Chairperson, the ANC supports Vote No 8: Women, Children and People with Disabilities. This budget will enhance the department's work to be effective, to function, to co-ordinate, and to oversee the transformation agenda on the socioeconomic empowerment of women, their rights, and equality through mainstreaming, monitoring and evaluation programmes, specifically for the women of this country who constitute 52% of the South African population, the children and people with disabilities.
The committee acknowledged that the budget presented was in relation to the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, as it existed in the Fourth Parliament. We must inform the member that the new proclamation has been made for the new Ministry of Women, Children and People with Disabilities in the Presidency. The overall budget allocation for women's empowerment and gender equality programmes in 2014-15 is R92 million of which R67 million would be transferred to the Commission for Gender Equality. Overall, the budget for the programme constitutes 42% of the department's total budget.
Notwithstanding this, the committee was concerned about the small budget allocation for Programme 3: Children's Rights and Responsibilities and Programme 4: Rights of People with Disabilities, and it urges for a larger allocation within the departments where these responsibilities now reside. The committee acknowledges that the department is in the process of transferring Programme 3: Children's Rights and Responsibilities and Programme 4: Rights of People with Disabilities to the Department of Social Development and retaining Programme 2: Women, Empowerment and Gender Equality.
In her Budget Vote, the Minister indicated that they would be reviewing the status, role, location and sustainability of the National Council Against Gender-Based Violence in an attempt to strengthen efforts towards the elimination of gender-based violence in our society and to deal with the triple challenge of unemployment, poverty and inequality facing this country. All South Africans have to work together, irrespective of political affiliation and religion. The ANC supports the budget. I thank you. [Applause.]
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance and Economic Freedom Fighters dissenting).
Vote 9 - Government Communication and Information System - put.
Declarations of vote: