1. Monitoring report on employment equity
27 February 2018

2. Outline of presentation
Introduction
Reporting requirements
Submission of plans and reports for the implementation of the Gender Equality Strategic Framework in the Public Service
Overall Findings on the analysis of the 2017 GESF Reports
Submission of the Public Service Women Management Week Reports
Overall Findings on the analysis of the 2016 PSWMW Reports
Submission of Sexual Harassment reports
Overall Findings of the analysis of the 2017 Sexual Harassment reports
Support given to departments
Status in the representation of women at SMS
National and provincial status
Compliance with meeting the 50% target per province as at 31 December 2017
What DPSA has done to support meeting of equity targets

3. Introduction
After the democratic elections in 1994, South Africa inherited an Administration that was fragmented as under apartheid they had been structured as Homelands (Lebowa, QwaQwa, Bophuthatswana, KwaZulu, KaNgwane, Transkei, Ciskei, Gazankulu, Venda and KwaNdebele) with 638 599 employees (Picard, 2005:293) and Apartheid South Africa’s official four provinces (the Transvaal, the Orange Free State, Natal and the Cape) with 60 352 to bring the whole number to 698 951 (Picard 2005:301). In 1992, a survey of senior public servants in South Africa showed that 80% of them were Afrikaans- speaking and 77% supported the National Party (Picard, 2005:302). There were only two black persons in senior management albeit, at the lowest level in the Department of Finance.
Fitzgerald described the apartheid state as a ‘bureaucratic, law-driven, hierarchical, multi-layered, departmentally fragmented, inward-oriented, racial oligarchy’ (1995:514). There was lack of representativity, accountability and transparency; staff was inadequately skilled and thus poorly paid and demotivated; conflicting labour relations and centralized control and top down management (1995: ). Further to that, employment, progression and salaries were marked by inequalities along racial and sexual lines (White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service of 1995, 1995). Therefore the Public Service lacked credibility in the eyes of the majority of the people that it served. The first step that the new democratic government took was to introduce the Public Service Act of 1994 in order to create a unified national public service.
The White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service of 1995 identified a need to “create a genuinely representative public service which reflects the major characteristics of the South African demography, without eroding efficiency and competence.” This was translated by the commitment made by the Government of National Unity to “continually improve the lives of the people of South Africa through a transformed public service which is representative, coherent, transparent, efficient, effective, accountable and responsive to the needs of all” (WPTPS 1995: 6).

4. Introduction cont…
Restoring legitimacy and credibility was done through a broadly representative Public Service which from the outset became a key to the transformation process.
Demands by blacks and women for inclusion in decision making and sharing of wealth in the workplace became a reality (Smith & Cronje, 2002: 237). However, the dilemma that the new Public Service faced was how to facilitate the entry of Black people, women and people with disabilities, who were excluded from many jobs on the basis of apartheid, into jobs that were occupied by other people (who have felt they were entitled for a long time)? What could the new government do to satisfy the Black people whose majority vote put it into power? On the other hand, whatever the new government did it had to be careful not to create the feeling among other racial groups that they have fallen out of favour with the new government (Adams, 2000). It was a catch 22 situation, or simply put, “ke kgomo ya moshate wa e gapa o molato, wa e tlogela o molato”.
The premise of dealing with this challenge was anchored in the understanding that the basic concept of Diversity Management accepts that the workforce consists of a diverse population of people who have visible and non-visible differences which include factors such as age, sex, background, race, disability, personality and work style. It is founded on the premise that harnessing these differences will create a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, where their talents are being fully utilised and in which organisational goals are met (Kandola & Fullerton, 1998).
Lastly, the provisions of Chapter 10 (s 195[1]) of the Constitution of the Republic, called for Public Administration to be governed by the democratic values and principles enshrined in the constitution, including the following principles:
Public administration must be broadly representative of the South African people, with employment and personnel management practices based on ability, objectivity, fairness, and the need to redress the imbalances of the past to achieve broad representation

5. Annual DPSA reporting requirements from departments
Departments submit Gender Equality Strategic Framework Implementation Plan annually to the DPSA (28 February)
Departments submit Gender Equality Strategic Framework Implementation Plan Report annually to the DPSA (28 February)
Departments submit the annual PSWMW Report by 31 October
Departments submit the annual sexual harassment report to DPSA by 30 April

