Red lights flash in SADC Gender Protocol 2011 Barometer that introduces an index for ranking countries

On 11 August the South Africa’s Minister of Home Affairs Nkosozana Dlamini- Zuma launched the 2011 Southern Africa Gender Protocol Barometer which introduces an index for measuring progress against the 28 targets of the Protocol to be achieved by 2015. The third Barometer moves into high gear with the introduction of the SADC Gender and Development Index (SGDI) that complements the Citizen Score Card (CSC) that has been running for three years.

With empirical data on 23 indicators in six sectors, the SGDI puts SADC countries at 64% of where they need to be by 2015: the target date for meeting the 28 targets of the Protocol. Seychelles, South Africa and Lesotho lead the way with Mozambique, Angola, Malawi and DRC in the bottom four. Citizens rate their governments at a mere 55% (one percent up from last year). This measure is important because although the CSC is based on perceptions, it includes rights-based measures such as Constitutional and legal rights; gender violence; peace and security missing from the SGDI.

About the SGDI – where does your country feature?
The SGDI is a basket of empirical scores that can be used to assess how governments are performing by sector, as well as relative to each other. The SGDI is significant in that it has a wider scope than most other indicators – in particular it includes a score on media, an important indicator of agency and voice. Further it is aligned to the SADC Gender Protocol.There is, however scope for improving the SGDI to include sectors not covered for want of sufficient empirical data to warrant a ranking. This includes rights-based clusters such as Constitutional and legal affairs; gender based violence, peace and security.

Table 1: Ranking of SADC countries according to the SGDI

Click here to read more about the SADC Gender and Development Index (SGDI)
Click here to view the 2011 SADC Gender Protocol Barometer
View the executive summary in Portuguese and French

To listen to a podcast – Third SADC Barometer shows progress ~ in women’s words
Click here to listen to South Africa Honourable Minister of Home Affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma
Click here to listen to Gender Links Chief Executive Officer, Colleen Lowe Morna

Source: Inter Press Service