Gender Linked, Issue 11, October 2010

Words from the Editor

Satellite Office News

Botswana
Botswana News

Mauritius
Mauritius News

Laugh Out Loud

Teamwork & Dreamwork

Birthdays

Wellbeing

Human Resources News

Gender Events

Public Holidays

The month of October was an overwhelmingly busy month for the Governance team as the country facilitators had to ensure that they completed all of their stage one to four activities of the Centres of Excellence (COE) process for each of their ten identified councils in the COE process; whilst also attending a Training of Trainers (TOT) scheduled from 19-25 September in Johannesburg…. Read more

Gender Links held its fourth Gender and Media Summit from the 13th-15th of October. This brought together close to 130 local, regional and international participants. The Summit was preceded by planning meetings on Media Literacy, Gender policies and the 16 days of activism against violence on women and children. These were held on the 11th and 12th of October. The summit saw participants engage on issues around Research and Monitoring, Training, Advocacy, Community and Social media and Policy and Regulation. The Gender and Media Awards which honour excellence and good journalistic practice capped this event. … Read more

Communications Department

September was devoted mostly to an in-depth look at the Millennium Development Goals and a series of stories examining how they are being met – or not – in the region. The Service put out a story from Malawi that highlighted the plight of children who are forced into the workforce because they can’t afford secondary school, a piece about budgeting for the MDGs and a story from Mozambique looking at the huge problem of school girls who are forced to submit to sexual advances from their teachers in order to pass their courses. … Read more

As part of building formal relationships with the key constituencies of the GMDC, the centre recently signed a memorandum of understanding with The University of Botswana, The Polytechnic of Namibia and The International Women’s Media Foundation. It is anticipated that all pending MOUs will be signed before the end of November. To date, there are 22 Advisory Group members, comprising five institutional members with official MOUs… Read more

Hello everybody!
Welcome to the October edition!

By Vivien Bakainaga

This is my first edition as the editor of Gender Linked, taking over from Mukayi. It’s exciting yet challenging to be gender-linked and keeping you connected within the GL family! I had to borrow the quote from my hero Nelson Mandela. I think GL has good leadership – good head, good staff and good heart – with this combination GL is blossoming in its adult phase.

First, a big congratulations to Gender Links for winning the Mail and Guardian “Investing in the Future” award for our work in local government. Gender Links has twice been a runner up for the Mail and Guardian’s Drivers of Change awards but this is the first time we’ve won. Well done! For more on the award click here.

October saw the successful hosting of the Fourth Gender & Media Summit where 20 countries were represented, including many from Africa, as well as Canada and India. Almost 140 delegates descended on Johannesburg’s Birchwood Hotel from 13-15 October. The delegates participated in an intriguing programme providing regional and international perspectives around Gender, Media, Diversity and Change. The award ceremony – our very own GL “Oscar Awards” – was all glamour and fun.

The guest of honour, Deputy Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission Thoko Mpumlwana, gave a brilliant speech applauding GL’s work. With our own DJ Roger we later stretched and moved our bodies to his many tunes to unwind after an exhausting week of hard work.

No prizes for guessing who has been working especially hard on staff. The Executive Director has been so swamped with finalising the writing of the Gender and Media Progress Study (GMPS), the regional and national Barometers, not to mention the many publication launches, and at the same time travelling to Europe to meet with donors, to name but a few!

October also saw the arrival of two external evaluators, Alemu Mammo and Sandra Ayoo, who are carrying out GL’s five year DFID/UNIFEM programme evaluation. This is taking place ahead of GL’s tenth anniversary next year. It is key to our institutional health, as well as to our future funding. They have been kept busy carrying out in-depth interviews with our partners, satellite offices and staff.

In Mauritius, Loga had the new attorney general and the minister of health. In Zambia there were high level officials from the ministry; In Zimbabwe, local government colleagues attended the launch and the permanent secretary spoke glowingly about GL’s work.

In Botswana, GL capped a successful run of Barometer launches by being hosted by the SADC Secretariat itself, and having the Executive Secretary of SADC receive the publication and speak warmly about the contribution that the gender sector is making to progress in the region.

Our Board Member Pinkie Mekgwe officiated and later organised a high profile meeting with the
International Affairs Department of the University of Botswana where she now works about strengthening our long term partnership, including the exciting news that the university is starting a gender studies centre.

GL has also been short-listed for further funding from DFID under its most flexible civil society funding arm, the PPA. About 400 organisations applied and only 40 were shortlisted. We have some hard selling to do before the process closes on 30 October, but the presentation done by our ED and M&E Manager at the DFID meeting was well received by top DFID decision-makers.

Finally, the tragic news of the death of Andrew Jones and the shooting of his wife Kubeshini Govender Jones in the shoulder, came as a shock to all of us. Andrew had been filming the GEM Awards and he was due to fly to Mauritius on GL assignment. This couple have had a long-standing relationship with GL, especially the ED, and it hit close home. May Andrew’s soul rest in peace and we wish Kubeshini a quick recovery, both physically and emotionally.

Happy reading and stay tuned for November news.

BOARD MEMBERS STAY GENDER LINKED

All our board members have been very supportive sending in their accolades to staff and ED for winning the Mail and Guardian “Investing in the Future” award for our work in local government.

As well, board members have also been actively involved in GL’s work in other countries. In Botswana, Pinkie Mekgwe officiated over the launch of the Botswana Barometer. In November, Eduardo Namburete will officiate the launch of the GMPS in Mozambique, along with helping open a Gender Links field office in Mozambique and the Lusophone opinion and commentary service. In addition, Eduardo took an active part in the recent GEM Summit.

To put a cherry on our award cake, board member Thenjiwe Mtintso hosted all head office staff for a special lunch on 4 November 2010 in an ambassadorial style! Thanks to all of them for their ongoing support of all GL activities.

KB and Roos have now also joined the COE process. They have identified seven councils that they will be working with this quarter (October-December) around the stage one (management and political team meetings) and stage two (situational analyses) activities. They will also be working with these councils on the GBV indicators project and the “I” Stories roll-out. … Read more

Volunteer Programme in Mauritius As a follow-up of different workshops attended by Mary under the Non State Actors Programme (National Volunteer Programme scheme) under the aegis of the UNDP and the Ministry of Social Security, Mary-Jane Piang-Nee assumed duty at the Mauritius Satellite Office on 6 October. Mary Jane is a young mother of a four-year-old daughter. Among her duties she will upload pictures and provide administrative support. The contract of Mary-Jane ends in December. Mary Jane’s salary is being met by the NSA Programme. … Read more

A little girl, dressed in her “Sunday best” was late and running to her Sunday school class. As she ran, she prayed, “Dear God, please don’t let me be late. Dear God, please don’t let me be late.” Then she fell.
She got up, dusted her self off and saw that her dress was now dirty and had a little tear. She started running again, still praying, “Dear God, please don’t let me be late.” But this time she added, “But please don’t push me, either!”

Choir The GL choir performed live at the GEM Summit, it was a spectacular performance: no competition from the Royal Tenors and Gaborone Youth Singers. We continue to have our choir practices every Friday. Watch this space! … Read more

A special addition to GL family, a baby boy born to Ialfine named Volahy Papisy Yohann – Congratulations! We can’t wait to see him running around GL offices. … Read more