What would you do for Women's Rights with 70 million rand?

SA-feminist Action: Call to Civil Society – Imagining what R70 million could do for women

Zuma’s Inauguration Imbalances the (Gender) Budget!

We’ve heard it, we’ve read it, but have we really absorbed it? This years presidential inauguration party will cost R70,000,000.00.

South Africa, like the rest of the world, faces tough economic times. We need a leader to create employment and enact creative strategies to address massive social and economic issues. In a country where poverty is highly racialized and gendered, and the rates of domestic and sexual violence are among the highest in the world, we decided to have a look at what 70 million rand would do for women.

Here are some of our ideas as to how – WHAT ARE YOURS?

What could R70Mill do for women?

• R70Mill could pay for PEP (Post Exposure Prophylaxis) for 112 903 rape survivors. A twenty-eight day course of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) costs R620. By 2006 statistics, this would still only be about 25% of the estimated rape cases in the year, but it would be a good start! www.rape.co.za/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=875

• R70Mill would pay for 659 public nurses for one year. (According to Health-E, professional nurses enter the public workforce at R106 086 per annum http://www.health-e.org.za/news/article.php?uid=20031859).

• R70Mill would shelter 7085 women for 1 year (the state currently spends R29 per woman per day staying in a shelter)

• R70Mill would almost DOUBLE the budget of the Commission for Gender Equality. Currently, the CGE receives R46 million/year – just over R1 per South African.

• Substantive equality not only in the law but on the streets – PRICELESS!

Add your thoughts on how R70Mill could be used to in the service of gender justice in this country – and to remind those in power that we are always watching.

(you can also email sallys [at] womensnet [dot] org [dot] za with your contribution)