UPR Sexual Rights Database

There is heightened awareness and commitment on the part of government to step up its national program of ratification of these instruments. The President of the Republic in his foreword to the 2nd South African UPR Report has reiterated this commitment.

The South African government is a State Party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and its Optional Protocol. At the inauguration of the fourth administration of the South African government in May 2009, President GJ Zuma established a fully fledged department for Women, Children and People with Disabilities. This Ministry carries the national mandate to ensure the mainstreaming, empowerment and gender equality for women in South Africa. All Government Departments are required, in terms of their legislative mandates, to implement programs aimed at empowering women and ensuring gender equality. In terms of the 1994 Transformation Policy of Government, the national targets in this regard are 50- 50.To this end, both Parliament and Government have taken a leading role while the Private Sector is sadly lagging behind. The government also places particular emphasis on women, especially those in rural areas who, have been identified as care-givers who play a critical role in community development and are the primary recipients of the above programmes. The government in its Zero Hunger programmes including Integrated Food Security Strategy targets women and children with disabilities as key beneficiaries. The Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill is currently on national consultative processes including in the government Cluster system before promulgation by Parliament. The Bill will, among others, define discrimination against women and criminalise manifestations of violence against women.