GENDER, RELIGION AND DEVELOPMENT

1. GENDER, RELIGION AND DEVELOPMENT Presented by Ms Sizakele Shongwe University of Ghent: Belgium 19th October 2006

2. Presentation Outline • Historical background of Development in Africa (particularly Southern Africa) featuring religion. • Work background/ Practical Work with NGOs in the South • The Swazi experience: ACAt , World Vision • The South Africa Experience • HOPE Africa Programmes • The Role of the Church in Development. • Partnerships in Development. • Regional and International Instruments on Gender and Development. • How NGOS are perceived in the South by partners and beneficiaries. • Challenges

3. Historical Background of Development in Africa • Establishment of missions and mission schools and clinics. • Involvement of priests and nuns as professionals • ( teachers, bursars, nurses & doctors) • Services included scholarships, bursaries, discretionary funds. • Professionals still encouraged to be actively involved in development work in the church (HIV&AIDS Programmes, OVC, Income generation, Food security ).

4. Regional and International Instruments on Gender and Development • Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women( CEDAW) • Beijing Platform for Action • African Human and People’s Rights Charter • African Solemn Declaration • Millennium Development Goals ( MDGs)

5. Instruments Continued • Southern African Development Community (SADC) Gender and Development (GAD) Declaration. The Addendum on the Prevention of Violence Against Women and Children • International Conference on Population and Development ( ICPD)

6. Practical Work with NGOs • Swaziland • Imbita Swaziland Women’s Trust Fund • Women’s Resource Centre • Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF) • Women in Law in Southern Africa (WLSA) • Women and Legal Rights in Southern Africa • ( WLRISA)

7. Practical Work Continued • Council of Swaziland Churches (CSC) • Swaziland Ecumenical Church Loan Fund (SECLOF) • African Cooperative Action Trust ( ACAT) Lilima Swaziland • CARITAS • Lutheran Development Service (LDS) • World Vision

8. Practical Work- South Africa • South African Council of Churches • Anglican Diocese of the Highveld (OVC) Programme. • Provincial HIV&AIDS Programme. • Public Policy Programme • South African Parliamentary Liaison Office • HOPE Africa

9. HOPE Africa • Environmental Sustainability • Economic Development • Good Governance • Community Development

10. Characteristics of the Church • Compliments development as it encourages and encompasses values of humility and humanity, acts of kindness, neighbourliness, sharing, love, generosity and communality. • The church used as a venue for meetings, counselling, VCT, distribution of food parcels, clothes and general fundraising.

11. Archbishop’s Initiatives • Attempts to link scripture to development. • Justice Peace and Reconciliation • Violence Against Women and Children • 16/365 Days of Activism • Men’s March Against Violence on Women • Women Demand Dignity • Women’s Day • TAMAR

12. Initiatives Continued • Role in MDGs ( Health and Malaria) • TEAM Conference • Religious Leaders as policy makers • Helen Joseph • Brigalia Bam • Sheena Dunce • Canon Delene Mark

13. Religious Leaders in Policy Making • Father Trevor Huddleston. • Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu • Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane • Rev. Frank Chikane

14. Partners in Development • Partnerships with government and other public and state enterprises. • With donor agencies ( credibility of the church with donors)

15. Beneficiary’s perception of NGOs • As donors or sponsors hence the difficulty in eradicating the dependency syndrome leading to lack of sustainability and sustainability strategies. • The relationship remains unequal with donor agencies having an upper hand. • The approach remains largely WID as opposed to GAD

16. Challenges • The story of Creation which portrays men as superior hence perpetuating gender stereotypes. • The socio-religious construction of patriarchy. • Men as heads of families( Ephesians), women to be submissive. • Women not to stand in front of congregation.

17. Further challenges • The different sects within the church: • (Mother’s Union, Men’s Guilds). • Issues of marriage vows: (till death do us part), no room for divorce or separation. • Distorted contemporary practices. • Combining culture with religion: polygamy • Sexual and Reproductive Health issues

18. Challenges • Controversy of Condom use vs contraception and abstinence. • Backlash from empowerment through Domestic Violence Act • Issues of violence around social grants especially on older women.

19. Challenges • Women’s economic empowerment threatens the traditional role of men as providers leading to violence, suicide and femicide. • Greatest challenge to empower women to do it on their own socially and for men to understand that gender means a partnership as opposed to a power take over.

20. Conclusion • Though Gender Desks have been established in the different NGOs and there has been an attempt to move away from the WID approach, many NGOs still remain trapped in that approach to development as it is not as threatening as GAD. • Christianity or religion aids or enhances development which does no necessarily mean that religion in necessary for development. However there is no denying that the church has a pivotal role to play in development for the critical mass following it commands