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While the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development advocates for 50% women’s representation in all areas of decision-making, local government elections held on 18 May in South Africa saw a decrease in the percentage of women elected.
The country dropped from 40% in the previous elections to 38%. This is 12 percentage points below the target of 50/50 by 2015, underscoring the importance of quotas to get women into decision-making positions.
Read here for more details about South Africa’s elections: SA misses the mark on gender parity in forthcoming elections;
Such decreases in women’s representation have led the Southern Africa Gender Protocol Alliance to call for a re-launch of the regional 50/50 campaign. Women In Politics Support Unit (WIPSU), regional leaders of the Alliance governance cluster, will convene a regional meeting in Harare at the end of June 2011 to launch a regional 50/50 campaign roadmap.
Women’s representation in SADC is as follows:
Country |
% of women in cabinet |
% of women at deputy ministerial level |
% of women in Parliamentary level |
% of women at rural provincial/councillor level |
Angola |
32% |
22% |
36% |
4% |
Botswana |
7% |
18% |
||
DRC |
11% |
9% |
8% |
7% |
Lesotho |
32% |
25% |
52% |
|
Madagascar |
14% |
5% |
24% |
|
Malawi |
27% |
30% |
22% |
|
Mauritius |
11% |
13% |
17% |
6% |
Mozambique |
28% |
19% |
39% |
|
Namibia |
23% |
25% |
31% |
16% |
Seychelles |
28% |
24% |
||
South Africa |
42% |
39% |
45% |
38% |
Swaziland |
24% |
21% |
16% |
|
Tanzania |
27% |
24% |
31% |
|
Zambia |
19% |
14% |
15% |
6% |
Zimbabwe |
20% |
9% |
24% |
19% |
📝Read the emotional article by @nokwe_mnomiya, with a personal plea: 🇿🇦Breaking the cycle of violence!https://t.co/6kPcu2Whwm pic.twitter.com/d60tsBqJwx
— Gender Links (@GenderLinks) December 17, 2024
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