On the 25th of April 2004, a day prior to the sub-regional meeting to review progress by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in achieving the Beijing Commitments convened in Lusaka Zambia on the 26th to the 28th of April 2004, SARDC-WIDSAA and the Non Governmental Organisations’ Coordinating Council for Gender and Development (NGOCC), convened a one-day working session in Lusaka, Zambia.

Funded by the Southern African Regional Offices for the Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries (HIVOS) and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the working session was convened to provide an opportunity for NGOs to make a strategic input into the main April meeting by taking stock of government and NGO activities after Beijing +5.

Participants at the meeting were expected to debate, agree on and document progress, challenges and constraints in achieving issues related to the Beijing Platform for Action (BDPFA), as well as to develop a future agenda.

Key observations of the meeting

It was found that whereas some SADC member states have made some progress towards gender equality and gender mainstreaming, disparities between women and men still exist in the areas of legal rights, power-sharing and decision-making. Access to and control over productive resources, education and health is still unequal and women still constitute the majority of the poor.

Although efforts to integrate gender considerations into SADC sectoral programmes and projects have not sufficiently mainstreamed gender in a coordinated and comprehensive manner, the meeting noted that achievements have been made.

These include:

• Policy development and commitment by SADC
• Establishment of gender focal points in some countries and Ministries responsible for women’s affairs and others
• The adoption and signing of the SADC Declaration on Gender and Development and the Addendum on the Prevention and Eradication of Violence Against Women and Children
• Development and Adoption of National Gender Policies
• Positive legislative developments to protect the rights of women

Common constraints discussed included:

• The application of dual law systems in the region
• Negative portrayal of gender issues by the media
• Lack of capacity by governments to effectively mainstream gender
• Lack of political will
• Negative customary beliefs and practices
• Poor implementation of laws and policies; and
• Non domestication of international instruments by governments in the region

Common national problems discussed ranged from prevalence of domestic violence, gender-based violence, inequality between men and women in accessing credit facilities, decision-making positions, and sexual, physical and psychological abuse of girls. HIV and AIDS, legal and cultural barriers, high rates of illiteracy among women, putting unpaid work on the political agenda and girl-child pregnancies pose major challenges for governments and NGOs within the region.

Key observations of the meeting

The meeting recommended the following:

• The SADC Gender and Development Declaration should be adopted as a Protocol to make it legally binding on SADC member states
• The international community should declare a decade for women
• Governments should, within their respective education policies de-register or bar from practising, any teaching professional that abuses or defiles a child
• It is government’s obligation to develop policies and enact legislation that guarantee women and children’s rights and prioritises issues of gender and poverty
• Governments should use constitutional, legal and policy reforms in the region to repeal all discriminatory laws and practices that hinder gender equality and prevent the full enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedom by women
• The 30% affirmative action for women in decision-making positions should be increased to 50% and should be attained by all governments by the year 2005; and
• Governments should domesticate international instruments to which they are party

A comprehensive communiqué, based on the proceedings and outcomes from the one-day working session was prepared and presented to the main meeting on 27 April 2004 as the NGOs input. The communiqué as well as the full report is available on request from widsaa@sardc.net , or at here