Pretoria - The Ministry for Women, Children and People with Disabilities has been commended by the Portfolio Committee on Women, Children and People with Disabilities for presenting a strategic plan and performance plan that addresses relevant and key issues.
Minister Lulu Xingwana and Deputy Minister Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu appeared before the committee on Wednesday to present the department's Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Plan.
As part of its presentation, the department reiterated its core objective of "monitoring other government departments to ensure the mainstreaming of gender, children's rights and disability considerations into all programmes of government and other sectors" - a strategy that will help government respond to issues of the three targeted groups in an integrated and coherent manner.
"The mandate of the department is to promote, facilitate, coordinate and monitor the realisation of the rights of women, children and people with disabilities. In this regard, the department aims to integrate gender equity measures into government's programme of action and ensure that women, children and persons with disabilities can access developmental opportunities," Xingwana told the committee.
The department said it had identified key priorities including advocating for the promotion and protection of the rights of women, children and people with disabilities; monitoring and evaluating gender, disability and children's rights; ensuring that mainstreaming of gender, disability and children's rights happens at Cabinet, departmental, provincial and local government levels; as well as public-funded institutions, the private sector and the community at large.
Other priorities included the strengthening of institutional capacity to deliver quality service, and strengthening participation in strategic bilateral and multilateral initiatives that contribute to the empowerment and equality for women, children and people with disabilities.
The department said it would also continue to discharge its international obligations, noting that as a signatory to various conventions and protocols, South Africa, through the department, is compelled to present country reports in these international fora.
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee, Dorothy Ramodibe, commended the minister and deputy minister on the presentation.
"There has been a great improvement in aligning the Annual Performance Plan to the Strategic Plan compared to the previous year," Ramodibe noted.
Member of the committee, Danny Kekana, said it was clear the department addressed the issues that the committee raised previously.
"I'm satisfied with what has been presented to us," said Kekana.
