Mid Term Report - Gauteng Online

tion in the making of key development strategies isan essential element in building partnerships and inensuring vital broad support for government policiesand programme implementation.Residents’ participation in ward committees, schoolgoverning bodies and community policing forumshas been strengthened over the past few years, contributingto popular participation and the deepeningof democracy.Moral regenerationThe provincial government recognises that the buildingof a moral society is an important component ofdeepening democracy and making the constitution aliving reality. To this extent, the provincial governmenthas complemented its public sector initiatives onethics with a partnership with civil society through themoral regeneration programme. This has includedactive involvement in the Gauteng Moral RegenerationMovement (MRM), including providing supportto civil society in the development of a provincialMRM framework and programme of action.Mainstreaming targeted groupsPeople with disabilitiesThe provincial government recognises the vital roleof people with disabilities, as well as the need totake active steps to reverse discrimination and realisetheir rights. Measures have therefore been taken tomainstream the rights of people with disabilities. Theprovincial government has therefore paid particularattention to the pursuit of the rights of people with disabilitiesin all its planning, resourcing, programmesand projects. All GPG departments have taken intoaccount the needs of people with disabilities inensuring access to, and in the provision of, services.In addition, departments are bound to ensure thatthe systems, facilities and infrastructure that they areresponsible for do not discriminate against, or disadvantage,people with disabilities.The provincial government has a target of 4% peoplewith disabilities in the workforce by 2009. This targethas already been met by some departments.Furthermore, the Gauteng Broad-Based Black EconomicEmpowerment Strategy incorporates a PreferentialProcurement Policy which favours entrepreneurswith disabilities. At least 17 enterprises owned bypeople with disabilities have acquired provincialcontracts with a rand value of R 10 644 060. TheExpanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) prioritisespeople with disabilities in access to jobs, whilethe Gauteng Enterprise Propellor (GEP) also givesspecial attention to support for small businessesowned or managed by people with disabilities.More than 13 000 wheel chairs have been providedsince 1999 and assistance is provided to peoplewith disabilities in education and in entering thelabour market. In the provincial health infrastructure,the GPG has established devices to assist peoplewith disabilities.Bursaries are provided for artists with disabilities,whilst the Department of Social Development providesa range of services, including counselling andother social assistance for people with disabilities inneed.Women’s empowermentThe provincial government developed a policyframework to achieve gender mainstreaming and theempowerment of women, taking into account issuesraised by women themselves.The policy outlines the province’s vision of genderequality and aims to enhance government’s capacityto address gender development challenges. Alldepartments have dedicated gender empowermentprogrammes and projects that are adequatelyresourced. Interdepartmental and intergovernmentalforums drive the gender development agenda inthe province and have proven useful in setting therelevant gender mainstreaming agenda, as well asin monitoring and evaluation.In the context of enhancing participatory governance,a series of engagements with relevant stakeholderswere held throughout the province. Women’sdialogues involving women from a variety of civilsociety sectors and government were held to solicitdirectly from the women of the province the mostappropriate means to deliver on their developmentneeds.The objectives of the provincial Women’s Dialoguewere:• To facilitate a process for Gauteng womento engage and agree on a multi-stakeholderprogramme of action in at least three key issuesfacing the province namely:– Economic empowerment of women in thesecond economy– Protection and support in respect of violenceagainst women– Supporting women in the partnershipagainst HIV and AIDS, including care forfamilies and children infected and affectedby the epidemic.• To strengthen partnerships between government,the private sector, women’s organizations andother organizations at regional and provincial48 • Midterm Report - 2004/06