6. Reporting requirements based on the GESF
Annually on the 28th of February departments submit plans and reports on the implementation of the GESF framework. The template is based on the following indicators:
Strategic Objective 1: Adopt a wide set of options for capacity development in order to achieve women’s empowerment and gender equality for the creation of a non-sexist state
Sub-Objective 1: Develop knowledge of legal and strategic framework & mandates at a national & global level with regard to gender:
National Development Plan: Vision for 2030
South African National Policy Framework for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality of 2000.
The SADC Gender protocol
Beijing Platform for Action
The African Union Agenda 2063
CEDAW
Sub-Objective 2: Develop knowledge of policies related to women’s empowerment & gender equality
Sub-Objective 3: Create a leadership pipeline through which women can be capacitated & developed for upward mobility, including through the establishment of programmes for leadership development such as bursaries, mentorships, internships and ADP

7. Reporting requirements based on the GESF
Strategic Objective 2: Adopt a wide set of options for organizational support in order to promote women’s empowerment and gender equality
Sub-Objective 1: Create an organizational culture which is gender sensitive and which also ensures attitudes and mind-shifts
Sub-Objective 2: Provide adequate resources to deal with issues of gender particularly women with disabilities
Sub-Objective 3: : Mainstreaming of gender in strategic plans, MTEF, cluster & sector plans & gender responsive budgeting
Sub-Objective 4: Focus on sexual harassment, workplace gender based violence, work-life balance, provision of child care facilities:
In addition to the progress made on planned activities, please also provide the following:
Existence of child care policies, transport policies, etc

8. Reporting requirements based on the GESF
Strategic Objective 3: Adopt a wide set of options for governance and institutional development in order to promote women’s empowerment and gender equality
Sub-Objective 1: Institutionalize the HODs 8-Principle action plan
Sub-Objective 2: Establish gender management systems and institutional mechanisms:
In addition to the progress made on planned activities, please also provide the following:
Is there a Unit coordinating gender management in the department?
How many staff member in the Unit? PLEASE INDICATE THEIR LEVELS!
Please give their primary responsibilities according to their job descriptions?
How much is the budget allocated to the Unit?
Sub-Objective 3: Affirmative Action, special measures and women manager’s forum to achieve 50% representation of women at all levels of SMS:
What Affirmative Action/special measures exist?
Sub-Objective 4:M&E, reporting, gender audits, disaggregated data, gender analysis:
Are gender indicators in the department included in the M&E process? PLEASE EXPLAIN!
Has the department conducted any gender analysis? WHAT WERE THE FINDINGS!
Do you have disaggregated information?

9. Reporting requirements based on the GESF
Strategic Objective 4: Adopt a wide set of options for economic growth and development in order to promote women’s empowerment and gender equality:
Sub-Objective 1: Focus on women’s economic empowerment in various policies and economic development programmes:
In addition to the progress made on planned activities, please also provide the following:
Give information in a disaggregated manner according to youth, rural and urban women and older women and women with disabilities.
Sub-Objective 2: Partnerships:
What kind of partnerships have been successfully established?
Sub-Objective 3: Programmes for poverty alleviation for women, including women in rural areas, young and older women and girl children & women with disabilities:
Please indicate the programmes identified.

10. Number of departments that submitted plans and reports on frameworks in 2016 and 2017
Province
Year
GESF Plans
GESF Reports
Eastern Cape
2016
02/13
07/13
2017
05/13
08/13
Free State
05/12
08/12
06/12
Gauteng
11/14
11/12
13/14
Kwa-Zulu Natal
04/14
Limpopo
03/12
07/12
Mpumalanga
09/12
12/12
North West
10/12
 37/54
Northern Cape
Western Cape
13/13
11/13
National Departments
27/54
33/54
TOTAL 78 99
120
129

11. Overall Findings of the analysis of the GESF Reports
Training programmes implemented in departments are attended by more women than men (women make up 63% of the Public Service workforce)
The training reported on included leadership development, but in previously male dominated fields more men attended skills courses that would have benefitted women more to transform that sector.
Disaggregation of data was sometimes not provided to determine if women were benefitting in the various programmes implemented by departments.
Departments reported on several Affirmative Action programmes implemented for redress, including retention, training, ring-fencing and head hunting.
Departments have developed sector policies, but they are unable to show how gender responsive those policies are, they will just list them without the reflection of the impact of the implementation.
Creation of an enabling environment is still a challenge in the Public Service, very few departments are able to report on policies that support parents with small children.
A vast number of departments have established gender units, mostly headed at Chief Director Levels. There is no uniformity in staffing and technical expertise. For this reason this does not translate into better mainstreaming of gender in departments

