A Gender Protocol Seven Years in the Making

After seven years in the making and two postponements, the 42 organisations from 14 Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states have come to a conclusion for the women of Southern Africa. At a summit held over the weekend of August 16th, a long-delayed gender protocol was signed that calls for 50% representation by women at all levels of government by 2015 and a call for legislative measures that guarantee gender sensitive political and policy structures. The protocol also includes 25 articles on different aspects ranging from access to justice and education as well as ensuring women’s rights to be included in member states’ constitutions. “Member states shall adopt and implement legislative and other measures to eliminate all practices which negatively affect the fundamental rights of women, men, girls and boys, such as their right to life, health, dignity, education or physical integrity,” the protocol states. The document is seen as a ground-breaking commitment that will put gender rights at the forefront of the SADC plan of action and provide a clear roadmap for the region’s leaders to move towards gender equality. Colleen Lowe Morna, executive director of GenderLinks, said she was thrilled by the outcome and emphasised that the economic provisions provided in the protocol’s affirmative action plan were “superb”.