Invitation to Public Hearings:  Gender Transformation Hearings in the Private and Public Sector

The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) will on 29-30 November 2022, conduct Employment Equity Hearings on the review of transformation in the public and private sector. In accordance with the powers outlined in the CGE Act, as amended, the CGE continuously draws a sample of Directors General (DGs) from the public sector, and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) from the private sector, for them to account for the slow pace of gender transformation in their respective workplaces. They are  also requested to account for the inadequate promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment, particularly for women with disabilities.

After these hearings, the Commission will develop recommendations to help the two  sectors implement ways to ensure the realisation of gender equality in the workplace.

Objectives of the Hearings

The objective of these transformation hearings with both the public and private sector amongst others is to:

• Assess compliance with employment equity legislation and its policies;
• Assess compliance with other transformation legislation and its policies;
• Assess the impact of transformation legislation and policies on persons with disability, women and other previously disadvantaged in the public and private sector;
• Address institutional and systematic barriers to economic and gender diversity in the workplace on the progress of women and persons with disability;
• Raise awareness of relevant international commitments to gender transformation and the importance of compliance;
• Raise and address transformation policy gaps and implementation challenges;
• Make findings and recommendations of the necessary improvements and corrections to improve policy implementation;
• To consult and liaise with relevant stakeholders for their input on all the above,
• Monitoring the implementation of the Commission’s recommendations by each public or private entity.

Source: Government of South Africa