SADC Gender Protocol 2010 Barometer

It is almost two years since the adoption of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development and we find ourselves in a momentous turn of the decade: 2010 marks the 15th Anniversary of Beijing Plus Fifteen; the 10th Anniversary of the Millennium Development Goals; the 10th Anniversary of the UN Security Resolution Council 1325; the launch of the African Decade for Women (2010-2020) of the African Union and Soccer 2010 came to Africa for the first time

More significant when Heads of State meet in Windhoek in August this year they will celebrate SADC’s 30th Anniversary while it is expected that the celebrations will coincide with Member States first reports to the SADC Secretariat on the progress in implementing the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development.

This study is a sequel to the 2009 Gender Protocol Baseline Barometer and has become the Southern Africa Gender Protocol Alliance’s benchmarking tool towards the realisation of the 28 targets set for 2015 which incorporate and enhance the existing African and global commitments. The Barometer builds on information obtained in 2009 but remains for many reasons:

It provides a regional synthesis of SADC’s performance against the 28 targets
It is an independent analysis – drawing on country reports by researchers and experts
It has a citizen score card giving voice to ordinary citizens -where an annual score is obtained at country level and across sectors. There is a SADC Gender protocol quiz to gauge citizens’ awareness
It provides an accountability tool for civil society as well as governments
This particular edition features practical examples of the SADC Gender Protocol @ Work and has a new chapter on peace building and conflict resolution.

Overall there is a 1% decline of how citizens view government performance from 55% in 2009 to 54% in 2010. As we reflect on the 2010 Barometer findings, an important step forward is for all SADC governments that have signed to commit to ratification of the Gender Protocol before 2010 comes to a close, especially with only five years to go before the 2015 deadline. The Barometer is produced annually.

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ISBN: 978-620-47861-8
Publisher: Gender Links
Year of Publication: 2010