SADC EXPERIENCES

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SADC EXPERIENCES

• GENDER MAINSTREAMING REGIONAL ECONOMIC
  INTERGRATION
• MAGDELINE MATHIBA-MADIBELA

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Mandate and Role of the SADC GU

• The SADC GUs mandate is to facilitate and
  coordinate gender mainstreaming in the policies,
  programmes and structures of the Secretariat.
• 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.

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SADC GENDER POLICY FRAMEWORK

• 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

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Within the SADC Secretariat, the GMS components
include-

• developed an overarching gender policy framework
  which paves the way for creating an enabling
  environment
• Adopted a broad strategy and plan for
  mainstreaming gender at different levels
• mechanisms for integrating gender into planning
  and project design, implementation, monitoring
  and evaluation
• integrating gender into organisational systems
  and procedures (personnel, selection and
  recruitment, working conditions and environment
  e.t.c)
• 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

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GENDER MAINSTREAMING MILESTONES IN SADC

• 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
• 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.
• 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)
• A Gender Policy Framework for the Southern
  African Development Community by UNECA )
  commissioned in 2003 by the SADC Secretariat

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MILESTONES cont..

• Development of Checklists and guidelines for
  Sectors(2003)
• Assessment of Capacity Needs of the SADC Gender
  Unit and National Machineries for Gender Equality
  in Member States (2003/2004)
• The adoption of a SADC Gender Policy in August
  2007
• The development of a Strategic Implementation
• Framework on Gender and Development 2006 2010
• Adoption of SADC Protocol on gender and
  Development(2008)
• Development of the SADC Gender Mainstreaming
  Resource Toolkit(2009)
• Development of SADC Gender Workplace Policy(2009)

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SUPPORT FROM ECA

• Technical Support
• Gender Mainstreaming Situation Analysis and
  Roadmap -2006
• Framework for the SADC Gender Policy-2005
• Monitoring and Evaluation customizing
  AGDI-2008/9
• ATPC Project Support of gender mainstreaming and
  Trade -2009

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GM Guidelines for TIFI

• Policy and Legal frameworks
• 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

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At National level SADC National Committees and
clusters of TIFI

• Analysis of impact for women and men of
  macroeconomic and sector policies in trade,
  industry, finance and investment using gender
  disaggregated information and data
• 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.
  
• 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
• 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

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Institutional structures and mechanisms

• Directorate of TIFI and at national level to
  ensure-
• 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/womens affairs and
  womens/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,
  dependants 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

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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
• Skills development in gender responsive planning
  and budgeting ( engendering budgets of
  Directorates of TIFI and the clusters of TIFI)
• 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 womens 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/organizatio
  ns 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
• 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
  Womens Entrepreneurs Associations (WEAs) 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
  WEAs, thereby optimising their performance as
  business intermediaries
• Fostering networking building and exchange of
  experiences between WEAs through regional
  cooperation between SADC and SAAR
• Inception of an international network between
  WEAs 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.

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CONCLUSION..

• Gender mainstreaming in SADC is not new.
• The guiding frameworks are in place and require
  effective operationalisation.
• At operational level ,some work has been done to
  lay the foundation for anchoring a well
  structured and responsive gender mainstreaming
  process.
• 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.
• 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.