The Socio-Economic Rights Project of the Community Law Centre hosted a seminar on housing for people with special needs on 26 November 2009. One of the aims of the seminar was to present research conducted on the nature and extent of the South African government’s duty to promote the right of access to adequate housing for women experiencing domestic violence (one of the special needs groups). The other aims of the seminar were: to take stock of where we at the moment in terms of special needs housing, particularly in the Western Cape; and to consider what the key questions are for research and for policy makers and what areas require further work or intervention (and in what form).

The research conducted has been published as Socio-Economic Rights Research Series 5
 

The presentations made at the seminar are available here.

On 23 September, the South African Human Rights Commission in collaboration with the Community Law Centre, Black Sash, National Welfare Social Service and Development Forum and People’s Health Movement South Africa organised a seminar on ‘Addressing poverty and inequality through international law’. The aim of the seminar was to raise awareness about South Africa’s failure to ratify the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and to reflect on South Africa’s track record in fulfilling its international obligations.

On 1 July 2009, the Socio-Economic Rights Project hosted a seminar on Gender, HIV and AIDS: Tracking the trends, progress and tribulations in South Africa. The seminar was meant to take stock of recent developments and to reflect on progress, setbacks and challenges on dealing with HIV/AIDS in women’s context. The seminar was also meant to foster conversation between the different categories of stake holders involved in work and efforts around HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Participants included civil society organisations, health care practitioners and academics. Thus the seminar looked at socio-medical, legal and policy perspectives. Topics discussed related to the double burden of HIV and Tuberculosis, food security and nutrition, sex work and legal reform and the HIV/Aids care burden on women. Recent findings on the HIV/AIDS prevalence in South Africa were also discussed and reflected upon.

Some of the presentations made at the seminar are available here

A summary of the seminar is published in the ESR Review Vol. 10 No.3 2009

On 26 May 2009, the Socio-Economic Rights Project of the Community Law Centre hosted a seminar on litigating socio-economic rights at the international level and introducing the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ICESCR  as organised by the Socio-Economic Rights Project of the Community Law Centre (University of the Western Cape). The seminar was organised around the newly adopted Optional Protocol to the ICESCR that establishes individual and interstate complaint procedures and an inquiry procedure. The seminar brought together 40 participants from across South Africa including community and non-governmental organisations, South African Human Rights Commission and the academia. The objectives of the seminar were:

1. To raise awareness of the Optional Protocol to the ICESCR and various procedures it establishes;
2. To provide a forum where institutions and organisations working on socio-economic rights can discuss, reflect and share experiences on enhancing the implementation of socio-economic rights and effective litigation strategies;
3. To provide a forum for networking and initiate future collaboration amongst the participating institutions and organisation.

The seminar report is available here

Some of the presentations made at the seminar are available here

A summary of the seminar is published in the ESR Review Vol. 10 No.2 2009.