The nomination for eligible candidates to occupy positions on the Board of Trustees to establish the National Council on Gender-based Violence and Femicide (NCGBVF) is now open.
The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) is calling on civil society organisations and networks to propose suitable nominees.
According to the department, the applications come after the declaration arising from the Presidential Summit against Gender-based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) held in 2018.
Subsequently, Cabinet approved the Gender-based Violence and Femicide National Strategic Plan (GBVF-NSP) in March 2020.
It also approved the establishment of the Inter-Ministerial Committee to establish the NCGBVF and oversee the implementation of the GBVF-NSP.
“The GBVF-NSP is a government and civil society multi-sectoral strategic framework to realise a South Africa free from GBVF. It sets out to provide a cohesive strategic framework to guide the national response to the crisis of GBVF by government and society as a whole,” DWYPD said.
Civil society is a key stakeholder and co-curator of the GBVF-NSP, serving as the most critical and accessible first responder group on GBVF at community level.
The Executive Board or Board of Trustees will consist of a maximum of 13 members – six from government and seven from civil society, who will be appointed through a process of public nomination.
The public nomination process will be overseen by the Presidency through the Ministry of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, supported by a technical team of no more than five people.
“Broader civil society movements and organisations are therefore invited to nominate suitable candidates who meet the criteria set out in the terms of reference and nomination form,” said the department.
The Board of Trustees is tasked with providing strategic vision and leadership, including, but not limited to, setting the national agenda for responding to GBVF, coordinating plans for the equitable distribution of resources, promoting accountability, strengthening coordination and reducing impunity on GBVF.
The board will also initiate and implement a sustained campaign to end GBVF, inform decisions on resourcing and reprioritising programmes to be implemented, and make appeals for funding.
The nominees must have knowledge and expertise in gender and women’s rights; policy and legal frameworks related to GBVF grounded in lived experiences; a record of participation and influence in GBV matters, and understand the importance of advocacy in ensuring institutional vitality and activism.
More terms of reference and the nomination form can be found on www.women.gov.za under the GBVF tab.
“Any nomination that does not comply with the above requirements or that has not been lodged with the department at the address stated below by the closing date shall be invalid or disqualified,” DWYPD said.
The closing date for nominations is 20 October 2020.
Nominations can be lodged with the DWYPD by post or by hand, or by emailing it to NCGBVF@women.gov.za. – SAnews.gov.za
