June Roadmap to Equality : Editor’s Note

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

This promises to be an eventful month on the gender calendar. The month kicked off with national elections in Lesotho.

An analysis of the participants’ lists in the recent elections in Lesotho shows that the country is still far from attaining gender parity.

However, on a positive note more women are taking up the challenge to contest and participate in politics. At least 409 women contested in the elections compared to 337 women candidates in 2015. This is a step in the right direction as we count down to 2030.

The SADC Council of NGOs on the 6^th hosted a planning meeting for the 13th Civil Society Forum that will be held later in August in Johannesburg on the sidelines of the 37^th Heads of State Summit. The forum will run under the theme; building people’s organisations, securing our future, consolidating gains and confronting challenges. This year marks nine years since the adoption of the SADC Gender Protocol in 2008 in Johannesburg during Thabo Mbeki’s tenure as the President of South Africa. Ironically, South Africa will be the venue for the launch of our first Post 2015 SADC Gender Protocol Barometer.

Gender Links Zimbabwe office will this June be launching a book on its Centres of Excellence project titled, “At the coalface, Gender in Local Government”. The book is a six year audit of the project in 68 local authorities both urban and rural covering more than half of the country’s population.

On June 16, we commemorate the Day of the African Child. On this day, we honour those who participated in the Soweto Uprising in 1976 on that day. The day also raises awareness on the continuing need for improvement of the lives of the youth in this continent.

This year’s commemoration coincides with the Africa Union theme which is on harnessing the democratic dividend through investments in youths. It is therefore important to use this month of June to put on the spotlight the pressing issues affecting the youths in our continent. Equally important is their role in the implementation of Agenda 2030 and Agenda 2063.

The month will close off with Alliance country networks holding reference group meetings to review the indicators for the 2017 Gender Protocol Barometer.

Till next time

 Lucia Makamure