BRIEFING ON THE SADC PROTOCOL on Gender and Development

1. BRIEFING ON THE SADC PROTOCOL on Gender and Development By Emilia Muchawa

2. Introduction • SADC Declaration on Gender and Development 1997 states committed to placing gender on the agenda • Equal representation in politics and decision making in member states • Promoting full access to resources • Repealing all laws, amending constitutions and changing social practices • Gender sensitive laws

3. Access to quality education • Quality reproductive and health services • Protecting and promoting human rights • Deal with increasing levels of violence against women • Mass media role • Most states signed this

4. Why the protocol • Declaration not legally binding so need for more legally binding instrument

5. Objectives of Protocol • Bring all regional instruments into one legally binding document • Enhance commitments where there are gaps • Address emerging gender issues • Set realistic, measurable targets, time frames and indicators and allocate resources • Strengthen, monitor and evaluate the progress

6. Create forum for the meaningful engagement of all stakeholders • Deepen regional integration, sustainable development and community building

7. Contents: Constitutional and legal rights • Constitutional rights- gender equality precedence over customary and religious rights • Affirmative action • Domestic legislation-access to justice, majority status,deal with harmful practices, maternity leave, paternity leave(1 month)

8. Equality in accessing justice • Marriage and family rights • Nationality and citizenship • Widows and widowers’ rights • Elderly women and men • The girl child • Persons with disability • Socially excluded groups

9. Contents: Governance • Representation- 50% in decision making in all sectors • Participation in electoral processes, laws, policies and strategies

10. Contents: Education and training • Equal access to education • Challenging gender stereotypes in education • Gender based violence in educational institutions • Vocational and technical training • Distance and open learning

11. Productive resources and employment • Economic policies and decision making- participation, gender responsive policies • Multiple roles of women • Social safety nets • Entrepreneurship • Trade policies • Access to property and resources • Equal access to employment

12. Benefits- family friendly facilities, adequate sanitation facilities • Community development policies

13. Gender based violence • Legal- laws prohibiting all forms of gender based violence • Testing care and treatment of all survivors • Dignity and respect in the legal process • Rehabilitation of perpetrators • Human trafficking • gender responsive police and court handling

14. Eradicate harmful traditional norms that exacerbate gbv • Gender sensitisation programmes • Sexual harassment • Socially excluded groups • Services • Special units and training of service providers, integrated approaches and M and E

15. Health • Quality , appropriate and affordable health care • Maternal health • Sexual and reproductive health- information, services, men”s participation, older men and women, contraception, youth friendly services • Women in prison

16. HIV and AIDS • Prevention • Treatment • Care and support

17. Peace Building and Conflict Resolution • Participation in conflict resolution and peace building • Human rights abuses during times of armed and other conflict • Safety, protection and assistance • Anti personnel landmines • Education and training

18. Media , information and communication • Gender equality • Women’s voice • Role of the media in changing attitudes and mindsets • Equal participation • Ownership and employment • Gender in media content

19. Encourage ICT use for women’s empowerment • Research, monitoring advocacy and training

20. Remedies • Recourse where rights violated by competent authorities • Implementation at national level- human , technical and financial resources • Gender responsive budgeting

21. Institutional arrangements • SADC Regional Gender Machinery and National gender machineries • Heads of State or Government • Committee of Ministers Responsible for Gender/Women Affairs • Committee of Senior Officials Responsible for Women’s Affairs • Regional advisory Forum • SADC secretariat

22. M and E • M and E plans, systems, time frames and indicators by 2015 • Annual reports to be submitted on standardised reporting template • Sanctions for non compliance

23. Recommendations for Zimbabwe • Zimbabwe has conducted broad based consultations- Govt depts, parliamentary women’s caucus and civil society and all sectors are in support of the protocol • Protocol is not contradictory to any of the Zim laws. In fact we are more advanced than most countries in having most provisions as part of our laws and policies

24. Recommendations for Zimbabwe • Will deepen regional integration, shared learning and maximise resource mobilisation eg Global Funds accessing as a region • Gender equity and equality will lead to MDG goals and development for the region

25. CONCLUSION • It is important to support the coming into force of the Protocol