United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)

Office in South Africa

UNDP, because UNIFEM is governed by the UNDP Executive Board
http://www.un.org.za/undp

HISTORY AND PRESENT STATUS

UNIFEM was established by the General Assembly resolution 39/125 (1984). It is an autonomous organ within the UNDP.

Its mandate is to:

Support innovative and experimental activities benefiting women in line with national and regional priorities;
Serve as a mechanism to ensure the appropriate involvement of women in mainstream development activities; and
Play a ground-breaking and catalytic role in relation to the overall UN system of development co-operation
UNIFEM focuses on three thematic issues namely strengthening women’s economic capacities and rights, engendering governance and leadership and promoting women’s human rights and the elimination of violence against women.

UNIFEM is financed from voluntary contributions from both government and private donors. The UNDP Executive Board governs UNIFEM. UNIFEM has a five-member Consultative Committee, which meets once a year to provide guidance to the Fund on programme and policy matters. The Consultative Committee advises the UNDP administrators on all policy matters affecting the activities of the FUND. The Committee members serve for a term of three years.

OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND COOPERATING ORGANISATIONS

Department of Social Development
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development
Department of Education
Department of Health
Office on the Status of Women in the Presidency
Commission on Gender Equality
South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC)

RELEVANT TREATIES/PROTOCOLS ETC.

Convention on the Eradication of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979) (RSA ratified: 15 December 1995).

Convention on the Political Rights of Women (1952) (RSA signed: 29 January 1993).

Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages (1962) (RSA acceded: 29 January 1993).

Convention on the Nationality of Married Women (1957) (RSA signed: 29 January 1993).

Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (In the process of ratification).

SADC Declaration for the Prevention and Eradication of Violence Against Women and Children (RSA signed: 8 September 1997).

Addendum to the 1997 SADC Declaration on Gender and Development for the Prevention and Eradication of Violence Against Women and Children (RSA signed: 14 September 1998).

Optional Protocol on trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children to the Convention against Transnational Crime (RSA signed: during signing ceremony of the Palermo conference, 12-15 December).

GENERAL COMMENTS

South Africa currently has no status in the United Nations Development Fund for Women, which works in association with the UNDP, but may pursue membership in due course. South Africa was elected to the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), for three years which commenced on 1 January 1998. South Africa has made annual voluntary contributions of R100 000, since the 1997/1998 to 2000/2001 financial years.

Ms Noeleen Heyzer, Director of UNIFEM, paid an official visit to South Africa during 2003 upon the invitation of the Speaker of the National Assembly.