1. Multi Party Women’s Caucus
Presentation by National Treasury
2 November 2017

2. Contents Gender Responsive Budgeting
Update on no VAT exemption on sanitary products

3. Gender responsive budgeting
The South African budgeting system, strives to ensure gender redress by financing government programmes across all departments
Gender responsive budgeting is broader than a mere tallying of expenditure on women and girls in country budgets
Currently it is widely acknowledged that gender responsive budgeting is to be planned into the country budgeting process
In the 1990s civil society organisations worked on the Women’s Budget Initiative supported by the Joint Budget Committee in Parliament
Many countries have used various gender responsive budgeting tools over time, often linked to donor financing
These initiatives have since been abandoned as they have generally not attained the desired outcomes
However, it is encouraging that in India, gender responsive budgeting continues to be practiced. Key lessons for success must be learned from many country experiences.

4. Gender mainstreaming
Gender mainstreaming identifies gender patterns in society and aligns policies and expenditure to address prevailing gender-based inequalities. (i.e. interventions for women and men, girls and boys)
Gender aware performance planning upfront is vital, before gender responsive budgeting can have any impact – the gender dimension to be funded must be explicit

5. Eye on the Money (2014)
A lack of gender disaggregated data regarding programmes implemented hinders gender responsive budgeting. There is also no practiced coherent gender responsive budgeting policy framework
“while a sufficient budget is one of the conditions necessary for effective implementation, it is by no means the only requirement and cannot rectify limitations to the underlying conceptualisation of programmes”
Data collection and management is costly, and hence every effort needs to be made to ensure that as data is disaggregated by gender, this is done for the data that is significant and can demonstrate the gender effectiveness of programmes

6. Gender based spending in the data – 2017/18
Data on gender based spending not readily available, mainly included as sub-categories within existing budget allocations
A general query run on the 2017/18 financial information, using keywords including “gender, violence, women, prevention, victims” provided the data in the table below
The data is not gender specific in its presentation, as it provides for the full funding for identified programmes.
It mainly includes the social crime prevention programmes in SAPS and provincial security departments, and the victim empowerment programmes in national and provincial social development departments
Transfers are made to Non-Profit institutions for crime prevention and victim support
The bulk of spending by programmes is for compensation of employees

7. Gender responsive budgeting for the future
The Department of Women is leading National Treasury in further consultation processes
National Treasury would implement the government-endorsed gender responsive budgeting policy framework that is developed
Initially government programmes which will have the greatest gendered impact should be targeted – in terms of gender performance planning preceding its budgeting
Gender responsive programmes are undertaken across government departments and will be assessed for funding alongside all other programmes
Support for all government programmes is limited by the fiscal space and is subject to budget adjudication
Funding allocations in the budget process are guided by priorities stated in the NDP 2030, the 9 point plan for economic growth, the Industrial Policy Action Plan and other plans of government
These plans are expressed in Medium Term Strategic Framework plans and linked to departmental planning documents, including programmes with gendered impacts
Costed policies are submitted to the budget process, and are considered by various budget adjudication committees

8. Allocating budgets
Only programmes that were formally submitted by departments to National Treasury for consideration, can be funded. Ultimately proposals regarding funding go to Cabinet, after consideration of the Ministers’ Committee on the Budget
Programmes proposed for funding are assessed in terms of their government priority status, the impact they will make, as well as the department’s implementation readiness status – depending on fiscal space
Budget alignment to NDP objectives:
Many programmes including gender responsive ones
But the gender impact is not visible due to weaknesses of gender sensitive planning, gender sensitive indicators and targets
2015 directive that government flagship programmes for economic empowerment have an explicit gender dimension, should be extended

9. Gender mainstreaming
Significant progress has been made for women in business
However, challenges remain which require continuous efforts to improve

10. 60th Women’s Day Anniversary

11. Update on no VAT exemption on sanitary products
National Treasury last briefed Multi Party Women’s Caucus on 23 November 2016
National Treasury is part of the interdepartmental task team
The Department of Women is coordinating the task team and the intended policy response
Broad agreement in the task team to focus on indigent women and children in the immediate phase
Department of Women hosted a stakeholder meeting on 13 July 2017 with representatives from national departments, some provinces, NGOs and businesses.
Department of Women also hosted a workshop with provincial departments and provincial treasuries on 28 July 2017
Department of Women developed a policy framework for government’s policy response
Cabinet approved publishing policy framework for public comment on 18 Oct 2017

12. Proposed funding of sanitary products
Immediate focus-Funding through expenditure side
Government is responsible for the funding of sanitary products-through expenditure side
National and provincial departments will have to provide the necessary funding through the reprioritisation of budget allocations
The normal budget processes will apply to these programmes, therefore implementing departments and provinces will have to develop fiscally sound budget bids

13. initiatives taken by provinces
Eight provinces are already implementing programmes related to the provision of sanitary products, using reprioritised funds and/or entered into partnerships with other stakeholders .
The following provinces have provided this information on some of the initiatives on sanitary dignity – often in conjunction with other social relief programmes
Provinces
Allocated budget 2017/18
Province
Allocated budget (2017/18)
Eastern Cape
R1.2 million
Gauteng
R58 million (Includes other hygiene products)
Free State
R6 million
Kwa-Zulu Natal
R20 million
North West
R2.2 million

14. From the 2017 budget speech
“… allow me to commend the work of the inter-departmental task team led by the Department of Women that is coordinating government’s support for the provision of sanitary pads to indigent women, including learners and students. The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education is piloting the rollout of sanitary pads at schools, and I hope we will see complementary initiatives in other provinces.” - Minister of Finance, 27 February 2017
Commend and support work of the DoW and sister depts to date, and hope to continue with these fruitful discussions.

15. THANK YOU