fact that Units are still being rolled out and that they are known to be over-stretched indicates
a shortage of resources for addressing these issues. There are also resources for the various
policy development and planning exercises.This scores a '1*.
HUMAN RESOURCES 1
The same comments apply here as apply to 'Domestic Violence' and 'Rape'. Human resources are limited by numbers and capacity, although training of personnel is being scaled
up (Interview, Member ofNational Family Violence, Child Protection and Social Offences
Unit).
This scores a T.
Centre for Applied Legal Studies University of the Witwatersrand
African Women's Progress Report Violence Against Women South Africa
RESEARCH *
Research has been conducted for the purposes of law reform in relation to both prostitution and to pornography. It was also conducted for the development of the draft White paper on the National Child Labour Action Programme. However, there is not yet a comprehensive research programme to address these issues.
This scores a 'P.
INVOLVEMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY 2
Government has worked with civil society in all law reform initiatives.
The South African Police Services have generally responded to requests for information from civil society organisations and have been open to research NGOs who wish to conduct research on issues relating to child pornography and prostitution. However, SAPS seems to have been reactive rather than proactive.
The National Children's Rights Committee (NCRC) is formed as the main alliance representing NGOs and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) dealing with children.
In 2002, a Parliamentary Task Group on Sexual Abuse of Children held hearings and received written and oral submissions by civil society organisations. The Final Report includes all of these (Task Group, 12 June 2002).
There seems to be an open and consultative relationship with civil society in the policy development and law reform processes. This scores a '2'.
INFORMATION AND DISSEMINATION 1
The South African Police Services (the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit) is involved in a lot of information dissemination through responding to request
from schools and community groups. However, there is no proactive programme of
information dissemination (interview, the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit). Other documents such as the National Child Labour Action Plan and the Final Report of the Parliamentary Task Group have been disseminated.Information dissemination is patchy and reactive. There is little evidence of positive dissemination of information about the situation and rights of children in relation to these issues. This scores a '!'.
MONITORING AND EVALUATION 1
Monitoring
Monitoring occurs in the South African Police Services (SAPS) through the collection of crime statistics etc. and in the submission of quarterly reports to the National Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit.
The draft White Paper on a National Child Labour Action Programme calls for comprehensive monitoring arrangements (Recommendation 34).
Evaluation
The SAPS has internal systems of evaluation that apply to these areas. Independent evaluation takes place through the work of NGOs. The SAPS is open to such research and allows it to take place, but it does not necessarily form part of a systematic programme of evaluation.
As a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system is still being developed, this scores a
Centre for Applied Legal Studies 111
University of the Witwatersrand
The African Women's Progress Report Social Power South Africa
HEALTH
INTRODUCTION
In this section we consider the South African government's progress in women's health, with particular reference to five areas:
> Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
> HIV/AIDS
> Maternal Mortality
> Contraception
> The Abuja Declaration on HIV/AIDS
When the ANC came to power in 1994, it brought to government a commitment to transform the health system to meet the needs of all South Africans (ANC, 1994b para 2.12). Since 1994, changes to the funding, structuring and delivery of health services have seen the health system begin to transform from one characterised by racial segregation and discrimination to a more equitable system based on primary health care. In the 1997 White Paper on the Transformation of the Health System women were identified as a priority group, with an emphasis on women's empowerment, socio-economic status, equality and autonomy. (ANC, 1994a, 57). Within the overall transformation of the health system, maternal, child and women's health was recognised as a priority by the government (White Paper on the Transformation of the Health Systems in South Africa, chapter 8) and an integral part of primary health-care. The White Paper provided that the Department of Health would ensure the allocation of adequate resources to provide comprehensive and integrated Maternal, Child and Women's health services (with women accessing a 'one-stop shop' of services) (para 8.1.1(b)). A key component in this was the recognition of women's reproductive rights. In addition, the White Paper emphasised the accessibility of health services to 'the rural and the urban poor and farm workers' (para 8.1).
