Programme for 1999: discussion

The aim of this meeting was for the committee to decide on their agenda for this short session of Parliament.

Ms de Vos (IFP) said there was a need to keep in touch with the issues at hand. She suggested concentrating on AIDS, the Job Summit and the budget. A report back was needed from the Office of the Deputy President on the Job Summit and welfare proposals.

A NNP member suggested that the committee should only meet once a fortnight.

The following proposals were made:

1 Looking at the current 41 Bills, the Chairperson, Ms Govender, said the committee should look at all aspects of gender in them and then present a report to the committee. The committee researcher would be able to do this in conjunction with other researchers.

2 Regarding the budget, it was proposed that Ministers be invited to give progress reports in appropriate areas such as finance in order to assess the changes in women's lives that have come about through the Budget Review.

3 The Committee planned for three meetings - one on the Budget and the Jobs Summit; one on legislation and one on the gender equality issue.

Ms Fester (ANC) suggested that question time on a Wednesday, in the plenary session, should also be used for strategically placed questions.

The Chairperson emphasised that three ministries were involved: Justice, Finance and Safety and Security. She asked members to draft questions that they would like answered by Ministers and she would include these with her invitations to ministers.

The questions were: Have the Ministers instructed their Departments to implement the legislation? What are the criteria that have been laid down? A strategy has to be developed to establish whether these targets have met.

Finance : issue of job cuts

Welfare: poverty plan; pensions and AIDS

Justice: how is it implemented. What about prosecutors, magistrates?

4 Concerning the Commission of Gender Equality Audit, Ms de Vos said the committee should first see the Audit before a decision was made. Copies of the Audit should be circulated to members. A joint workshop on this with the Commission on Gender Equality would be a good idea.

It was reported that the Gender Commission did not have a full complement and that it was short of four people. Some confusion surrounded this. It seemed this emanated from the Office of the Deputy President. It was agreed that the Chairperson contact Essop Pahad, Deputy Minister in the Office of the Deputy President.

A representative from the NCOP said she would follow up whether there is much response from the Gender desks in the Provincial offices

5 The Committee agreed to prepare a report on its work since it was set up in 1996 to show how much work it had done. There was a need for this to be placed on record and it should be concise.

6 The committee needs to know how to do an analysis of Parliament budget from the gender perspective.

7 The Parliamentary Women's Group is proposing to write a book on this Parliament.

8 It was agreed that this Committee try to ascertain what its budget would be for this year.