LEGAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT
The Legal Services department’s purpose is to ensure that the Commission for Gender Equality achieves one of its four strategic objectives, which reads: “An enabling legislative environment for gender equality”. The department is led by the Head of Department, who is supported by a deputy and a team of legal officers who are stationed across the Commission’s offices. As part of its work, the Department convenes legal hearings by summoning organisations and/individuals to account for issues relating to gender-related systemic issues and gender transformation. The department also publishes legal reports that provide insight into its various systemic investigations and gender transformation, with findings and recommendations. The Legal Services Department has been set up to do the following:
The Commission’s Legal Department had been set up to do the following:
- Investigate gender related complaints.
- Evaluate laws, customs, practices and Indigenous law, personal and family law affecting gender equality or status of women that are in force or proposed by Parliament.
- Recommend to parliament the adoption of laws that will promote gender equality and status of women.
- Monitor compliance with international conventions, covenants, and charters acceded to and ratified by the South African government that have a bearing on the mandate of the Commission.
- Contribute to the law-making process, particularly with regard to laws affecting or likely to affect gender equality or the status of women in South Africa.
To lodge a complaint or inquiry, please email gender-enquiries@cge.org.za, or alternatively, you can call your nearest CGE provincial office and make an appointment with the legal officer based there.