Page 154 - UGU Dstrct Mun IDP Report '21-22

3.7.10 Development of the Elderly
As per the 2016 Community Survey conducted by Statistics South Africa, the elderly make up 6.7% of the total population of the Ugu District area of jurisdiction. Furthermore, 15.8% of the Ugu District area of jurisdiction households are headed by the elderly. The elderly people are vulnerable in many aspects and hence the district commitment to ensuring protection and care of its senior citizens. The District has a Senior Citizen Programme which is underpinned by the following pillars:
• Creation of an enabling and supportive environment for senior citizens;
• Community-based care and support services;
• Advancement of healthy well-being;
• Ensuring community-based care and support services; and
• Promotion of protection and safety
The District Municipality has a Senior Citizens Forum in place. Through this forum the municipality on annual basis implements programmes such as; Golden Games; Support to Destitute Elderly; and Awareness Campaigns. Furthermore, Senior Citizens must be full participants in the development process and share in its benefits. No individual must be denied the opportunity to benefit from development. Older persons have been previously marginalised, as ageing has been perceived as a problem rather than a natural process. Senior citizens are also represented in the District Civil Society Forum and they an equal voice in sharing their views.
The programme is intended to:
• To promote close collaboration between the Ugu District Senior Citizens Forum, government departments and the
broader NGO-sector involved with senior citizens sector,
• To coordinate, monitor, evaluate and report on the implementation of programmes and strategies aimed at achieving
goals for senior citizens,
• To raise awareness, advocate, and lobby on, and conscientize the public about senior citizens’ rights with a view to
stimulating public debate
3.7.11 Gender Development Programme
The Gender Development Programme promotes the respect for the rule of law, human rights as well as economic and social development for both women and men to ensure that equal opportunities are achieved. It aims to promote, protect, monitor, and evaluate gender equality within the District. The programme is responsible for the coordination and implementation of strategies that ensure women play an active role in the economy of the District and the country at large thereby escaping the cycle of poverty and abuse. This is achieved through raising awareness on issues pertaining to women’s health, men’s health, skills development, sexual health, and reproductive rights, fighting domestic abuse and access to justice.
The Special Programmes Unit works closely with the 4 local municipalities to coordinate and implement strategies that promote gender equality and raise awareness on issues such as sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence, and access to legal, health, economic and social services within the District.
Roles and Responsibility:
• Guide the Districts response to gender-related issues.
• Create and strengthen partnerships for an expanded provincial response to issues of Gender development.
• Mobilize and streamline resources to effectively implement partnership activities.
• Establish medium and long-term goals for the Gender Development Programme based on the Gender Equality Act.
• Coordinate, monitor, evaluate and report on the implementation of programmes and strategies aimed at achieving
Gender development goals.
• Raise awareness, advocate, lobby on and consociates the public about human rights.
The district has established Gender, Men’s, and Widow’s For a through which on an annual basis implements programmes such as, Sanitary Dignity Campaign; Women Empowerment Session; Men Empowerment Session; Women in Leadership; Moral Regeneration Campaign; Annual Umkhosi Womhlanga; Boys-to-Men Session; Young Women’s Summit; Widows Workshop; and Men’s Summit.
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