budget speech 2010-2011 ministry of gender equality

8/9/2019 Budget Speech 2010-2011 Ministry of GENDER Equality

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BUDGET SPEECH

2010/2011

BY

HON. DOREEN SIOKA (MP)

MINISTRY OF GENDER EQUALITYAND CHILD WELFARE


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Honourable Deputy Chairperson of the Whole House

Committee, Honourable Members of this August House,

First and foremost I would like to thank and congratulate

H.E. the founding father for turning 81 years old today.

Comrade Father of the Nation, we recognize and

appreciate the excellent work you have done for this

country. No man or woman will fit in your shoes, they are

trying but they end up in failures I wish you more years to

come. Happy Birthday Papa Nujoma.

In the same spirit, allow me to thank H.E. Hifikepunye

Pohamba, the President of the Republic of Namibia for

appointing me to lead the peoples ministry with the

assistance of my Deputy, Cde Angelika Muharukua and

the entire staff of the ministry. We will endeavor to workhard as a team to carry out the task entrusted to us.

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Allow me also to congratulate the Honourable Minister of

Finance, Comrade Sara Kuugongelwa-Amathila, her

Deputy Minister and her entire team as well as the

Director General of National Planning Commission for

the National Budget presented in this August House.

Hon. Deputy Chairperson

Hon. Members

Let me now take the house through the budget allocations

of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare

The total Operational Budget requested is: N$467,647,000

Four Hundred and Sixty Seven Million Six Hundred

and Forty Seven Thousand Namibian Dollars

The Development Budget needs N$54,012,000: Fifty

Four Million and Twelve Thousand Namibian Dollars

forthe following Capital Projects:

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Outapi Craft Center; Aminius Community Center; Rundu

Recreation Center; Construction (Phase II),

Renovation/Construction of Ministerial Headquarters

(Juvenis building), Renovation of Regional and

Constituency Offices, Epako Women Center Construction

and Keetmanshoop Recreation Center.

Hon. Chairperson let me introduce the different

programmes as articulated in the Medium Term Plan of

Vote 12 Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare:

Program 1

CHILD WELFARE:

This programme in the Medium Term Plan constitutes ofSocial Allowances and Welfare Programmes. With

additional staff members to be appointed at National,

Regional and Constituency levels, we will be able to deal

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with the escalating number and needs of Orphans and

Vulnerable Children in the country.

In an attempt to ensure that the rights of children are

upheld and protected, the following has been embarked

upon:

1. OVC Permanent Task Force (PTF)

The PTF on OVC have successfully met every quarter as

planned in 2009. Its wide composition of representation

consist of government ministries, NGOs, civil society,

and it is functional at national and regional levels. Social

Workers also attend these meetings. The Regional Social

Workers are responsible for information sharing at

regional and constituency levels at OVC forum meetings.

The Ministry managed to establish regional OVC forumsin all 13 regions and in all 107 Constituencies in the

country.

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with a total of five hundred and fifty (550) participants

trained. Forty two (42) training workshops will be carried

out at national and regional levels during this financial

year.

3. Transport

There is a serious need to purchase minibuses to transport

the children at Namibia Childrens Home and the After

School Center. All the regions need at least a 4x4 vehicle

to enable them to reach the needy children in the most

remote areas.

4. Social Grants

These are in the form of Maintenance Grants, Foster

Parent Grants and Special Maintenance Grants for

children with disabilities. One hundred and eleventhousand, six hundred and twenty four (111,624) OVC are

now benefiting from these grants compared to March

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2009 when only ninety nine thousand, four hundred and

ninety (99 490) OVC were benefitting.

The Ministry has developed minimum standards for

Residential Child Care Facilities (RCCF) and is currently

busy registering them. Forty four (44) RCCF countrywide

has been registered out of which nineteen (19) met the

minimum standards while twenty five (25) did not meet

the requirements. The Ministry is assisting these RCCF to

meet the requirement so that they can be registered to

receive subsidy.

5. Namibia Childrens Home and After School Centre

The Ministry has a Childrens Home in Eros, Windhoek,

for children in need of care. Currently it caters for one

hundred and twenty four (124) children and covers theirdaily maintenance and education for 2010/11 financial

year.

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The After School Centre provides after-school activities to

children at risk and children on the streets. With the

financial support from UNESCO, the centre offers

computer classes and training, on income generating

activities to parents of those children who are involved in

the programme.

The total budgeted amount needed for program one is:

(N$470,470, 000) Four Hundred and Seventy Million,

Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand Namibian

Dollars for 2010/11 financial year.

Programme 2

GENDER EQUALITY:

This programme is charged with the responsibility of

promoting gender equality and women empowerment.

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Following is the outline of activities which will be

implemented during the period under review:

1. National Gender Policy and National Gender Plan

of Action

The 1997 National Gender Policy was reviewed and

adopted by Parliament in March 2010. Printing,

translation and popularization of the National Gender

Policy will be carried out during this financial year. The

National Gender Plan of Action will also be developed.

2. National Gender Mainstreaming Program

Gender sensitization awareness

During the 2009/10 financial year, 1154 females and eight

hundred and fifty three (853) males were reached throughGender sensitization awareness. Motivational talks for

schools and out of school young people were conducted,

to sensitize and equip them with knowledge about gender

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and sex. Other important gender issues were also

discussed in which two thousand four hundred and thirty

five (2,435) females and one thousand nine hundred and

eighty seven (1,987) males took part. This is an ongoing

program and in this financial year the same workshops

will be conducted in all 13 regions.

