Transcript SADC EXPERIENCES

SADC EXPERIENCES
GENDER MAINSTREAMING
REGIONAL ECONOMIC
INTERGRATION
MAGDELINE MATHIBA-MADIBELA
Mandate and Role of the SADC
GU
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The SADC GU’s mandate is to facilitate and coordinate
gender mainstreaming in the policies, programmes and
structures of the Secretariat.
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It is also responsible for monitoring and evaluating
gender mainstreaming in the Secretariat, as well as
provide backstopping in planning and programming to
ensure effective gender mainstreaming is undertaken.
SADC GENDER POLICY
FRAMEWORK
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SADC Treaty
RISDP
SADC Declaration on Gender and Development
SADC Gender Policy
SADC Protocol on Gender and Development
SADC Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit
SADC Gender Workplace Policy
Within the SADC Secretariat, the GMS components
include:
developed an overarching gender policy framework which paves the
way for creating an enabling environment
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Adopted a broad strategy and plan for mainstreaming gender at
different levels
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mechanisms for integrating gender into planning and project design,
implementation, monitoring and evaluation
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integrating gender into organisational systems and procedures
(personnel, selection and recruitment, working conditions and
environment e.t.c)
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Strengthen structures and procedures for coordinating gender
mainstreaming, including the SADC GU and other identifiable gender
expertise within key decision making structures, reviewing
performance indicators, targeted skills building
GENDER MAINSTREAMING MILESTONES IN
SADC …………
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The establishment of the SADC Gender Unit in 1997 with a mandate to
coordinate a regional strategy for effective gender mainstreaming
amongst Member States and within the SADC Secretariat
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A Gender Audit Study commissioned in 2000 targeted at Sector
Coordinating Units (before restructuring), to assess the extent of
integration of gender equality concerns in programming under the
SADC Programme of Action.
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Training in gender analysis, planning, programming and evaluation for
the Social, Human Development and Special Programmes Directorate
(2004), Infrastructure and Services Directorate (2004), Food,
Agriculture an Natural Resources Directorate (2003), and Trade,
Industry, Finance and Investment (2003)
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A ‘Gender Policy Framework for the Southern African Development
Community’ by UNECA ) commissioned in 2003 by the SADC
Secretariat
MILESTONES cont……………..
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Development of Checklists and guidelines for Sectors(2003)
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Assessment of Capacity Needs of the SADC Gender Unit and
National Machineries for Gender Equality in Member States
(2003/2004)
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The adoption of a SADC Gender Policy in August 2007
The development of a Strategic Implementation
Framework on Gender and Development 2006 – 2010
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Adoption of SADC Protocol on gender and Development(2008)
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Development of the SADC Gender Mainstreaming Resource
Toolkit(2009)
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Development of SADC Gender Workplace Policy(2009)
SUPPORT FROM ECA
Technical Support:
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Gender Mainstreaming: Situation Analysis and
Roadmap -2006
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Framework for the SADC Gender Policy-2005
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Monitoring and Evaluation: customizing AGDI2008/9
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ATPC Project: Support of gender
mainstreaming and Trade -2009
GM Guidelines for TIFI
Policy and Legal frameworks
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Analysis of impact for women and men of macroeconomic and
sector policies using gender disaggregated information and data;
Review protocols, Declarations, and other macro-economic and
sector policies to address the negative impact to women and
men; Ensure vision, mission, objectives include intention to
achieve gender equality and equity;
Ensure review of existing laws, rules, procedures and regulations
and enactment of new ones to promote equal opportunity
between women and men in accessing resources; benefits; rights
and opportunities; participation in negotiations and decision
making processes in all aspects of trade; industry; finance and
investment; and at all levels.
Analysis of potential impacts for women and men of
fiscal policies;
monetary policies;
financial liberalisation;
agricultural liberalisation;
trade liberalisation;
At National level: SADC National
Committees and clusters of TIFI
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Analysis of impact for women and men of macroeconomic and sector
policies in trade, industry, finance and investment using gender
disaggregated information and data;
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Ensuring instruments/questionnaires for information and data collection
reflect the sex/and gender disaggregating to enable collection, analysis and
processing of information and data on the status of women and men in their
involvement in the various development processes coordinated by the
sector.
