Women celebrate signing of SADC Protocol on Gender and Development

Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Thursday May 18, 2017 14:53

The Protocol is a unique sub-regional instrument initially adopted in 2008 with 28 time bound targets that were aligned to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). When addressing the media on Monday, Gender Links board member Ntombi Setshwaelo explained that in August 2016, the SADC heads of states adopted the revised protocol that now brings together the SDGs, African Union Agenda 2063 and the Beijing Platform of Action Plus Twenty. Setshwaelo added that the review of the protocol in 2015 paved way for the country to sign the protocol.

“This instrument is exceptional. It is the only one in the world that can promote gender equality. SADC protocol on Gender and Development was adopted and signed in 2008 by SADC heads of State. The Protocol declared the objective of eradication of gender inequality by 2015. Essentially, it embodies all the provisions of legal instruments and treaties pertaining to gender issues. All member states have ratified the protocol, with the exception of Botswana and Mauritius,” she said.

Setshwaelo added that they also had a barometer, which was an initiative of Gender Links. She explained that that document contains a comprehensive depiction of trends

(on comparative basis) within SADC on critical areas of concern and other crucial gender issues within the region.

For her part, Elsie Alexander from Putting Women First organisation said that the protocol started with the civil society, and it was through hard work and perseverance that they collectively achieved their goals.

“Together we can convince our government to take gender issues seriously,” she said.

Alexander further pointed out that the country’s decision to sign the revised protocol was a great milestone for them. She pointed out that through organisations such as Emang Basadi, many women became members of parliament.

SADC Gender Protocol Alliance member Chigedze Chinyepi explained that the country did not sign the first protocol because of its timelines, which stated that by 2015 each country must meet its goals, a thing the government opposed. She also pointed out that the government felt that the protocol’s language was prescriptive.

“In 2015, the protocol reached its deadline and therefore we became part of the delegation that reviewed it. We played a major role in making a few changes so that we could meet our government’s demands,” she said.

She added that in the revised protocol, they took out timelines, added articles on Gender and Climate Change. They also added that marriage should start at 18-years of age instead of 16 as was contained in the first protocol.

Botswana signed the revised protocol on May 10.