Editor’s Note

Welcome to the last Roadmap to Equality newsletter for 2015. The Sixteen Days of Activism has just ended. The ultimate answer to this injustice is to have policies and programmes to end gender based violence not reduce it as highlighted in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Welcome to the last Roadmap to Equality newsletter for 2015. The 16 Days of activism commemoration has just ended with events showcasing the prevalence and perpetration rates of gender based violence.

Welcome to the November edition of the Roadmap to Equality newsletter. This edition comes out at an opportune time when the world and indeed the SADC region is gearing up for the 16 Days of Activism campaigns. Gender based violence continues to hinder regional progress on gender equality.

Welcome to the October 2015 edition of the Roadmap to equality newsletter. August and September were busy months as the world geared up to adopt the new development framework in the form of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Welcome to the October edition of the Roadmap to Equality newsletter. October has been a hive of activity with Alliance network strengthening coalitions at country level. With 2015 around the corner, it is necessary for gender movements to strategically position themselves, and lobby for a strong post-2015 gender equality agenda. This month we focused on highlighting governance issues in the SADC region as Botswana and Mozambique have just held elections.

Joanesburgo, 18 de setembro: O mundo estÁ¡ em polvorosa depois que a juÁ­za Thokozile Masipa ilibou Oscar Pistorius do crime de homicÁ­dio premeditado da modelo sul-africana Reeva Steenkamp, sua namorada, precisamente no dia dos namorados, 14 de Fevereiro do ano passado.

Welcome to the September 2014 edition of the Roadmap to Equality! Tracking progress towards the implementation and ratification of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development.

The month of August marked important milestones for gender equality in the SADC region but also made louder the steps towards 2015, the year by which the SADC region should meet the targets of the SADC Gender Protocol. Celebrating women’s month in South Africa projected green lights for achievements in the education sector, HIV/AIDS and review of Constitutions by 11 countries in the region as reflected in the 2014 SADC Gender Protocol Barometer- launched in Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Swaziland and South Africa. However, red lights flash when it comes to gender and governance, health, media and climate change. The lack of improvement in these areas hinders progress toward equality in the region, hence the need to accelerate efforts post-2015 through ‘smart’ targets and indicators.

Welcome to the 29^th edition of the Roadmap to Equality! Tracking progress towards the implementation and ratification of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development.

The SADC Protocol on Gender and Development is in full force after South Africa became ninth country to deposit their ratification instruments with the SADC in late November.

All SADC states, except Botswana and Mauritius that have not signed the Protocol, are obliged to work towards achieving the 28 targets in the Protocol. The 13 SADC countries that have adopted the Protocol will to report on their progress every two years.

While we celebrate this achievement, recent events in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remind us that instruments such as the Protocol must be implemented to prevent violence and guarantee women’s safety. The resurgence of violence in Goma following the occupation of the town by M23 rebels in November is a chilling reminder that we cannot take peace for granted.

Welcome to the 28th edition of the Roadmap to Equality! Tracking progress towards the implementation and ratification of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development.

On the dawn of the 16 Days campaign, a key question for all involved in prevention campaigns is whether these are making a difference. The GBV indicators research Botswana, Mauritius and four provinces of South Africa found that less than half of the women and men in all the sites except Gauteng knew of the Sixteen Days of Activism Campaign. Click here to read more about the indicators research.

In South Africa, one of the topline findings of the GBV indicators research carried out in Gauteng, Limpopo, KwaZulu Natal and Western Cape provinces by Gender Links (GL) between 2010 and 2012 shows that patriarchal norms and attitudes including those that excuse or legitimate the use of violence are driving the alarming rates of gender based violence (GBV) in South Africa.

Seventy seven percent of   women in Limpopo, 51% of women in Gauteng, 45% of women in Western Cape and 36% of women in KwaZulu Natal have experienced some form of violence (emotional, economic, physical or sexual) in their lifetime both within and outside intimate relationships.

Welcome to the 27th edition of the Roadmap to Equality! Tracking progress towards the implementation and ratification of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development.

The election of South Africa Home Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dhlamini-Zuma’s as African Union (AU) commission chair, the most powerful position in the grouping, is cause for celebration as August a critical month on the gender equality agenda approaches. It is a victory not only for South Africa or the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) but for Africa’s women.

She has continued to break new ground as she has served ministerial positions traditionally male dominated such as Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs in South Africa. This has seen her serve in SADC structures such as the organ on the Inter-state Politics and Diplomacy Committee (ISPDC) mostly attended by men. There are high expectations that she will carry the gender equality torch into this new space as she is known to do.

The countdown to the Southern Africa Gender Protocol Alliance annual meeting scheduled for 14 – 15 August in Johannesburg begins. As per tradition, key issues of the agenda will include a SWOT analysis, reviewing the strategic plan, planning for joint campaigns and strengthening of institutional mechanisms. This year, one of the sessions will focus on reviewing the Network’s legal status.

The Alliance will launch the 2012 edition of the SADC Gender Protocol Barometer, an annual publication of the Network on 15 August 2012. There are two new features to look forward to. The first is a section on gender and climate, which attempts to look at where women are in decision making in that sector and other qualitative indicators based on a draft Addendum on gender and climate change developed by the Alliance as part of a campaign for SADC leaders to add this to the 2008 SADC Gender Protocol.

Welcome to the 26th edition of the Roadmap to Equality!Tracking progress towards the implementation and ratification of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development.

The Southern Africa Gender Protocol notes with concern developments in Lesotho around the just ended national elections.SADC Member States seem to be moving one-step forward and two steps back in the area of governance in spite of advocacy by civil society, within government and political parties.

Even though the results are yet to be publicised, the country has already missed the mark of reaching the target of 5050 women in parliament by 2015 because this is the last election. For a country doing so well at local level where it is close to parity with 49.1% women representation in local government and a law to sustain this, it is disappointing that at national level based on fielded candidates the country has not demonstrated its full commitment.

“According to the party lists that were released both parties have fielded only 20% women which is way below the 50% target of the SADC Gender Protocol,À Lesotho gender activist and SADC Gender Protocol Barometer researcher, Matseliso Mapetla told Gender Links in a telephone interview. She predicts that women representation may be as low as 10%.

Welcome to the 25th edition of the Roadmap to Equality! Tracking progress towards the implementation and ratification of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development. As March – International Women’s Month – ends, there is cause for celebration and concern.

SADC witnessed the swearing in of the first female president, Joyce Banda in Malawi after the death of President Binguwa Mutharika. She is the second female president in Africa after Liberian president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.

In an interview with an Aljazeera news anchor, the newly sworn-in Republic of Malawi President, Joyce Banda said “my election (in 2009) as the vice president and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (Liberian president) shows that Africans have grown in democracy [and] they have confidence in both women and men in leading them. Africans have decided that the time is now that women can also participate in leadership.”

The 56th Commission on the Status of Women under the theme Empowering rural women extended its work by one week after it failed to reach a consensus on conclusions for the priority theme. At the closing of the session, the Commission Chair Marjon V. Kamara( Liberia) said: “I will not hide my great disappointment that we have found ourselves in this position. If we really want to tell the truth about it, I am not sure that we all came with a spirit of compromise.” A chair’s summary reflecting outcomes will be made available.