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SA has made significant progress regarding equity since 1994. The draft Gender Equality Bill published last month is intended to accelerate this process. “Promoting gender equality is an important part of this country’s commitment to transformation,” says Sandra Burmeister, chief executive of the Landelahni Recruitment Group. The question is whether we have the resources to meet the proposed 50 percent targets.

When the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) was introduced in 2000, it was heralded as representing a new gold standard in access to information legislation.

Empower rural women – End hunger and poverty (UN); Women and men UNite to end violence against women and girls (UN Women); Connecting girls, Inspiring futures (www.internationalwomensday.com) and Equal pay for work of equal value (European Parliament). These are the themes that people across the world will engage with on 101st International Women’s Day on the 8 March 2012.

by Saeanna Chingamuka
The major highlight for the month is International Women’s Day (IWD) that is celebrated annually on the 8th of March. The theme this year is “Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures.” From April 23 to 25, Gender Links will hold the regional Third Gender Justice and Local Government Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. The regional summit will be preceded by in-country summits in Mauritius, Zambia, Madagascar, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Regarding media work, the GMDC will host its advisory group meeting on 22 March 2012. The meeting will be convened via a teleconference. Documentation for the meeting will soon go out.

The issue of 50/50 has recently received renewed interest, with Adv Tlakula of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) speaking out on the need for a legislated quota system to effect parity in women’s participation. The Women’s Ministry, in its green paper discussions framing the development of a Gender Equality Bill, has also identified the issue.

The article on Sunday January 15th, 2012 “Woman tells of ordeal as drug-mule slave” refers. I would like to raise our concern about a crucial omission in the article, as well as highlight some additional ethical concerns.

The story presents a powerful firsthand account of a woman’s experience at the hands of drug traffickers.

It is almost a month since public hearings on Protection of Information Bill started. However, news reportage on the matter indicates that the “masses” are still concerned with the nature of the bill and are calling for an addition of “public interest clause”.

Media activists and experts argue that if signed in its current state form, the bill is subject to abuse by government authorities.

In a landmark development, the Zimbabwe Newspapers (Zimpapers) group has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Gender Links (GL). This MOU is an indication of commitment and buy-in into the Centres of Excellence (COEs) for gender in the media project. Zimpapers group is the largest print media group in Zimbabwe with eleven publications.

A radio journalist from Nigeria has won the United Nations Environment Programme’s Young Environmental Journalist Award (YEJA), beating over 120 entries from reporters across Africa.

Ugochi Anyaka (28) received her award at a special ceremony held during the 12th Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council / Global Ministerial Environment Forum in Nairobi, Kenya.

Please let us support the Gabon widows’ call on the current Patriotic Front government to release the Report on the Gabon plane crash of 1993. Glove off to governments’ secrecy charade and enough is enough to the violation of the Zambian Enquiries Act over this long overdue report.