This approach was entrenched in the 1996 South African Constitution which saw a guarantee of women's reproductive freedom and access to health-care services, including reproductive healthcare (section 27). It was also reflected in the provision of free maternal and child health care from 1994.
The scores in this section on women's health demonstrate that the ongoing transformation of the health system has involved positive policy choices for women's health. Policy and legal frameworks are generally good in areas that relate directly to women's health (such as STIs and contraception), but tend to lack full integration of gender issues where the issue falls outside the understood parameters of maternal and women's health (eg. HIV and AIDS).
In line with problems across the health system, implementation of policies and programmes has taken time and has been uneven across the country. Much of this has been due to the major restructuring of national and provincial departments and at local level occasioned by the fundamental policy shifts from 1994. The inherited inequities of the apartheid system and the ongoing challenges of transformation meant that policy development and implementation needed to focus on institutional transformation and the re-allocation of resources to deliver effective services, as well as more substantive issues such as women's health. In this context it has become increasingly clear that transformation can be a time-consuming process and that significant challenges of human and financial resources, as well as capacity, still need to be met for full and effective policy development and implementation.
International standards
International standards for the attainment of the highest standards of women health were set in the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo in 1994.
In measuring progress, we use the commitments and standards of the ICPD Programme for Action and those established five years later at the 1999 review. We also refer to the Beijing Platform for Action (BFA) and the additional recommendations of Beijing +5. In relation to HIV and AIDS, we also consider The Abuja Declaration on HIV/AIDS and women.
International frameworks require that human rights are central to women's health (BPA Declaration 17, Platform 92, 97; ICPD Principle 4) and that sexual and reproductive health (in which all four areas under evaluation in this section fall), must be addressed within a comprehensive national strategy (BPA 60(d), 106 (e,ij), ICPD Principle 1, Principle 8.64, 7.6; CEDAW preamble, 1, 12.1). Policies ... should be developed in consultation with 'NGOs, women's groups and other civil society institutions for sexual and reproductive health'.
International frameworks also require that budgetary allocations be increased for primary health care, and that the sexual and reproductive health of poor women and girls be protected from budgetary reductions (BPA 58(d); 100(a): lll(a); ICPD 3.8, 7.21, 8.4, 13.7, 16.9). To improve financial sustain ability, services such as family-planing and maternal health should be integrated (BPA 110 (b); ICPD).
All health-care workers should receive expanded training on family planning and sexual and reproductive health (ICPD 7.23(d)), while family planning and other sexual and reproductive health care providers should be trained in prevention, detection and treatment of STIs, including HIV, the promotion of responsible sexual behaviour, condom use, the importance of choice and informed consent )BPA 95, 106(f,g), 107 (e,g), 108 (k,l); ICPD 7.12, 7.23(c,d), 7.31,7.32,8.31,13.8(a)).
Information dissemination should include gender sensitive public education campaigns in support of sexual and reproductive health (family planning, safe motherhood, violence and abuse, male responsibility, gender equality, STIs and HIV and AIDS responsible sexual behaviour etc.) (BPA 83(i), 107(m), 232(f); ICPD 11.16,11.17,11.23.).
International frameworks require an integrated and inter-sectoral approach to implementation and monitoring (BPA 110(e), 111 (c); ICPD 3.7, 16.11). In addition, goals and time-table must be set for monitoring and evaluating programmes based on gender-impact assessments, using qualitative and quantitative data disaggregated by sex, age and other demographic and socio-economic variables (BPA 110(d), ICPD 4.8, 12.4, 12.7).
NOTE:
As health services are delivered at provincial and district levels in South Africa, with the national department setting policy standards, we have scored the efficacy of these levels of government in this section.
Centre for Appl ied Legal Studies Health 113
University of the Witwatersrand
The African Women's Progress Report Social Power
South Africa ^