12. Overall Findings of the analysis of the GESF Reports
Gender units and focal points still not in the Office of the DG/HOD as provided for by the National Policy Framework on the Empowerment of Women and Gender Equality. Due to this, the GFPs do not have impact on the departmental business
Departments struggle to report on the economic empowerment of women and yet all departments should have information on how the Supply Chain Management processes have benefited both men and women.
Most reports only reported on the budgets that were allocated to the gender unit, not what the whole departmental budget has benefitted women, young women and women with disabilities
Departments reported having an array of forums that are meant to deal with issues of gender and women’s empowerment, more especially for women at MMS, but this does not translate into filling the equity gaps at SMS levels.
Very few departments reported on gender indicators being included in the departmental strategic and annual performance plans.
Very few departments reported on the monitoring and evaluation process that had gender indicators.

13. Submission of the Public Service Women Management Week Reports
The Public Service Women Management Week was launched at the first Public Service Gender Indaba in 2008 by the Minister for Public Service and Administration. Each year, every Department has to arrange a meeting for women Senior Managers during the last week of August to discuss the Head of Department (HOD) 8-Principle Plan of Action for Promoting Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality within the Public Service Workplace. The meeting has to be chaired by the Head of Department. The purpose of the programme is to bring together women managers to discuss pertinent issues such as barriers to advancement, advances made by women and challenges that hinder them; Working towards providing growth and development on issues that affect women in the world of work today; Strengthening the management/leadership capacity of women and promote economic development; Building strategic alliances, coalitions and affiliations that are empowering.
This meeting is used to monitor the implementation of the HODs 8-Principle Plan of Action for Promoting Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality within the Public Service Workplace.
The HODs 8-Principle Plan of Action for Promoting Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality within the Public Service Workplace, 2007: The Minister for Public Service and Administration, hosted senior managers at a roundtable discussion on gender mainstreaming in the public service in Pretoria on the 27 August 2007 to launch Head of Department (HOD) 8-Principle Plan of Action for Promoting Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality within the Public Service Workplace. She also presented to each head of department a framed copy that would serve as a sign of commitment by the departmental head to the advancement of women in the workplace. The principles were aimed at placing the responsibility of implementing the gender programme in the office of the DG/HOD as provided for in South Africa’s National Policy Framework for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality, The principles impress on the DG/HOD to establish policy mechanisms, provide adequate resources, implement capacity development, mainstream gender, ensure the achievement of equity targets and monitor the gender programmes in the department.

14. Submission of the Public Service Women Management Week Reports from 2012-2016

15. Overall findings from the analysis of the 2016 PSWMW reports
Transformation for non-sexism
Departments struggled to report progress on efforts made to promote and protect human dignity and human rights of women, including women with disabilities.
Departments confined themselves to issues of sexual harassment and provision of reasonable accommodation and assistive devices in this area.
The few that reported on audits and workshops on various transformation topics do not consistently measure how these interventions are changing attitudes and behaviours.
The most noted improvement was that for the first time, the few departments that provided details of the topics covered in the sessions, included the rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning and Intersex, which recognises diversity.
Establishing a policy environment 
Departments could not report on progress made in terms of the implementation of national policies using implementation guidelines on women’s empowerment and gender equality, through the development of departmental and sector-specific guidelines and standard operating procedures.
The Public Service has adequate policies to advance women, but implementation is inconsistent and sometimes lacking.
Many departments that developed or reviewed policies were unable to report what issues were engendered in those policies.
It seems easier for departments to develop new policies than to implement existing ones effectively.

16. Overall findings from the analysis of the 2016 PSWMW reports
Meeting of equity targets
Most departments that have met Employment Equity targets in the past, failed to maintain their status.
Departments are not establishing measures to ensure that they meet targets and retain them, despite many departments reporting that they have EE Plans, where AA measures should be articulated.
Only a few departments reported having women with disabilities at SMS level. The highest number was in National Departments and Gauteng province.
Creating an enabling environment
42% of the Gender focal points in departments are headed by members at SMS levels (see Annexure C). The highest coordination was at DDG level at the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in KwaZulu Natal. In Limpopo 11 Gender focal point units are headed by directors, with the exception of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture which is headed by a Deputy Director. In Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape there is no department where Gender focal points are coordinated at SMS level. The location of these units are predominately in HR/Corporate Services, Employee Health and Wellness, Transformation and Special Programmes. In eight departments in Free State, these units are located in the HoD’s or MEC’s office. Gauteng has its own special arrangement where these units are called, Gender, Youth and Disability (GEYODI) Units. An interesting observation is that in Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape where the units are not headed at SMS level, performance in these provinces is very poor, while in the Eastern Cape and the Free State the location of the units in HoD’s and MEC’s offices does not seem to make any difference on overall performance.

