Current status quo in terms of the 2014, 50:50 gender parity goal SectorCurrently In parliament 44 percent in the 2009 elections to 40 percent in the.

Current status quo in terms of the 2014, 50:50 gender parity goal

Sector Currently

In parliament44 percent in the 2009

elections

to 40 percent in the 7 May 2014 polls,

In provinces Dropped from41%

To 37%

Cabinet remains at 51%

The proportion of women premiers dropped from 55

percent in 2009

to 22 percent in 2014.

In the 2011 local elections, women's representation

dropped from 40 percent to

To 38%

Out of the 249 ANC seats at national level,

115 (46 percent) are held by women. This is a four percent decline from 2009.

In DA Women hold only 27 of the 89 seats (30 percent). ent in 2009 to 31 percent in 2014.

At provincial level, women's representation in the DA declined by four percentage points from 35%

EFF got a whopping 25 seats in parliament

of which only nine (35 percent) are held by women

IFP out of the 10 seats in parliament,

only two seats (21 percent) are held by women.

1. Central Government(quota: 30%) DG’s/PS: 34 Directors:35,9 2. public/civil service commission:41,7%3. IEC: 40%4. Peace and Security Missions(UN and AU Operations) Individual force:20.7% Experts missions:23.3% Contingent troops:17.4%

5.Tertiary education(universities/technickons) Research and academic staff: range

between 30%-48% SADC Gender Protocol: SA signed

on17/08/08; ratified in 2011

South Africa does not has legislation enforcing political parties, to stick to the quota system in their electoral party lists

 The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) has always been averse to quotas

Agang, led by a woman, only got two seats. However party leader Mamphela Ramphele, said she is not going to Parliament because she wants to reflect on her party's disappointing performance, and is putting forward two male MPs.

There is a need for an overarching strategy that responds to all of the above-cited strategic deficits and which enables the MPWC to take a leading role in driving the gender and poverty agenda beyond 2015. Of relevance in determining such a strategy are the priorities and areas of focus being discussed and debated currently, which include the following

Globally, the focus is on the shape and nature of global development beyond 2015/ after the Millennium Development Goals. Here the thinking is informed by global considerations such as:

The Human Development Report (HDR), which highlights challenges confronting the entire world, the ‘three E's’ economic (finances, mainly in Europe and trickle down globally) energy (lack of alternative energy sources) and ecology (climate change).

These are affecting all countries, specifically developing countries, specifically poor women.

The June 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, known as Rio+20, adopted a stand-alone Sustainable Development Goal to ‘attain gender equality [and] empower women and girls everywhere’. This goal has been unpacked into 11 specific gender targets.

Post 2015 poverty and gender agenda should have the following characteristics:

It should: Leave no one behind( be inclusive of gender, race,

age, ethnicity, etc)/ from basic economic opportunities

Put sustainable development at the core Transform economies for jobs and inclusive growth Build peace and effective, open and accountable

institution for all Forge new global partnerships, which will be

inclusive of all

1. A transformative goal on gender equality built on the premise of a human rights approach to development that seeks to:

a) End all forms of sexual and gender based- violence faced by all women and girls by 2030;

b) Ensure women and girls have access to, control over and ownership of productive resources including land, credit, energy, information and technology;

c

c) Ensure 50% representation of women in decision-making across all sectors by 2030*+98/

d) Recognition, redistribution and remuneration for unpaid care work for women and girls.

2. Eliminate legal, social and economic barriers that prevent women and girls from accessing their sexual and reproductive health rights as well as integrated services.

3. Gender mainstreaming throughout all proposed goals that would lead to social, economic and environmental

transformation, achieved through identifying specific gender targets as well as disaggregated gender sensitive indicators that would curb the persistence of gender inequalities, discrimination and unequal development progress between women and men, girls and boys

Challenges Progress

Constitutional and legal rights, e.g. ratification of SGP, child marriages, Child birth rights, death and inheritance rights, etc

There is good progress, most SADC countries have human rights friendly constitutions, articulate issue of non-discrimination, specifically because of gender; 13 of the 15 SADC Countries have AA provision in their constitution

Governance ratification of the SGP; electoral systems, quota’s unregulated, lack of political will

Slight regress by SADC from 2nd to 3rd place comparing with Nordic countries and America; SA has been the 2nd in the region and 3rd continentally; estimates suggest that by the end of 2015 SADC countries will just fall short of the original 30% target and not reach the 50% as well

Education and training: gender parity in education remains a hot potato; human rights approach to education is a call by CSO

Good patches of progress, e.g. SA is amongst the countries which have higher proportion of women in tertiary

Productive resources and employment, economic empowerment; representation of women in economic decision-making positions, , e.g. 2 finance minister in the region, 3 central bankers in the region(SA, Botswana and Lesotho)

Regionally, women in economic decision-making increased from 18%-26% in 2014; but there is a room for improvement

Women account for a large proportion of informal and cross border traders; no proper laws, resources and infrastructure to support them; trade laws are gender blind, countries like SA, Namibia, Zimbabwe have women friendly procurement policies; land ownership progress remains patchy but there are countries making progress, e.g. ranging between11% and 25% Sychelles, DRC, Tanzania; SA is making some progress, Zimbabwe program is gender-neutral

Gender-based violence: prevalence varies, country by country, e.g. Mauritius 25% and about 89% in Zambia, is a huge problem in the Region; it is a major cause for spiraling figures of HIV infections; policies and practices remain a challenge; attitudinal beliefs are also a challenge

Gap between policies and practices

Lack of proper baseline studies on GBV

Sexual and reproductive health;, access to contraceptives; regulated safe legal abortions

Countries such as SA lead in these areas

HIV/AIDS: SADC remains the highly region of the world, TB as well

Efforts to roll-out treatment and awareness-raising make demonstrable impact

Gender, climate change and sustainable development; poor developing countries specifically poor women affected by disasters

This should be included in the revised protocol; preparedness/ having plans that gender responsive

In the SADC Region, after intensive data collection and analysis, important stakeholders that met proposed that the SADC Gender Protocol be packaged into clusters, themes, targets and quantifiable indicators. It is recommended that the clusters include the following:

Gender responsive governance, e.g. Economic and climate justice Women’s rights Voice/communication Gender management systems.

Cluster Theme Targets Indicators

1. Gender responsive governance

•Constitutional and legal rights•Governance•Peace and security(gender responsive definition)

201113

212015

2. Economic and climate change

•Education and training(awareness-raising)•Economic Justice(inclusive approaches)•Sustainable development and climate change(gender responsive )

41425

102830

3. women’s rights •Gender Based Violence•Sexual and Reproductive Health•HIV and AIDS

151113

1002522

4. Voice •Media and ITC 16 20

5. Gender management system

•Implementation, M&E 8 9

Continentally the African Common Position in as far as gender equality is concerned, prioritizes the following (based on the outcomes of the consultative meetings convened by the African Union) :

Adoption of a human rights approach to gender equality, which has been unpacked into 4 targets

Adoption of a reproductive and sexual rights approach to gender equality

Gender mainstreaming, has been, once more adopted as a strategy for gender equality