Women Empowerment & Gender Equality

The former Office on the Status of Women (OSW) forms part of the newly created Ministry for Women, Children and People with Disabilities (MWCPD), which is responsible for promoting and realising the protection of women’s rights and for guiding the government in its efforts to achieve national and global gender equality goals.

The MWCPD also facilitates the implementation of international obligations on the rights of women, particularly those sets to which South Africa is a signatory. Its role entails cooperation with and formation of partnerships relating to the protection and promotion of gender equality.

Core Functions

• To create an enabling environment for translating government policy mandates into empowerment, advancement and socio-economic development programmes for women, and the transformation of gender relations
• To mainstream women’s empowerment and gender equality considerations in government policies, governance processes and programmes through the establishment of relevant structures, mechanisms and catalytic projects
• To facilitate, co-ordinate, oversee and report on the national gender equality programme – as well as those programmes which form part of South African regional, continental and international initiatives