17. Overall findings from the analysis of the 2016 PSWMW reports
Gender Mainstreaming
Departments struggled to report on progress made to incorporate a gender perspective/ mainstream gender into all the planning tools, policies, different programmes, projects and monitoring tools.
This principle remains the weakest in all departments. Gender Mainstreaming is not part of departmental plans and if the situation is not addressed, gender equality will remain elusive, not only in the Public Service, but in the country as a whole.
Only a handful of departments have reported having gender incorporated in their departmental plans. The majority reported on having workshops and sessions, which cannot be the only mechanisms to achieve mainstreaming.
Many departments confuse employment equity with gender mainstreaming which shows that the understanding of the concept is still an issue.
Despite departments reporting annually that officials attend the Gender Mainstreaming Course at the NSG, there is no improvement in how departments mainstream gender issues.
Empowerment
More than 90% of the departments could report on capacity development initiatives or interventions undertaken for women’s advancement and gender equality in their departments.
This principle was the easiest to report on for departments. Reports showed that women are benefitting from bursaries, internships, learnerships, chairing of workplace committees and leadership development training, but unfortunately this does not translate into women getting promoted into SMS positions.
In areas that have been male dominated in the past, for example board memberships, women were still under-represented.
Some departments were unable to provide disaggregated data of beneficiaries in empowerment programmes and this makes it impossible to assess whether women are benefitting or not.

18. Overall findings from the analysis of the 2016 PSWMW reports
Providing adequate resources
Departments struggled to report on the human, physical and financial resources available in the department for advancing gender equality or whether the resources were centralized, sufficient and mainstreamed through all programmes.
Most departments could only confine their reports to lack of budgets and human resources without reflecting what was available.
Reports showed that departments cannot confidently say how much of their budgets have benefitted women.
Accountability, Monitoring & Evaluation
Most departments cannot report on interventions implemented to ensure ownership of, full responsibility and accountability and reporting on advancing gender equality in their departments.
Very few departments could indicate who was responsible for what and how the HoD and Senior Managers in the department support and drive interventions to advance gender equality in their departments.
Reports indicated that the Gender programme is still not being treated as a priority by HoDs, since very few PSWMW Meetings were chaired by HODs. Compliance in this standard dropped from 75% in 2012 to 66% in 2016.

19. Submission of Sexual Harassment reports
A joint global poll by Reuters/Ipsos conducted in 2010 has found that sexual harassment in the workplace affects one in ten workers worldwide.
The discovery that senior employers pester up to one worker in ten for sex has shocked employment experts.
12,000 people from 24 countries took part in the survey and results varied widely depending on what country the workers came from.
Workers in India reported the most sexual harassment where 26% of workers said that they had been sexually harassed. They were followed by workers in China with 18% reporting sexual harassment, Saudi Arabia 16%, Mexico 13% and South Africa 10%.
The countries where workers are least likely to be sexually harassed at work are France and Sweden where only 3% of workers said that they had been sexually harassed by a boss.
A 2007 study by the Public Service Commission found that there was a need for a Public Service wide policy on the management of Sexual Harassment to ensure a systematic approach to handle such cases.
The policy was approved in 2013 and it was accompanied by a reporting template that is submitted to the DPSA on the 31st of April annually.

