1 & 2 The Department of Basic Education issued the attached Press Statement on 16
November 2022 wherein the department indicated that the matter was taken out of context and the subject of single sex toilets was extracted out of a myriad of issues in the discussion document which is yet to be formally released. These are draft guidelines for the socio-educational inclusion of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) in schools. The official discussion document will be released for comments in 2023.
Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities has already corresponded with the Department of Basic Education DBE in preparation for various interfaces and sessions on document that is to be formally released for comments so as to make informed views and subsequently draft our comments as a department, from an informed premise.
2. The Department is collaborating with the Department of Education through implementation of Pillar 2 of the NSP on GBVF where it is allocated the responsibility to lead on prevention of the scourge in the schooling environment, Per se. However, at National level, the Department also monitors progress on interventions that are implemented by the Department of Education.
The Department of Education is expected to submit monthly reports detailing progress on their gender based violence and femicide prevention initiatives they are implementing in schools in order to amongst others prevent sexual abuse in schools.
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Approved by Minister
Ms M Nkoana-Mashabane, MP
Date: