Gender and Development Draft Protocol
10 April 2007
Media are invited to a one day national consultative workshop on the Draft
Gender and Development Protocol, to be presented at the 2007 Southern African
Development Community (SADC) Heads of State summit in August 2007. The
protocol, which brings together and enhances existing commitments to gender
equality, would constitute a global first.
As part of preparations for the summit, the Commission on Gender Equality
(CGE) in collaboration with Gender Links and Gender and Media Southern Africa
(GEMSA) will host a one-day National Consultative Conference in Johannesburg.
Invited delegates will consist of civil society, nationally and provincially,
as well as officials from government and the private sector. Background
information is attached.
Date: Wednesday, 11 April 2007
Time: 09h00 to 16:00
Venue: Parktonian Hotel, Johannesburg
Media briefing: 13h00
National Consultation on Gender SADC protocol
Objective
To facilitate national consultations on the elevation of the declaration on
gender and development to a protocol.
Background
The Gender and Development Protocol which is to be presented at the 2007
SADC Heads of State Summit would be a global first that would place SADC at the
cutting edge of innovative strategies for giving global and continental
commitments meaning at sub-regional level. The draft protocol encompasses and
enhances all existing regional and international commitments for achieving
gender equality. An audit conducted by civil society organisations showed that
while considerable progress has been made since the signing of the declaration
in 1997, several gaps remain. For example:
* The average representation of women in parliaments of the region stands at
20 percent and only three countries (Tanzania, South Africa and Mozambique)
have achieved the 30 percent target.
* Measures for addressing gender violence are patchy and inadequate. New forms
of gender violence such as trafficking are on the rise.
In virtually every country there are glaring contradictions between
customary law and modern codified law when it comes to women's rights and these
contradictions are not addressed in Constitutions.
Women and especially young women are the majority of those living with HIV
and AIDS, the pandemic which more than any other has preyed on the gender
disparities in the region and added to the already huge burden of care that
women shoulder.
In most countries poverty is on the rise and increasingly has a feminine
face.
While there has been some progress in raising awareness and challenging
gender stereotypes in the media and popular culture as well as engaging men as
partners the battle to change mindsets is still far from won.
At the 2005 summit in Gaborone, Heads of State agreed to raise the target
for women in decision making from 30 to 50 percent. They also stated that
further consultation is required on elevating the declaration to a protocol. In
2006, the SADC Gender Unit (GU) formed a task team of government and civil
society organisations to draft the protocol. In September the task team and a
team of experts developed a zero draft of the protocol. In November, Gender
Ministers met in Lesotho added their comments to the draft and made it
available for comment. They agreed to lead national level consultations in
their countries.
Next steps
National gender machineries in SADC countries are convening country
consultations ahead of a consultative conference in Gaborone from 16 to 18
April. This will make final amendments before sending the draft to the Council
of Ministers in June and Heads of State meeting in Lusaka, Zambia in
August.
Susan Tolmay
Gender Links
Tel: (011) 403 7182
Fax: (011) 403 7188
Cell: 082 807 1767
Project inquiries:
Phosa Mashangoane
CGE Public Education
Tel: (011) 403 7182
Cell: 082 890 5532
Issued by: Commission on Gender Equality
10 April 2007