20. Submission of Sexual Harassment reports in 2016 and 2017
Province
Number that submitted reports in 2016
Number that submitted reports in 2017
Eastern Cape
01/13
Free State
09/12
12/12
Gauteng
9/14
13/14
KwaZulu- Natal
11/14
Limpopo
04/12
10/12
Mpumalanga
06/12
05/12
North West
02/12
Northern Cape
Western Cape
12/13
13/13
National Departments 11 32
Total 69
121

21. Overall Findings from the analysis of the 2017 sexual harassment reports
125 departments submitted reports on the implementation of Policy and Procedures on the Management of Sexual Harassment in the Public Service (PPMSH)
All departments that reports indicated that they have approved policies or drafts and several reported that they have adopted the PPMSH.
Communication of sexual harassment policies is done through several mediums in departments, through workshops, newsletters, pamphlets, the intranet, etc.
Analysis of reports show that there are not many cases reported in departments; those that are reported are resolved within 90 days; some of the sanctions were as serious as dismissal and in some cases the perpetrators resigned before the cases were finalised (see attached report).
The disaggregation of data of employees who attended sensitisation workshops shows that very few senior managers attend the sessions.

22. Support given to departments
Dates
National /provincial
Type of support
NSG
02/05/2017
National
Development of Policy on Reasonable Accommodation and Assistive Devices (PRAAD)
Limpopo Dept of Transport
17/05/2017
Provincial
Discussion on DPSA Compliance requirements
Dept. Art & Culture
 02/06/2017
 National
Presentation on DPSA Compliance requirements
Limpopo Dept. Provincial Treasury
 19/06/2017
 Provincial
 Development of 8-Principle Action Plan
KZN Provincial Legislature
 06/07/2017
 KZN Provincial Compliance presentation
Limpopo Dept. Agriculture and Rural Development
 03/08/2017
Facilitation of Gender Mainstreaming workshop
Limpopo Dept. Economic Development, Environment and Tourism
 04/08/2017
 Presentation on DPSA expectations on Gender Mainstreaming
KZN Legislature
08/09/2017
KZN Provincial Compliance presentation to Heads of Departments
Office of the Premier KZN
12/09/2017
OTP - Celebration of Women and Valuing Diversity Event
Department of Social Development
05/10/2017
Discussion on government disaggregated data
Department of Economic Development
27/10/2017
Workshop on the Policy and Procedure on the Management of Sexual Harassment in the Public Service
Department of Telecommunication and Postal Services
09/11/2017
Reasonable accommodation request by an SMS member in the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services (DTPS)
Department of Planning Monitoring and Evaluation
21/11/2017
Workshop
NDP and SDGS alignment and tools for long term visioning
Department of Home Affairs
21-22/11/2017
Gender Mainstreaming workshop
22/11/2017
ICT Disability Chamber Meeting
01/12/2018
Establishment of Youth Directorates
Department of Tourism
05/12/2017
Capacity Building Workshop (Persons with Disabilities and the workplace)
Department of Public Service Commission
24/01/2018
Implementation of Gender Equality; and JobAccess Strategic Framework
Provincial Treasury Free State
01/02/2018
Discussion of the Study on Gender Responsiveness Budget
Department of Trade and Industry
13/02/2018
Discussions on Reasonable Accommodation matters

23. Status in the representation of women at SMS as at 31 December 2017
As at 31 December 2017 there were SMS positions filled in the Public Service
There were women (41.5%) and men (59.5%)
Africans were (72.7%) women (41.4%) and men (58.6%)
Asian were 653 (6.5%), women 275 (42.1%) and men 378 (57.9%)
Coloured were 801 (8%),women 321 (40%) and men 480 (60%)
White were (12.6%), women 523 (41.9%) and men 725 (58.1%)
Young people at SMS levels were 337 (3.4%), young women were 234 (69.4%) and young men 100 (30.6%)
At level 13 of SMS there were employees, 2 936(42.3%) women and (57.7%) men
At level 14 of SMS there were employees, 938 (40.6%) women and (59.3%) men
At level 15 there were 533 employees, 206 (38.6%) women and 327 (61.3%) men
At level 16 there were 135 employees, 38 (28.1%) women and 97 (71.8%) men

24. National and provincial status
Province
December 2015
December 2016
December 2017
Gauteng
44.6%
44.7%
44.8%
KwaZulu Natal
41.5%
42.5%
42.8%
National departments
41.6%
42.2%
42.4%
Eastern Cape
40.9%
41.2%
41.7%
Western Cape
37.6%
39.3%
41.3%
Limpopo
37.4%
37.3%
North West
36.8%
39.1%
Free State
34.1%
36.3%
Mpumalanga
36.6%
35.7%
37%
Northern Cape
34.9%

25. Compliance with meeting the 50% equity target per province
Status EC FS GP
KZN
LMP
MPU
NAT NW NC WC
TOTAL
December 2016
Number of departments that met the 50% target 3 1 2 6 22
Number of departments between 40-49% 11 4 19 50
Number of departments between 30-39% 5 16 7 59
Number of departments below 30%
December 2017 9 28 67
Number of departments between 30-39 12 46 21

