Hon Speaker, hon Ministers, hon Deputy Ministers, hon members and visitors on the gallery, the report will cover the study tour by the Portfolio Committee on Women, Children and People with Disabilities which went to Norway from 26 November to 3 December. The objectives of the study group were as follows: to engage with the relevant government departments responsible for addressing the issues impacting on women, children and people with disabilities; to observe how a country such as Norway is ensuring a better life for all its citizens; to enable the committee to develop sound recommendations to Parliament and to identify best practices models for the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities which will assist it in conducting oversight over the department.
After meeting with several government institutions, the committee met with the Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion - I am not going to name them all - the Ombudsman for Children, the Oslo women's shelter, and the Norwegian Association of the Disabled. The delegation also met with the ambassador of South Africa to Norway, Ms B R Sisulu. Having taken the understudy tour, the committee was able to gain insight and knowledge, in particular with regard to the legislation and policies that impact on women.
After meeting with the institutions, the committee came up with some recommendations. Firstly, there is a need to look at the synergies between the current disability, antidiscrimination and gender equality legislation in Norway and the proposed disability and gender equality legislation in South Africa. A key lesson learned by the delegation was that the Norwegian government and parliament place positive obligations into law. They emphasise compulsory reporting and also provide a framework for that. They also noted the importance of collaborating with experts in the fields, who contribute to the shaping of their policy.
In terms of the universal design, Norwegian legislation places a responsibility on both the public and the private sector to promote universal access. Universal access, as we know, is a transversal issue. They include it in their departmental policies and programmes and use it as a strategy. They also adopt an early intervention and prevention approach in implementing at the municipal level, and thus assistance required by a citizen can be identified at the onset and appropriate service can be rendered. In most instances this is offered free of charge and such a holistic approach is aimed at keeping families together. Institutionalisation is seen as the last resort. They also put mechanisms in place to ensure that early childhood development centres are accessible and are available within all municipalities for all children to access and, by so doing, parents have the opportunity to re-enter the employment market or study further as children are being cared for during the day.
Other interventions that assist in providing a holistic package of services for families are the lengths of maternity and paternity leave. There is also a high regard for child participation, and this was evident in the engagement with the Ombudsman for Children as well as the Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion. An ombudsman for children should be explored within the South African context. I table the report before the House for consideration. I thank you.
There was no debate.
Chairperson, I move:
That the Report be adopted.
Motion agreed to.
Report accordingly adopted.