Mauritius News

GEM Summit 2010

• A delegation of nine persons from Mauritius attended the GEM Summit, including two journalists and Marie Annick Savripene who edited the French section of the Summit on-line newsletter.
• Rekha Sooburun, Deputy Director General of the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation presented a paper on the Gender Policy at the MBC and how it was being implemented. MBC also won the prize for Gender Policy in the Institutional Category.
• Gerard Telot presented a paper on how the Independent Broadcasting Authority could improve their Code of Ethics to mainstream gender.
• Anushka Virahsawmy presented a paper on sexist advertisements and how to get advertisements removed
• Denisha Seedoyal presented a paper on the Directory of Women’s Sources.
• Virginie Saramandif participated in the 16 days campaign sessions.
• Loga Virahsawmy presented a paper at the plenary session on “my life as a gender activist” as well as a paper on the process of developing a Code of Ethics for the High Authority of Media. She also did a mock training on how to develop Gender Policies for media houses.

  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.
  Launch of the SADC Protocol Barometer and Policy Development Handbook on Care work
  Gender Links, with the collaboration of MACOSS, launched the SADC Protocol Barometer and the Policy Development Handbook on Care work on Tuesday 26 October. The Attorney General Hon. Yatin Varma launched the SADC Protocol Barometer while Hon. Maya Hanoomanjee, Minister of Health and Quality of Life launched the Policy Development Handbook on Care work. Hon. Deva Virahsawmy, Minister of Environment, who was interviewed on politics for the Barometer, responded to the findings.

Visit of External Evaluator in Mauritius
The Mauritius Satellite office welcomed Alemu Mammo, GL External Evaluator. His was a busy programme, including meeting with staff of the Ministry of Gender Equality, Minister of Consumer Protection and former Mayor of Curepipe, Deputy Mayor of Port Louis who was a participant at GL Women in Politics Workshop. There was also a meeting with the Director General of the Mauritius Research Council, and the Director General of the MBC.
Mammo also met former interns of the Satellite Office and spoke to them about their personal experience and how GL has helped them.
He was present at the launch of the SADC Protocol Barometer and Policy Development Handbook on Care work.
A half-day village workshop in the presence of the Mammo was also held on Wednesday 27 October where he had a chance to interview village councillors who participated in GL workshops at Johannesburg and in Mauritius.

Village workshop
Two SADC Protocol Village Workshops were held this month. In addition to the half-day workshop at Baie du Tombeau, Mary also facilitated one village workshop in Black River District Council. Mary-Jane was of valuable help in assisting participants to fill-in their GMDC registration forms, distributing publications and taking photos. Mary-Jane uploaded the GMDC forms online.

Launching of a National Programme on Strengthening Values for Family Life
Mary and Mary-Jane represented Gender Links at the launch of the National Programme on Strengthening Values for Family life organised by the Ministry of Gender Equality on 19 October. The programme works in training officials and leaders to empower NGOs so that they are better-equipped to work with vulnerable families and better respond to the issue of child abuse.

The Forum in Mauritius 2010
Loga attended the Forum in Mauritius 2010 since the theme of this year’s conference was Media. The summit brings together international decision-makers in media, business and academy.