CGE ANNUAL REPORT

2022/23 ANNUAL REPORT

Name of Commissioner

Strategic Objectives (SOs) 1-4 Progress Report

Strategic Objective One: To ensure thecreation and implementation of an enablinglegislative framework that promotes the attainment of Gender Equality.

Climate Change Bill: In May 2022, the CGE welcomed and had an opportunity to make inputs into the Climate Change Bill and reiterated theproposed sections under the Climate Change Bill. It is a well-known fact that climate change has detrimental effects, which can be felt in both theshort-term through natural hazards, such as landslides, and floods and in the long-term, through more gradual degradation of the environment. Furthermore, these adverse effects of such events are already felt in manyareas, including agriculture and food security, biodiversity and ecosystems; water resources; human health; human settlements and migration patterns, energy, and the transportation sector. Moreover, women face social, economic and barriers that limit theircoping capacity. First, women and men in rural areas are especially vulnerable when they are highly dependent on local natural resources fortheir livelihood. Those responsible for securing water, food, and fuel for cooking and heating face the most significant challenges. Secondly, when coupled with unequal access to resources and decision-making processes,limited mobility places women in rural areas in a position where they are disproportionately affected by climate change. It is thus essential to identify gender-sensitive strategies to respond to the environmental and humanitarian crises caused by climate change. Overall, the CGE submitted that the Bill in its current form did not echo anurge or need to take effective measures to prevent and mitigate the adverse effects and responses to disasters and climate change to ensure that the rights of women and girls were respected, protected and fulfilled. Health Regulation Bill: The Minister of Health in terms of Section 9 (1) (a)and (w) of the National Health Act, (Act No 61 of 2003), invited stakeholders to make comments or representation on the proposed regulations related to the Public Health Hazards that also have short and long-term detrimental effects to women and girls. On the 30 April 2022, the CGE made formal written submission to the Health Regulation Bill in relation to the impacts of the public health hazards and non-compliance to the Public Health Hazard Regulations.

Commissioner Mathebula

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