dabi District Municipality, Lejweleputswa District Municipality, Xhariep District Municipality and Thabo Mafutsanyane District Municipality. The leadership will provide status on gender mainstreaming in the province and also give report back on undertakings the province made to Parliament during the review process of the Women’s Charter.
The Women’s Charter for Accelerated Development serves as the Demand Document for the Women of South Africa, articulating matters for urgent prioritization by the three Arms of the state, the three spheres of government, including all Sectors of Society. The revised charter will also serve as a road map for effective policy re-design and implementation going forward.
Details of the report back session:
Date: Friday, 11 November 2022
Time: 10:00 – 16h:00
Venue: Botshabelo Sports Complex in Botshabelo
For an interview with the NCOP Deputy Chairperson, Ms Sylvia Lucas, please contact Nolizwi Magwagwa on 081 716 5824
Parliamentary meetings are open to the media and the public. Journalists who are interested in covering these meetings (including receiving links to virtual meetings) are requested to forward their cellphone numbers to Mlindi Mpindi on email mmpindi@parliament.gov.za for inclusion in the Parliamentary Communications Services WhatsApp Group, where such information is shared. Journalists are urged to forward these requests using their official email addresses (no private emails).
Members of the public may get involved and follow committee sittings live on Parliament TV (DSTV Channel 408), via live stream on Parliament's YouTube channel and Twitter page on the links below. You may subscribe to the Parliament YouTube channel to receive instant notifications of live feeds.
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ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
Enquiries: Moloto Mothapo
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