The key findings and recommendations of two reports issued by the Gender Caucus following studies carried out on Sociological Profiling of Perpetrators of Domestic Violence and Gender Audit in the Civil Service respectively were elaborated yesterday by the Speaker of the National Assembly, and President of the Caucus, Mrs Santi Bai Hanoomanjee, at a press conference at the National Assembly in Port Louis.
The Gender Caucus aims to create a gender-responsive culture, the promotion and attainment of gender equality through periodical gender assessments of government policies and research on salient gender issues so as to promote a fairer society in Mauritius.
Mrs Hanoomanjee highlighted that the purpose of the studies is to identify the factors and priorities that need to be addressed from a gender perspective to, among others, ensure parliamentary oversight on issues pertaining to gender equality; and eventually come up with recommendations to address the root causes of gender inequality in the Mauritian society.
The study on Sociological Profiling of Perpetrators of Domestic Violence, she underlined is to provide a sociological analysis of the characteristics of perpetrators who use violence in their relationships in Mauritius. By retracing the evolution of perpetrators, the study identifies the risk factors and triggers of domestic violence; provides recommendations for the support and rehabilitation of perpetrators and support to victims. It also addresses the root causes of domestic violence and the broader socio-economic as well as the cultural context that underpins violence in the couple, she underlined.
As for the study on Gender Audit in the Civil Service in Mauritius, Mrs Hanoomanjee outlined that it aims to establish the baseline situation on the status of gender equality in the programming and operational dimensions of sectoral Ministries in Mauritius. Tlhe findings of the report, she pointed out reveal that the Civil Service in Mauritius has a gender sensitive institutional culture and an increase in the number of women in the public sector with 40% in 2016 compared to 23% in 2001. However, gender is still not fully viewed as a cross-cutting issue in the sectoral Ministries, she added.
The report creates the basis for concrete and contextual recommendations to build up on existing efforts of Ministries to further consolidate their work on women’s empowerment activities and gender mainstreaming measures, she underpinned.
The general recommendations of the report are: each Ministry should take stock of the findings of this exercise and formulate their respective action plans to redress weaknesses identified; the National Steering Committee on Gender to be apprised of the findings of this exercise to guide its future strategic direction; the Civil Service College may include gender module in the training component related to the Code of Ethics; and the importance of gender responsive budgeting as an efficient method of carrying out the budget planning exercise throughout the cycle should be emphasised.
Source: Government of Mauritius