26. No Department has met the 50% target
Compliance with meeting the 50% target per province as at 31 December 2017
Province
Department
Female
Male
Total
% for female
 Eastern Cape
Human Settlements 25 21 46
54.3%
Social Development 20 19 39
51.2%
Free State 15 14 29
51.7%
Gauteng
Office of the Premier 34 73
53.4% 40
62.5%
Sports, Arts, Culture & Recreation
Kwazulu-Natal 16 31
51.6%
Limpopo
Safety, Security and Liaison 6 12
50% 13 8
61.9%
Mpumalanga
Provincial Treasury 11 10
52.3% 18
55.5%
National Departments
Arts and Culture 50
National School of Government 23
Small Business Development 41
Women 35
57.1%
North West
Community Safety and Transport Management
Economy and Enterprise Development 7 4
63.6%
Tourism
53.3%
 Northern Cape
 No Department has met the 50% target
Western Cape
Economic Development and Tourism
Health 65
52%

27. Departments with less than 30% representation of women at SMS: 31 December 2017
PROVINCE
DEPARTMENTS
FEMALE
MALE
TOTAL
% for Female
2016
2017
Eastern Cape (1)
Education 12 15 40 36 52 51
23%
29.4%
Free State (4) 6 24 30
20%
Police, Roads and Transport 7 23 25 29 32
20.6%
21.8%
Provincial Treasury 19 18 26
26.9%
25%
 Cooperative Governance and Traditional A 10 28 38
26.3%
Gauteng (0)
 No Department below 30%
Kwazulu-Natal (0)
Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (above 30 in 2017) 9 11 22 20 31
29%
35.4%
Limpopo (3)
Transport
24.1%
Agriculture and Rural Development 37
29.7%
 Sport, Arts and Culture 5 13
27.7%
Mpumalanga (2)
Culture, Sport and Recreation 2 1 8
22%
12.5%
Economic Development and Tourism 3
12%
13.6%
North West (2)
Education and Sport Development 21
27.5% 
Public Works and Roads 27
29.6% 
Northern Cape (5)
Co-operative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs
22.2%
Roads and Public Works
20.8%
Sport, Arts and Culture
27.2%
Transport, Safety and Liaison
25% 
 Health
29.6%
Western Cape (
Environmental Affairs and Development Planning
Local Government 4 16 14
28.5%
National Departments
No Department below 30%

28. What DPSA has done to support meeting of equity targets
The Gender Equality Strategic Framework became operational in April 2009 and during that year sensitisation workshops on the framework were held for provincial and national departments
The Gender Equality Strategic Framework in the Public Service has as one of its points of focus women’s increased access to management and leadership.
The DPSA in the financial years produced a Gender Mainstreaming Report which helped to gain insight into the extent to which the Public Service has gone to mainstream gender.
The Gender Equality Framework has institutionalised the Head of Department’s 8-Principle Action Plan for Promoting Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality within the Public Service Workplace which were launched in To track the implementation of the Principles, the Public Service Women Management Week offers departments an opportunity to monitor themselves by observing the Public Service Women Management Week at the end of August each year. Departments were expected to start observing the Women Management Week in August 2008 and report upon progress to the DPSA.

29. What DPSA has done to support meeting of equity targets
The policy on Reasonable Accommodation and Assistive Devices which is set to create uniformity in approach has been approved; it is now accompanied by a Directive which gives it more authority.
DPSA is still giving support to departments with regard to compliance to legislation promoting mainstreaming of gender (see slide 5).
The strengthening of the implementation of the Gender Equality Strategic Framework (GESF). Departments submit plans and reports annually on the 28th of February.
Departments that have not yet met the 50% targets are required to develop remedial plans to show how they will address the gaps.
From April 2018, HOD have as part of the Performance Agreements a commitment on meeting of equity targets
Departments that have met both targets are required to develop retention and maintenance plans to guard against losing the targets.
The Public Service Women Management Week programme holds meetings once a year that is chaired by the HOD to monitor the implementation of the HODs 8-Principle Plan of Action for Promoting Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality within the Public Service Workplace, 2007 and come up with ways that departments can strengthen gender mainstreaming and equality.
An accredited training course based on the GESF was developed with the National School of Government in 2008.