Workshops on gender equality

GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - During Women's Month, the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), in collaboration with the recently launched District Gender Forum, will be hosting various workshops around the theme of gender equality.

GRDM Mayor Memory Booysen says the municipality realises the importance of a formal structure like a District Gender Forum (DGF) to promote change in terms of gender equality and women empowerment within the region and it was therefore instrumental in the establishment of the DGF. Its first meeting took place on Friday 25 June.

The Gender forum was created to team up with key role players like the Commission of Gender Equality (CGE) and the Western Cape Department of Local Government (DLG).

To this end, each municipality in the district is tasked to appoint a Gender Focal person who will be institutionalising gender mainstream activities in order to balance out gender inequalities and to promote gender empowerment beyond the workplace.

In its policies, GRDM took the initiative and developed “The Stop Gender- Based Violence Policy,” as well as the “Gender Mainstreaming Policy”.

"These policies are being reviewed after consultation with Local Government and the CGE. In addition to these, a Sexual Harassment Policy and the Employment Equity Policy are already in place to attempt to address gender sensitive issues within the municipality," says Booysen.

In addition, the following workshops will be held during August under the theme of gender equality:

17 August - Generation Equality: Realising women’s rights for an equal future - presented by Commission for Gender Equality representatives.

18 August - Human Trafficking Awareness Session by the Western Cape Department of Local Government (DLG) representatives.

31 August - An overview of the National Strategic Framework on Gender Based Violence and Femicide by Western Cape Provincial Community Liaison Officer (Social Development)