MDGs @ 10: Still missing the mark on gender?

As world leaders convene in New York this week to discuss ways to accelerate progress toward meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Gender Links will host a debate in Johannesburg on how strong these goals have been in advancing gender equality.

The discussion will take place at the Gender Links office, 9 Derrick Avenue Cyrildene on Tuesday 21 September at 15h00.

The MDG Summit underway in New York to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the goals is undertaking a comprehensive review of successes, best practices, lessons learnt, obstacles and gaps, challenges and opportunities, “leading to concrete strategies for action.”

Many African countries are not much closer to reaching the 2015 targets than they were at the inception in 2000. Gender activists have questioned why the only indicator relating to gender in the third target on gender equality is education and politics, two areas where there has generally been progress. The MDG targets, which take a basic needs approach, are silent on women’s rights, economic justice and gender violence.

Because the MDG gender targets are broad and limiting, this discussion will ask several key questions, including: Should gender be a standalone target or should it be mainstreamed throughout the other MDGs? Have the MDGs assisted in improving the lives of women and men in Southern Africa? And what role should the media play in ensuring the MDG targets are achieved in southern Africa?

“Southern Africa is the only region in the world to have taken the MDG targets and enhanced them by coming up with 28 targets for achieving gender equality by 2015, through the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development” said GL Executive Director Colleen Lowe Morna. “Our focus here is how we can give substance to the minimalist approach of the MDGs.”

Date: 21 September 2010
Time: 15h00 – 17h00
Venue: Gender Links Offices
Further information contact: Danny Glenwright on 011 622 2877
or e-mail: editor@genderlinks.org.za