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11 April 2007

Background

The SADC Integrated Council of Ministers meeting held in Lesotho in June 2005 accepted the principle of a SADC protocol for accelerating gender equality to be tabled for adoption at the SADC Heads of State Summit which was held on 17-18 August 2005. The approach was that by the Heads of State adopting such a principle it will push forward the gender agenda for the sub-region. It will provide for 'vague promises' being turned into "concrete actions."

The SADC Unit was mandated with the task of drafting the proposed protocol which would elevate the SADC Declaration on Gender and Development adopted in 1978. This is a groundbreaking initiative of the sub-regional organisation which will be presented to the Heads of State Summit scheduled for 2007 in Lusaka. This initiative is a global first which places SADC at the cutting edge of innovative strategies towards meeting our commitments towards the advancement of women's empowerment and gender equality.

A protocol is legally binding on signatory states and by elevating the declaration to the status of protocol would be ensuring that there is compliance with the measures to advance and empower women. It will also ensure that the political will is turned into administrative will. In 2006, the Heads of State Summit recommended that the draft protocol must be widely consulted on at national or country level prior to its adoption at the 2007 summit.

Recommendations for National Consultative process

Our task today is therefore to interrogate the draft protocol in-depth and identify gaps for strengthening the protocol. In order to do this, we must measure it against our own gains made, particularly in the areas where we are perhaps more advanced than the articles outlined in the draft protocol. In addition, we must use this opportunity to identify areas for South Africa in which we are underperforming as against proposed articles within the draft protocol.

In the 2005 Summit, SADC Heads of State reviewed the previously adopted 30% target for representation of women in political and decision-making as outlined within the Declaration on Gender and Development. The new target of 50% women in decision-making positions, in line with the African Union (AU) position, was adopted by Heads of State. However, while the Declaration provided a timeframe of 2005 for the 30% target, the new 50% target did not carry any specific timeframes.

For South Africa, the declaration has been particularly meaningful in encouraging the determination of targets that spearheaded our rapid advance in some spheres such as in the representation of women in political and decision making positions. While we were able to surpass the 30% target of women in the Cabinet, we took slightly longer to reach this target for women in decision-making positions in the public service, which we achieved in March 2006. In addition, in line with the AU and SADC decisions, Cabinet adopted the 50% target for women at all levels of the Senior Management Services (SMS) of the Public Sector. Furthermore we have added a timeframe to this i.e. we must achieve gender parity in the Public Service by March 2009.

However, the advances we have made in this regard are not emulated by all SADC member states. The SADC Gender Audit however does not indicate the same progress for the sub-region. It is thus obligatory on us to ensure that through a protocol of this nature, we ensure that we advance the representation of women within key structures and in key positions. We must ensure that we strengthen the draft protocol by raising 30% representation to the adopted 50% representation of women and furthermore ensure that timeframes must be determined within the protocol.

The importance of a protocol on advancing gender equality is to ensure that we move from an era of commitments to an era of implementation. The protocol would also assist in synergising and harmonising the several global instruments that we are party to and take into account all commitments we have made. We must use this as an opportunity to identify gaps that arise within the global agreements or in their implementation and insert them into the protocol.

We need to also look carefully at the reporting procedures outlined in the draft protocol to determine its impact on us as a reporting member state. This consultative session must also provide us with the opportunity to look at our own communication strategy around the protocol and how we can domesticate it fully within the country. What would be its impact as well for the private sector and civil society and how we can look at compliance mechanisms for structures within the country?

Issued by: Ministry for Safety and Security
11 April 2007