DAR ES SALAAM, 23 August -- The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is in the process of developing a gender policy that will enable member states to assess their performance in line with norms and standards set at the regional level.

Christine Warioba, head of SADC Gender Unit at the Botswana-based Secretariat said this when presenting an overview of progress on gender equality in southern Africa at the SADC Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, which opened with the meeting of senior officials on 20 August. Heads of state and government meet on 25-26 August.

“Once developed, the framework will enable member states to assess their national gender policy frameworks – whether they are in line with the priorities, strategies and targets set at the regional level,” she said.

The policy, which Warioba said was at the initial stages of development, is in line with the Declaration on Gender and Development that was signed by SADC heads of state and government in September 1997 in Blantyre, Malawi.

The declaration commits member states to achieving a target of at least 30 percent of women in political and decision-making structures by 2005. It promotes women’s full access to, and control over productive resources to reduce the level of poverty among women.

Member states are also obliged to repeal and reform all laws, amend constitutions and change social practices that still subject women to discrimination. The declaration is supported by an Addendum on Prevention and Eradication of Violence against Women and Children that was signed at the 1998 Summit in Mauritius.

Warioba said since the signing of the declaration, there has been a deliberate albeit gradual increase in women’s representation in parliaments, cabinets, and in other positions of power. She said some countries were on course to achieve the 30 percent target.

“Member states have used a number of measures, for example constitutional and party quotas, increased campaigns, educational programmes and awareness raising on election of women to positions of decision-making,” said Warioba, who is Tanzanian by nationality.

Briefing journalists earlier, SADC Executive Secretary, Prega Ramsamy, said a few countries have already attained the target. He said statistics compiled by the Secretariat in December 2002 indicated that South Africa has a 31.3 percent women representation in parliament and 33.3 percent in cabinet.

Also doing well is Mozambique with 31.2 percent in parliament, while only 13 percent are in cabinet. Botswana doubled the proportion of women in parliament to 18 percent during the 1999 elections while the cabinet reshuffle of 2002 increased representation in cabinet to 27 percent.

A 2000 constitutional amendment in the United Republic of Tanzania provided for a quota of 20 percent women representation in parliament and 33 percent in local government. The general elections the same year resulted in 22.5 percent in parliament and 33 percent in local government.

Ramsamy said these “examples indicate that some of the member states will be able to attain the targets set, while others might not be able to attain the targets, but they are on course in the process of increasing the number of women in decision-making positions”.

He added that presidential and parliamentary elections lined up in 2004 and 2005 in a number of member states will provide an opportunity to correct the situation in those countries that have not yet reached the target.

The two-day summit of heads of state and government that begins on 25 August will receive a report on progress by member states in implementing the 1997 gender declaration and its addendum of 1998. (SARDC)

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