31 March 2009
The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE), Gender Links, Media Monitoring
Africa, Women's Net, Media Institute of Southern Africa and South African
Council of Churches have come together to form a Gender and Elections
Consortium, to analyse and critically comment on gendered aspects pertaining to
the elections.
The objectives of the Consortium are to:
* create a space for active networking in preparation for Elections 2009 gender
interventions
* enable support and collaboration on activities of mutual interest, identify
gaps where intervention are required and reduce duplication
* deepen and broaden the impact of organisations' gender and elections
interventions through sharing resources and expertise, and tapping into
networks
* ensure that gender is adequately profiled and addressed in the build up to,
conducting and analysis of the 2009 Elections, in accordance with
organisations' mandates and expertise.
Consortium members have each launched their own individual interventions,
ranging from a gendered audit by Gender Links of party manifestos and candidate
lists submitted to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and the convening
of a series of "Great Debates" on what makes a good leader, to monitoring of
national and local media by Media Monitoring Africa, and on the ground
monitoring of party rallies and launches and preparation for gendered
monitoring of the elections by the CGE. The CGE has also engaged with political
parties, expressing concern at derogatory and demeaning statements made by some
party leaders, and calling on parties to campaign in a manner that upholds our
constitutional values and promotes gender equality.
Consortium partners are in addition planning several strategic joint
responses to developments, as well as several collaborative interventions.
Forthcoming activities include a planned debate focusing on polygamy, as well
as the preparation of consortium member election monitors to undertake a large
scale gendered audit of Election Day itself. The CGE is co-ordinating a task
team of gender monitors and is in the process of securing accreditation by the
CGE.
A key collaboration will be around the convening of a political party
dialogue on 8 April, which will see the bringing together of leaders of
political parties, stakeholders in the gender equality sector, public opinion
leaders and ordinary women and men, to deliberate on the responsiveness of
political parties' manifestos and campaigns to issues relating to gender
equality and the enhancement of the status of women. Under scrutiny as well
will be political party promotion of gender equality through their practice and
campaigning on the ground, and as evidenced through statements uttered by
representatives and leaders, and parties' response.
Party leaders will be invited to speak to how their manifestos, policies and
programmes of action will promote gender equality and improve the lives of
women, and how they are addressing internally the representation of women
within party structures and on party lists. A pledge in this regard will be
signed by party representatives.
The Gender and Elections Consortium calls upon all political parties to
reject and distance themselves from any perpetuation of patriarchal stereotypes
that undermine the status and role of women in our democracy. We expect parties
to promote and support the principles of equality and non discrimination
reflected in our Constitution, and the particular provisions relating to unfair
gender discrimination in the electoral code of conduct. We further expect party
leadership to respond decisively to any actions or statements by members in
contravention of these principles and provisions, and reiterate their
commitment to gender equality. Lest we forget that, "gender continues to be
marginalised not only in political debates, but also in media coverage."
Enquiries:
Tel: 011 403 7182
Issued by: Commission for Gender Equality
31 March 2009
