Submission to the Portfolio Committee on Women, Children and people with Disabilities on the commission on Gender Equality Bill

This submission is submitted by a collective of organisations (hereinafter referred to as ‘the organisations’ or ‘we’) working towards the advancement and enforcement of women’s human rights through the provision of direct services, public education, capacity building, law and policy reform, and various forms of advocacy. A full list of the organisations is provided on the covering page of this submission1. All of the organisations have an interest in a Commission for Gender Equality (‘CGE’) that is proactive, effective and successful and that has the necessary independence and authority to optimally fulfil its mandate to advance gender equality in South Africa – more particularly, women’s human rights and well-being. The organisations support those objectives of the Bill that are technical in nature and that seek to bring the Commission for Gender Equality Act of 1996 (‘CGEA’) in line with the Constitution Act of 1996 (‘the Constitution’)

Year of Publication: 2013