As a result of that, on the 24^th October 2004, there was a Seventh African Regional Conference on Women, a Decade review of the implementation of the Dakar and Beijing Platform for Action (Beijing + 10) in Addis Ababa. This was the Ministers meeting, and they reaffirmed and renewed their commitments on gender equality and women's empowerment, and related UN and international agreements.

It is important for one to add that, the creation of the African Union is committed by its constitutive act to the principle of gender equality, provides an opportunities for institutionalising gender mainstreaming and increased participation of women in regional decision-making. The AU's commission agreed on 50/50-gender parity. It is also important to highlight the fact that the President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, during the 9^th August 2004 in Mpumalanga, has committed our country to 50/50 parity on gender equality. This means that Provinces have to accelerate services in order to match that.

On Policy Provincially, there is an Integrated Provincial Gender Strategy. This strategy was adopted by ECGA during November 2003. Their mandate was very clear in terms of profiling it in Departmental Management Committees. They also mandated the Departments to appoint proper structures of GFPs, and they be allowed to sit in these DMCs.

Gender Mainstreaming and Institutional Mechanisms

The IPGS (Integrated Provincial Gender Strategy) outlines the need for the Departments to have appointed Gender Focal Points, at a Deputy Director level. It also outlines the roles of all stakeholders. The role of the OSW is to coordinate and monitor compliance of the Departments on the IPGS, while GFP's have the implementing role within their different Departments. The Departments are expected to complete the matrix in the IPGS, and that is used as a yardstick to compliance.

In all Provincial Departments, only two have appointed Gender focal points at an Assistant Director level. This level is very low and does. not add value to what these Departments are supposed to achieve, in as far as integrating gender. These levels suffocate implementation.

The remaining Departments have seconded officers as GFP's; they do not even bother to attend to gender requirements as stipulated in government policies. The issue here is that, these people maintain that they are not assessed on gender, and as result, they better do what they are assessed on.

One has to add and note that mechanisms are supposed to be in place at different levels, in order to mainstream gender in the formulation of policies, planning, programmes, policy advocacy and monitoring and evaluating of the implementation of international and national commitments. In this regard, GFP '5 are the link between the office and line Departments. It is important to note that, line Departments have to formulate their gender sector specific policies and implementation plans according to the matrix. These plans have to inform cluster, and at the end, the Province has to have Provincial Gender Action Plan.

It is important to note that mechanisms for the integration of gender equality and women empowerment remain disadvantaged at all levels within North West. There is no capacity within OSW and line Departments. Gender concerns continue to be treated rhetorically and separate from the Departmental projects and programmes, and yet both specific projects and programmes for women's empowerment and effective gender mainstreaming in all sectors are necessary.

Governance, power and decision-making

The Province is expected to report to SADC through National OSW, on the progression of women in decision-making position annually. The fact that mechanisms are not in place within the Departments, this is the third year that this Province is not reporting on this issue. As stated above, the President has committed South Africa to 50/50 in par with the AU. This needs to be actualized by all concerned. The issue of non-functional equity managers in most of the Departments is also a problem.

The girl-child

The Department of Education has never communicated with OSW in the past, but that for now is being addressed. As a result of that, the issue of the girl child within the Province has never been reported to at National. Specific efforts are expected from the Province against discrimination, stereotypes, violence, genital mutilisation, early and forced marriages, exploitation through domestic work and trafficking. One has also to add that in as far as the Department of Social Services is concern; all attempts to work with them are in line. They also have a role to play in this instance.

Partnership with Men

The OSW in this endeavor has mandated Mr.T. Sehole to coordinate this programme. He has successfully engaged South African Man Action Group (SAMAG); Man for Change; Khulumane Ndoda and the Commission on Gender Equality.

The international requirements are such that, accelerating the implementation of the BPFA in the context of the MDGSs requires that gender equality is no longer seen as only the women's agenda. Men's full commitment and accountability and partnership with women is crucial. The requirement is such that government decision-making institutional and organizational culture must be transformed to embrace gender equality and women 5 rights in behaviors, attitudes and norms, through gender sensitive projects on capacity building and monitoring at all levels.

Programmes that address families should be developed to integrate the culture of equality and human rights processes in all aspects of the social process, including sharing of domestic work and childcare. In this regard the Department of Social services is vital.

Gender & the Media

In the Province, the office has been assisted by Gender Liriks in terms of sensitizing the media in North West. Gender Links has also trained people in the Province even before the start of 16 Days on No Violence Against Women and Children.

Gender Links has done this in the Province in order to sensitize stakeholders on how to counter act the media during the preogramme of 16 Days, and during 365 days of the year. They have been doing this and incurred all costs.

Capacity building

The expectation is such that governments ought to provide adequate human and financial resources to manage structures dealing with gender issues. This is done in order that more gender specific database is available, in order to support the national statistic with reliable data.

Gender focal points need to be capacitated for them to perform well. The status in the Province is such that their levels, ad hoc nature and non-delivery to the needs of OSW hamper intensive training for GFPs. There is also a need to build capacity to the civil society in the interest of Public Private Partnership.

Co-ordination

During February 2005, Provincial Gender Machinery was established. This machinery is made up of Provincial JMC (Joint Monitoring Committee on the Life and Status of Women); CGE (Commission on Gender Equality) OSW; GFPs and the civil society. This is an effective coordination mechanism within the North West Province. Be that as it may, this machinery does not have schedule on meetings.

As a result, it has not met as expected. There is a need to develop effective coordination mechanisms with clear lines of communication, roles, responsibilities, accountability and levels of authority.

Coordination frameworks must define specific terms for collaboration and partnership between the government sector, development partners and the private sector for the effective coordination of gender mainstreaming at all levels.

OSW Priority areas for 2005

• Capacity building
• Poverty alleviation
• Economic empowerment of women
• Gender based violence
• Integration of municipalities on gender issues within the office

Presidential requirements for this year Minister Essop Pahad addressed the National Gender Machinery in Pretoria on the 22^nd October 2004. He reported back on the participation of ministers at the Seventh African Regional Conference on Women in Addis Ababa on the 11^th –15^th October 2004. The minister indicated to the delegation that they renewed commitment to mainstreaming gender equality in the development agenda.

South Africa is one of the fourteen countries chosen for piloting of mainstreaming gender equality. As a result of that, Provinces are expected to report on the following issues:

• Challenges of mainstreaming gender equality in Provinces,
• Gender mainstreaming at all levels of governance, national, provincial and local,
• The level of private sector engagement by the public sector,
• The need to develop strong women's movement in South Africa,
• Coordination of issues in terms of reporting in the region, national and international,
• Women in leadership positions especially, on senior management positions.
• Implementation and compliance of acts by government,
• Coordination on gender mainstreaming,
• Evaluation and monitoring of acts, and
• Compliance to acts that address gender mainstreaming.

The most important issue that the Minister raised, was lack of compliance by Provinces on gender mainstreaming. He was concerned on non-compliance to gender mainstreaming and indicated that this is not the time to put systems in place. He was clear in indicating that this is the time to fast track service delivery, not grabbling with putting systems in place.

He was loud and clear in terms of saying, this is not a matter of discussion on systems, it is a matter of implementation and compliance.

Conclusion

The issue of the Departmental non-compliance to gender mainstreaming, is very serious. There is a need to comply with the requirements of acts in order to address gender equality in a befitting manner. It is proposed that Heads of Departments' contract to include gender, so that at the end of the day, one account on behalf of the Departments. The policies on gender mainstreaming are very clear on location of GFPs within the Departments, and the nature of the work.