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Review macro-economic and sector policies to address the negative impact
to women and men; Ensure vision, mission, objectives include intention to
achieve gender equality and equity
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Review of existing laws, rules, procedures and regulations and
adoption/enactment of new ones to promote equal opportunity between
women and men in accessing resources; benefits; rights and opportunities;
participation in negotiation processes; in all aspects of trade; industry;
finance and investment at all levels;
Institutional structures and mechanisms
Directorate of TIFI and at national level: to ensure:-
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Equal opportunity between women and men in management and
decision-making positions;
Equal representation of women and men in decision-making
processes (ministerial and technical meetings);
Participation of gender structures (ministries responsible for
gender/women’s affairs and women’s/gender NGOs) in the
SADC National Committees and cluster meetings/activities;
Equality of rights and benefits for female and male employees
(e.g. housing, leave/travel, dependant’s allowances, maternity &
paternity leave; etc);
Services or flextime for female employees to enable them to
attend to childbearing and caring roles;
Gender competence development among all staff members and
availability of gender experts to support the daily activities of the
Directorate of TIFI and the clusters of TIFI,
Strengthened collaboration between gender structures and TIFI
structures at regional and national level
Training and capacity building
Directorate of TIFI and at national level to ensure:
Sector specific training and capacity building in gender analysis, planning,
gender budgeting specific to the sectors of trade, industry, finance and
investment;
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Skills development in gender responsive planning and budgeting (
engendering budgets of Directorates of TIFI and the clusters of TIFI)
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Training and capacity building in collection, management and dissemination
of gender disaggregated statistics and application of the same in policy
analysis, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the
policies, programmes and projects of trade; industry; finance and
investment;
Strengthening capacity of business women to access regional and
international markets (include facilitating women’s participation in trade
fairs and expositions at national, regional and international trade fairs and
investment fora);
Strengthening national business women associations to form regional
networks/organizations as well as be able to and participate in the regional
private sector initiatives;
Simplification of customs procedure to enable fast movement of people and
goods at boarder posts and gender awareness of customs and immigration
officials;
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SPECIFIC INITIATIVE/S TO FAST TRACK GM ON
TRADE
SADC/Inwent Capacity Building Initiative on Trade:
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The SADC Trade Protocol Article 2, highlights that it shall contribute
towards the improvement of the climate for domestic, cross border
and foreign investment.
Hence, a comprehensive holistic capacity building programme is
needed for women in business in the region that will look and address
their different needs;
CHANCE project is designed to enhance the economic empowerment
of Women in SADC and SAARC Regions. The project aims at
supporting selected Women’s Entrepreneurs Associations (WEA’s)
and Chambers of Commerce of Women in the two regions with focus
on three components:
Training and capacity building with a view to improve the professional
skills, services and overall organisational management of individual
WEA’s, thereby optimising their performance as business
intermediaries
Fostering networking building and exchange of experiences between
WEA’s through regional cooperation between SADC and SAAR
Inception of an international network between WEA’s from Southern
Africa, South Asia, and Europe to exchange experiences and create
new long business relations.
The specific activities of the project will include: Fellowship
Programmes, Summer School in SADC/SAARC, study tours, regional
skills and information exchange and trade fairs.
CONCLUSION………..
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Gender mainstreaming in SADC is not new.
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The guiding frameworks are in place and require effective
operationalisation.
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At operational level ,some work has been done to lay the foundation
for anchoring a well structured and responsive gender mainstreaming
process.
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There are opportunities for strengthening what has already been done,
the most important being the political will at the highest levels of the
Secretariat and other supporting structures.
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Several gaps require closing, including the lack of a coherent
mechanism running through the different levels of the Secretariat to
systematically address the integration and sustenance of gender
issues in organisational systems and procedures, structures,
planning, programming, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of
the impact of the work being done;
 There are challenges that need to be addressed: institutionalising
gender issues, more support from management, effective
implementation of decisions insufficient funding and inadequate
staffing.