Disability and Gender Focal Units (DFU) have been established in both national and provincial departments. About 10 of the provincial departments of the Western Cape Government, as well as the Office of the Director-General have initiated the formation of Departmental Disability and Gender Focal Units. These Units form a link between the Office for the status of Disabled People (OSDP), the Western Cape Office for the Status of Women for Gender Equality (OSW) and the various Departments of the Provincial Government Western Cape. Members of the Departmental Focal Units are not specifically dedicated to disability i.e. this role is fulfilled in addition to their existing line function responsibilities. The Department of Housing however decided to form a Human Rights Unit (HRU), enabling them to accommodate Gender, Youth and Disability in an integrated manner.

The following mechanism and structures are in place to mainstream human rights issues:

• The HRU does participate in the annual strategic sessions of the department.
• The HRU for the department was established in January 2001. Presently the HRU consist of four members who represent each of the issues on Gender, Youth and Disability.
• The HRU also attends various management and staff meetings, as well as distributing information electronically to inform them of any gender, youth and disability issues.

The broad aims of the HRU are as follows:

• To see to it that Human Rights issues (gender, youth and disability) are taken into account when dealing with routine strategic planning or any other form of planning that may take place within the department.
• To see to it that Human Rights issues are reflected in business plans and budgets.
• To take responsibility for the revision of all departmental policy planning, projects and programs of action, in line with national and provincial policy and guidelines regarding gender, youth and disability.
• To see to it that the department produces data which is broken down in terms of race, gender and disability (e.g. the Employment Equity Plan)
• To take responsibility for the sensitizing of staff regarding Human Rights (capacity training).
• To see to it that specific international, national and provincial gender, youth and disability conventions, policies, programs and actions are carried out within the Department.
• To take responsibility for future gender, youth and disability audits.
• To take responsibility for the development of a specific departmental action plan regarding gender, youth and disability in line with national and provincial policy and guidelines.

Due to their participation in the HRU, various members were asked to sit on other committees, such as the:

1. Provincial Coordinating Gender Committee
2. Provincial Subcommittee on Training regarding Gender Sensitization
3. Provincial task team on the compiling of a Western Cape Provincial Gender Action Plan with performance indicators.
4. Provincial Integrated Disability Forum

Evaluation/ Monitoring of Departmental projects and statistics

The HRU monitor and evaluate statistics regarding the gender, race and disability distribution of the establishment on a quarterly basis.

The department do make the necessary efforts to attract individuals from specific target groups by advertising in the appropriate media. The advertisements specify that it is the intention to achieve equity in the workplace with the filling of posts through the promotion of equal opportunities and fair employment in accordance with the Employment Equity Plan of the Department. Appropriate candidates (i.t.o. gender and disability) do not necessarily apply for all advertised positions.

Partnerships

The Chairperson of the HRU formed various partnerships during 2003:

• A partnership with the provincial Department of Social Development on the establishment of shelters for abused women
• A partnership with the Gender Equality Committee of the City of Cape Town
• A partnership with the WC Gender Equality Commissioner, the "Western Cape Network on Violence against Women, Unicity, Provincial Department of Social Development and the Western Cape OSW. This partnership is in process to develop a Western Cape Gender Violence Strategy (A first for South Africa).
• A partnership with the Western Cape Network on Disability

Human Rights Road Show (Consultative Workshops)

During July 2003, the Directorate Human Rights Programmes, Provincial Administration in collaboration with all provincial departments undertook consultative workshops in the City of Cape Town, Caledon, Worcester, George, Oudtshoorn, Beaufort-West, Vredenburg, and Moorreesburg. The aim of the above was to consult and engage Local Government, communities, civil society and the NGO sector on the following issues:

• The Provincial Disability, Gender and Youth Strategies
• To facilitate the establishment of integrated structures or to strengthen existing structures on district level to advance the issues of gender equality, disability and youth development
• To raise awareness and determine priorities for the celebration of International Day of Disabled Persons
• To engage women on their experiences after 10 years of a democracy

The feedback of the consultative sessions had been processed and is currently being actioned. To this end, the Directorate Human Rights Programmes in collaboration with the Department of Local Government and Housing are planning individual sessions with all District Councils.

The purpose of the sessions would be to engage specifically on the establishment or the strengthening of existing structures on district level for the advancement of Gender Equality, Youth Development, Disability Equality and Moral Regeneration. The latter issues will be dealt with in an integrated and inclusive manner.