Legal Literacy Awareness on Gender Based Laws

This is an ongoing program and in 2009 three (3)

networking workshops with NDF women soldiers took

place. Eighty five (85) women soldiers were trained on

UN Resolution 1325, the African Charter on Peoples

Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa and other gender

based laws. In addition, thirty four (34) community

paralegals were sensitized on gender related laws and the

Namibian Constitution during 2009/10. This sensitizationempowered participants to provide correct information to

their communities and direct them to various institutions

where they can find help. During the 2010/11 financial

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year, the simplification, translation and printing of the UN

Resolution 1325 is underway and refresher paralegal

trainings in all 13 regions will be conducted.

Strengthening Response of Leadership to Gender

HIV/AIDS, Reproductive Health and Poverty

Issues

This is an ongoing activity targeting Members of the

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources,

Social and Community Development with the main

objective to share information and sensitize them on the

linkages between Gender and HIV/AIDS, gender based

violence and poverty. Through this activity MPs interact

with service providers and beneficiaries to document

achievements and challenges faced in implementing

government policies and programs at grassroots, and toenhance the MPs capacity to mainstream gender in their

parliamentary debates and discussions. During this

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financial year the activity will be expanded to include

more MPs.

Training for Gender Focal Points (GFPs)

Forty-eight (48) Gender Focal Points were trained in 2009

in basic gender skills to facilitate the process of gender

mainstreaming in various sectors. Advanced gender

training, establishment of a data bank and the appointment

of more GFPs is planned for this financial year.

Gender Analysisof sector policies

Theanalysis was undertaken for the Education sector and

is now expanded to the Health and Agricultural sectors.

Gender Responsive Budgeting

Government made strong commitments to eliminatepoverty and in particular to promote gender equality and

womens empowerment for sustainable development.

During 2010/11 the Ministry with support from UNDP

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will be expanded to include other forms of gender based

violence such as rape.

Shelters/Places of safety for victims/survivors of

GBV

Shelters have been identified and currently being

renovated in all regions. In the 2010/11 financial year

training of key service providers such as social workers,

police officers, immigration officers, and excise officers

will be conducted. The National Gender Based Violence

(GBV) Plan of Action will also be finalized this financial

year.

16 Days of Activism against GBV

This is an annual activity commemorated every year from

25 November and culminates into the commemoration of10 December which is the International Human Rights

Day and also Namibian Womens Day.

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The amount budgeted for Gender Equality program two

is: Twelve Million Three Hundred and Fourteen

Thousand Namibia Dollars (N$12,314,000) for the 2010

financial year.

Programme 3

COMMUNITY AND INTEGRATED EARLY

CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT:

This programme is tasked with the responsibility to

mobilize, activate and sensitize as well as motivate the

communities to take an active role towards self

development. Through mobilization meetings, community

members especially disadvantaged rural and urban

community are sensitised to identify their developmentneeds and find solutions to those needs. For the past

financial year mobilization meetings reached a total

number of 2,744 people. For this financial year we are

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aiming to conduct two hundred and sixty (260)

mobilization meetings targeting at least 5,200 people.

Income Generating Activities (IGAs)

The Ministry manage a grant scheme that supports small

scale innovative ideas to generate income for community

members especially women. IGAs go a long way to

provide income mostly to rural and needy urban

communities who partake in these activities. IGAs also

play a role in promoting employment opportunities and

immensely contribute to combating poverty.

In 2009, a total number of six hundred and fifty (650)

applications for grants were received from all the regions.

Seventy eight (78) projects were and recommended for

funding. The majority of these IGAs are managed by

women, thereby benefitting children, immediate andextended family members.

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Participation in local and International Trade

Fairs

The Ministry sponsored 15 projects to participate in local

trade fairs at Ongwediva, Okakarara, Windhoek and

Katima trade fairs. Also, during 2009, the ministry jointly

with Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry and the

Ministry of Trade and Industry sponsored a delegation of

16 entrepreneurs to attend the Malaysia International Food

and Beverage Fair.

This trade fair provided an opportunity for Namibian

entrepreneurs to learn about the possibilities of different

methods of food processing, food preservation and value

addition. Other local and international fairs also provide

opportunities for exposure and business networking. For

the current financial year 2010/11 the ministry is planningto sponsor five participants to participate in international

trade fairs while sixty five (65) entrepreneurs will

participate in local trade fairs.

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Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD)

Integrated Early Childhood Development programme is

very important as it plays a crucial role to child

development and later years of learning. Thus, the

Ministry is responsible for ensuring that communities are

mobilized to establish community-based ECD

Centres/kindergartens, ensure the implementation of the

IECD Policy, discuss the importance of ECD with

communities, promote equitable access to IECD services,

support community efforts by training ECD caregivers,

provide construction materials for ECD centers, equip

ECD centers with educational materials as well as in-door

and out-door equipments.

National, Regional and Constituency IECD

Committee meetingsThe Ministry established a National ECD committee in

each region.

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ECD Curriculum & Training of caregivers

ECD Curriculum has been finalized and training of

caregivers commenced in Oshana, Omusati and Oshikoto

regions. Sixty (60) caregivers were trained on various

areas of child development, which are: health care and

nutrition, safety, working with children, art & creative

activities and so forth. The ministry planned to train

hundred and eighty (180) ECD caregivers (30 per region)

in six (6) regions (Oshana, Omusati, Oshikoto, Omaheke,

Erongo and Hardap regions) for this financial year.

The amount requires for program three is: Thirty Eight

Million Eight Hundred and Seventy Five Thousand

Namibian Dollars (N$38,875,000).

Honourable Deputy ChairpersonHonourable Members of this August House,

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It is now my humble honor to request this August House

to approve the Ministrys budget request for 2010/11

financial year to the tune of only (N$521,659,000) Five

Hundred Twenty One Million Six Hundred and Fifty

Nine Thousand

I Thank You

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budget speech 2010-2011 ministry of gender equality

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