CSW Column 2

Maseru, 10 June: The Lesotho Gender Protocol@Work Summit kicked off yesterday and participants from various sectors held presentations on the work they are doing to achieve gender equality and justice. The Summit has brought together emerging women entrepreneurs as well as gender drivers of change from local government; media; faith-based organisations; the climate sector and other civil society organisations.

Port-Louis, 24 juin: La représentation féminine en politique Á  Maurice a toujours laissé Á  désirer. Le pays a encore dégringolé en la matière après les élections générales du 10 décembre 2014, perdant deux places dans le classement des 15 pays de la SADC. «Un pays considéré comme modèle de démocratie dans la région de l’Afrique australe » comme le fait remarquer Loga Virahsawmy, membre du conseil d’administration de Gender Links (GL) «qui perd son statut du bon élève » et se positionne désormais Á  la 12e place.

Port Louis: Maintenant que le gouvernement mauricien a nommé une femme comme présidente de la République et une femme comme Speaker, il est possible d’espérer qu’il signe finalement le Protocole de la SADC sur le Genre et le Développement (PSGD). C’est ce qu’ont appelé de leurs vÅ“ux hier les dirigeants de Gender Links (GL), organisation non gouvernementale de l’Afrique australe, Á  l’occasion de la cérémonie d’ouverture de son Sommet national qui se tient pendant deux jours Á  l’hôtel Gold Crest Á  Quatre-Bornes.

Dar es Salaam: 10 June: As Tanzania continues with the countdown to the expiry of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, young girls in the country’s coastal regions are far from realising their dream of a brighter future.

Lusaka, 4 June: The Cresta Golf View hotel was abuzz on 28 and 29 May as Zambia joined other countries in the region to host the fourth-annual SADC Protocol@Work Summit under the theme Now and Post 2015, Yes We Must!

Geborone, 2 June: The 2015 Botswana SADC Protocol@Work Summit ended with an award ceremony on Wednesday evening last week at Tlotlo hotel in Gaborone.

There is great expectation that Tanzania’s ongoing constitution review process will open up a new era in gender relations and improve the status of women. Women’s rights, according a report on public views on the constitution released by the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC), are the fifth largest human rights category of concern to citizens.

In order to get the best people to lead our communities and develop our areas, pre-election education is crucial. The pre- election period is very important because it provides an opportunity for voter registration and for government to raise awareness about the election process. Article 14 of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development also emphasises the need for women’s equal access to information and education. This is especially important during the election periods, so all citizens know how and when to register and vote.

Joanesburgo, 29 de Agosto: É um paradoxo celebramos o mês da mulher enquanto histórias sobre conflictos e Violência Baseada no Género (VBG) inundam as manchetes de jornais.

Following the three SADC Gender Protocol@Work Summits that took place this week in Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania,vearious participants, delegates and guests shared thier thoughts of the summits

New York, 17 March: Noelene Nabulivou of Development Alternatives for Women New Era (DAWN) and Diverse Voices for Action and Equality in Fiji, expresses disappointment and outrage at how governments are backtracking and trying to remove women’s rights from the document at CSW58 and ultimately moving away from human rights and equality for all.

New York, 11 March: At a CSW58 UN side event called, “Lessons learned in country: How to end child, early and forced marriage” Senior Adviser of Girls Not Brides emphasised the importance of commending and showing support to the numerous activists within their communities who are working herd to change attitudes and ultimately educate people about the negative affect child marriage has on girls, women and society as a whole.