Conference Newspapers

Today is SADC Day – the 35th anniversary of the founding of the Southern African Development Community to fight apartheid, and now to fight for a better life for the people of this region.

Whilst supporting Gender Links’ mandate of promoting gender equality and justice in the country, participants of the third Swaziland SADC Gender Protocol Summit 2015 presented statistically supported success stories on how they have solved social problems through various innovative projects.

Swaziland Deputy Prime Minister Paul Dlamini has applauded the Swazi government for placing gender issues at the appex of national development agenda. Dlamini made these remarks as he officially opened the country’s third SADC Gender Protocol Summit in Swaziland.

The 2015 South African Gender Protocol@Work Summit kicked off yesterday at the Kopanong Hotel and Conference Centre. Under the theme Now and Post 2015, Yes we Must, the summit- hosted by Gender Links (GL) in partnership with South African Women in Dialogue (SAWID) and South African Local Government Association (SALGA)- the summit aims to reward gender champions for driving gender equality in their organisations and communities.

Pour jouir de ses droits, il faut d’abord les connaitre, parler d’égalité Á  des personnes qui ignorent ses droits c’est comme prêcher dans le vide. Or cela vous expose devant plusieurs de conflits.

La cérémonie d’ouverture du Sommet national de Gender Links (GL) portant sur l’application du Protocole de la SADC sur le Genre et le Développement a été marquée par la présence de la présidente de la République de Maurice, Ameenah Gurib-Fakim.

The Tanzania Gender Protocol@Work Summit rewarded drivers of change for their work in advancing gender equality. The event was held in New Africa Hotel in the capital city bringing together media, faith-based and civil society organisations to share good practice in gender mainstreaming.

Pondering on the theme of the 2015 SADC Gender Protocol ” Now and Post 2015, Yes we must”, one can easily recognise the tone of the theme in calling for unity in the quest for gender equality. This is to say, civil society, government; the media including individuals have to wear the armour as soldiers in the fight for equal opportunities between men and women.

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.

The Zambia SADC Gender Protocol@Work Summit came to an end on 28 May last week with 15 participants scooping awards in various categories. The winners emerged from the Local government Centres of excellency (COEs), gender based violence (GBV), leadership, emerging entrepreneur, startup business, 50/50 campaign, climate change, Faith Based Organisations, constitutional and legal rights and media.

The fourth annual Botswana SADC Protocol @ work Summit opening ceremony calls for gender equality.

Whenever there is an election in the country, be it general or local government elections, women make up the majority of the voters, yet they are hardly present in decision making structures. Women bear the brunt of social ills and cast their votes in the hope to improve their lives and those of their families. Women suffer more from water shortages and poor infrastructure, and these problems could be addressed effectively if fellow women held the top positions.