|
Ministry of Health and
Social Development - Venezuela
This Ministry was created after the merger of the Ministry of Family Affairs
and the Ministry of Health and Social Security. The new Ministry administers the
Women Promotion Fund.
Sectorial General Directorate for Women (Direccion General Sectorial para
la Mujer)
This body was created in 1989, and was part of the Ministry of Family
Affairs. The main responsibilities of this Directorate include:
- planning and implementing programmes aimed at increasing women’s
participation in the socio-economic development of the country;
- enabling women to obtain information and social, legal and economic
assistance;
- securing women social protection within the institutional framework of the
family; and,
- improving women’s labour conditions.
Supervisory Council on Integral Care for Worker’s Children (Consejo de
Supervsion de Cuidado Integral de los Hijos de Trabajadores)
The Council was created by Decree No. 2506 as a unit of the Ministry of
Family Affairs.
National Women's Institute
Instituto Nacional de la Mujer
The National Women’s Institute was created by the Equal
Opportunities Act, 1993 and reformed by Decree N. 428 of 1999. It is an
autonomous governmental agency which has legal standing in its own right and its
own equity capital, but it is administered by the Ministry of Health and Social
Development. Its permanent bodies are responsible for designing, executing,
directing, co-ordinating, supervising and evaluating policies and matters
related to the status of women. The Institute replaces the Advisory Commission
on Women to the Presidency of the Republic and the National Council for Women (CONAMU).
Main responsibilities include:
- Revealing and investigating discriminatory situations and
making the appropriate recommendations and proposals for their elimination.
- Proposing the necessary legal provisions for the
development of the constitutional principle of non discrimination.
- Co-operating with centralised and decentralised national
entities in any action aimed at the advancement of women's rights.
- Promoting training and information and awareness-raising
mechanisms with the aim of changing attitudes and behaviours.
- To make recommendations to government bodies for the
allocation of funds for the implementation of policies and plans that
promote equality.
- Promoting the improvement of government services for women.
- Establishing, in collaboration with the Ministries of
Justice, Education, the Family, Labour and Health, of working committees in
charge of devising projects, plans and programmes for action in the areas of
health, rural society, economy and labour, legislation, training and
leadership, community involvement and organisation, social development,
communication and the environment.
- Coordination and strengthening of the work of women's
non-governmental organisations, including the establishment of seven
National Networks in different sectors.
- State Councils for Women/Women's Houses/Centres for the
Integral Care of Women
These institutions, reporting to the National Women's
Institute, are attached to the different local governments and
municipalities and their objective is to encourage changes of social and
cultural attitudes by providing information, training and legal advice with
the aim of increasing women's empowerment, through their access to
development programmes and services.
- Ombudsman for Women's Rights (Defensoria Nacional de los
derechos de la Mujer)
This entity was created by the Equal Opportunities Act,
1993 and is responsible for monitoring compliance with the relevant laws
and legal awareness-raising. The Ombudsperson is nominated by the Executive
Council of the National Women's Institute and he or she is in charge of
nominating local ombudsmen that will provide free legal assistance and
represent women before courts, public agencies or other representatives of
public order.
|
