Wednesday, 01 June 2011

Outcomes of the Civil Society Workshop on Gender Equality

On the 12th of May, REACH in partnership with Women on Farms and the Western Cape Network on Violence against Women, supported by Heinrich Böll Stiftung and Oxfam Canada, held a workshop for Civil Society on the Department for Women, Children and Person’s with Disability’s proposed legislation in the form of a Gender Equality (GE) Bill. 

The workshop was characterised by vibrant engagement amongst the 84 participants, representing 64 diverse and inclusive organisations from the Western Cape, Northern Cape and Gauteng, who made the workshop highly successful.  

The workshop commenced with discussions on what gender equality actually means.  While most understood gender as a set of behaviours and attitudes based on social constructs and equality as equal achievement in relation to rights, services and opportunities, others exclaimed the need to broaden the definitions of gender equality and additional time was spent on brainstorming what this definition would look like.  Participants also discussed the advances and rollbacks for women and other sex/gender minorities in South Africa, since 1994. While there was an acknowledgement of advances, inclusive of a paradox of progressive legislation on gender equality in South Africa, participants identified many more remaining challenges inclusive of the high incidences of sexual and domestic violence against women and children; hate crimes against lesbian, gay, transgender and intersex persons; and unequal working conditions between women and men.
With this in mind, participants were challenged to identify whether South Africa did in fact need a Gender Equality Bill.   There was by in large a collective perception that the Bill had the potential to further the aims of gender equality but took heed of some of the gaps/shortcomings and challenges that needed addressing prior to the development of the bill.  Various suggestions followed on how to take the process forward, including the expansion of the interim coordinating committee.   The workshop ended with a clear agreement on the importance of working together and formalising coordination and action amongst participating organizations. 
For more in-depth information please download the workshop report which includes a list of the subcommittee members and participating organizations.  Photos and videos of the workshop can also be viewed.