Gender equality and women’s rights pivotal to SADC development

Apr 19th 2014 | Johannesburg | South Africa

By Edzai Conilias Zvobwo

Millennium Development Goal 3 – “to promote gender equality and empower women”. Now that 2015 is upon us, it is paramount that the Post-2015 Agenda seriously address the shortcomings in the implementation of MDG-3. As outlined by the OECD, the post-2015 framework should 1) retain a strong, stand-alone goal on gender equality and women’s empowerment, as recommended by the UN High Level Panel on the Post-2015
Development Agenda (HLP); and 2) include gender-specific targets and indicators in the other goals.

As a result of the coordinating efforts of Gender Links, an organisation that offers advisory services to regional and international organisations, as well as government departments, on gender main-streaming and other key stakeholders, SADC governments showed unity and definiteness of purpose when they signed the SADC Gender Protocol in 2008. The SADC Protocol on Gender and Development aims to integrate and main-stream gender issues into the SADC Programme of Action and Community Building initiatives which is pivotal to the sustainable development of the SADC region.

Empowerment of women, elimination of discrimination and achievement of gender equality through gender responsive legislation, policies and programmes and projects are the main focus of the Protocol.
As with all the other MDGs, the target year for achieving the set goals is 2015 and unfortunately it is here and a lot still needs to be done. On paper, the strategy is water-tight but the loopholes are in the implementation. The various SADC countries have had different fortunes at pushing towards achieving gender equality.

Mauritius has been the shining light showing that it is possible to fully empower women. Mauritius has embarked on ambitious yet feasible programmes whose results are beginning to be seen.

South Africa, the biggest economy in SADC is lagging behind in implementing gender equality main-streaming programmes. This is evident from a local government perspective where the country has the least number of actively participating local governments in implementing the Gender Protocol. The budget allocations from national and provincial levels of gender main-streaming activities are far too low to sustain any meaningful impact on the lives of women.

Economic priorities have hindered some of the SADC members from fully releasing the potential of women. Zimbabwe has been plagued by an economic downfall thus leading to the country focusing on “bread and butter issues” at the expense of women empowerment.

Swaziland has not performed as expected due to a lack of government buy-in veiled in cultural norms which are self-serving for men. Swaziland still has a long way to realising and appreciating the value of women.
It is worthwhile to reiterate the need for a robust and implementation-centred Post-2015 Agenda which takes into account the lessons learnt thus far to forge a better future for girls and women. It surely has to have a strong, stand-alone goal on gender equality and women’s empowerment coupled by gender-specific targets and indicators in the other goals.

Gender Links will be hosting the SADC Gender Protocol Summit and Awards ceremony in May. As a precursor to that summit, individual SADC country members have been holding their own summits and awards ceremonies. This affords each member country to take stock of hoe it has performed and where it is found wanting. The awards ceremony also serves as a platform to share good practices among gender champions and implementers.

MathsGenius Leadership Institute (MGLI) will be presenting as an Education and Training good practice for its contribution to girls in STEM and Leadership at the South African leg of the SADC Protocol Summit and Awards to be held from the 22nd to the 25th of April at the Kopanong Hotel and Conference Centre in Benoni, South Africa.

Edzai Zvobwo is the CEO of MathsGenius Leadership Institute (MGLI), a South African based company specialising in maths motivation, training and support for previously disadvantaged groups. Its main focus is girl empowerment in STEM (science, technology. Engineering and mathematics) and leadership.

Author: Edzai Zvobwo from MathsGenius Leadership Institute.
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More Info link: https://genderlinks.co.za
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SADC Protocol for gender and development Photo: Edzai Zvobwo/MGLI

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