THREE "Chapter 9" institutions - the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), the Commission on Gender Equality (CGE) and the Electoral Commission (IEC) - today launched the Human Rights and Democracy Awards at a media briefing in Parktown, Johannesburg.

The Human Rights and Democracy Awards will be presented to individuals or organisations that have demonstrated a commitment to fostering a culture of human rights in South Africa, that continuously strive for the promotion and protection of gender equality and that support electoral processes towards entrenching constitutional democracy in their respective communities," said Mr. Jody Kollapen, the Chairperson of the SAHRC, at the launch.

Mr. Jody Kollapen outlined the following criteria for nomination and selection of the three categories of the Human Rights and Democracy Awards:

• The Human Rights Award will be presented to an individual or organisation or institution that has demonstrated a commitment to fostering a culture of human rights in South Africa;
• The Gender Award seeks to bestow honour on an individual or organisation that continuously strives for the promotion and protection of gender equality to restore and promote human dignity; and
• The Democracy Award will go to an individual or an institution that has contributed in exceptional ways to supporting electoral processes towards entrenching constitutional democracy in their respective communities.

"A special award, The Duma Nokwe Award, will be presented to an individual or an organisation or institution that has contributed to the advancement of human rights through the practice of law," Mr. Kollapen said.

Speaking at the launch of the awards, the Minister of Justice, Penuell M. Maduna, also introduced the new chairpersons of the South African Human Rights Commission, Mr Jody Kollapen, and the Commission on Gender Equality, Mrs Joyce Piliso-Seroke.

"Our 'Chapter 9' institutions were created to support and strengthen constitutional democracy. They have been in existence for seven years and have made significant contributions to entrenching a human rights culture, protecting gender equality and strengthening the democratic values of our Constitution among the people of South Africa," said Maduna.

The new chairpersons, Mr Jody Kollapen and Mrs Joyce Piliso-Seroke, committed themselves to ensuring that their institutions continued to build a human rights culture and protect gender equality in South Africa.

ISSUED JOINTLY BY THE SAHRC, CGE AND THE IEC
14 October 2002
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