ISS SEMINAR REPORT AN AFRICAN WOMEN S DECADE: 2010 2020, PERILS, PROGRESS OR A NEW AGENDA? Pretoria, 18th February 2010 Hosted by the Security Sector Governance (SSG) Programme and the Peace Missions Programme (PMP) Presenters: Dr. Cheryl Hendricks, Senior Research Fellow, SSG Programme, ISS Ms Sandra Oder, Senior Researcher, PMP, ISS Ms Loveness Jambaya Nyakujarah, Assistant Director, Southern Africa Gender Protocol Alliance, Gender Links Lt Col Theresa Moletsane, South Africa Peace Mission Training Centre Introduction The seminar An African Women s Decade: 2010 2020, Perils, Progress or a New Agenda? sought to share information on the progress made in Africa with the implementation of international and regional instruments on gender and how these instruments specifically address gender, peace building and peacekeeping at continental, regional and national levels. Opening Remarks Dr. Cheryl Hendricks, Chair of the Seminar, welcomed and thanked participants for their presence. She gave a brief background about the ISS and its work and indicated that the two programmes hosting the seminar, (SSG and PMP), have largely been driving the work on gender at the ISS over the last couple of years. Dr. Hendricks observed that the year 2010 is a milestone year for gender activists as it marks the 15 th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and the 10 th anniversary of
the UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which calls for women s inclusion in peace processes (peace making, peace keeping and peace building). These Resolutions also call for greater protection of women in conflict and post conflict zones, the prevention of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and conflict and the promotion of gender equality. In Africa, the Solemn Declaration for Gender Equality was adopted in 2004 and calls for: the acceleration of the implementation of gender specific economic, social and legal measures aimed at combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic; the full and effective participation and representation of women in peace processes including the prevention, resolution, management of conflicts and post conflict reconstruction in Africa and the prohibition of the recruitment of child soldiers and abuse of girl children as wives and sex slaves; expansion and promotion of gender parity and ensuring the active promotion and protection of all human rights for women and girls. The AU adopted a gender policy that amongst other seeks to mainstream gender into peace and security structures. In February 2009, the AU declared the period 2010 2020 as African women s decade. Dr Hendricks argued that Southern Africa has made great strides in terms of the adoption of a Protocol on Gender and Development, and cited Article 28 that specifically deals with issues of peace and security and the SADC Gender Barometer which tracks implementation of the Protocol. She also pointed out that baseline studies are currently underway as the basis upon which to begin to track progress in the SADC region. South Africa, Dr Hendricks continued, is considered as a leading country on the representation of women in peace missions. The peace mission white paper of South Africa has also been revised to reflect UNSCR 1325 as an objective. South Africa has also been actively engaged in formulating an Action Plan for domesticating UNSCR 1325. Internationally, the statistics for integrating women into peace processes remain dismal after 10 years. Dr Hendricks noted that there are still less than 1% of women that have participated in national peace negotiations. The target for women peacekeepers set by the UN was 10% but to date there have only been 1.9% of women in peace keeping missions. 6.4% of the police in Peace support missions have been women and only 23% of the civilian component is currently comprised of women. As a whole, the UN has not reached its targets. She reminded us that the UN and is made up of individual states and that they have to first meet these targets. Dr. Hendricks argued that there is need to think of more innovative ways of accomplishing this modest goal. She also noted that in a survey conducted by the UN in 2009 on the implementation of UNSCR 1325 in Africa, it was established that there is a lack of academic literature that specifically focuses on the results achieved in the context of the implementation of UNSCR 1325. The challenge is therefore to measure impact. Another challenge is the consistently low levels of awareness about UNSCR 1325 at the national level and in particular obtaining data on women s participation in peace and security related institutions. Dr. Hendricks argued that in the SADC region, this particular challenge is also evident. In closing, Dr. Hendricks further noted that combating gender based
violence in conflict and post conflict and countries considered relatively stable remains a vexing issue. Sandra Oder s presentation was a broad and critical reflection of the African Union s attempts at mainstreaming gender. She began by acknowledging that a lot has been done at the international and regional level in this regard. Sandra noted that when considering gender policy, it is important to think of it from a public policy perspective rather than from the political dimension. In the context of gender policy, one needs to understand what the policy is about, how others understand it, how its effectiveness can be ascertained and how it is accessed. She argued that the articulation of the AU gender policy and other gender instruments to the ordinary people of Africa is problematic: that there is a communication gap between the AU and the ordinary person. She urged for this particular issue to be taken more seriously. Sandra also speculated on how the AU can get out of the gender policy trap, that is, governments agreeing to adhere to policy but not fully committed to implementation. She argued for the need for clear time frames and a monitoring and evaluation system to ensure implementation. Loveness Jambaya Nyakujarah presented on the Progress on implementation of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development and contribution to the African Women s Decade. She first provided a background of the SADC Protocol on Gender & Development, which was adopted in August 2008. The Protocol encompasses commitments made in all regional, global and continental instruments for achieving gender equality. The SADC Protocol enhances these instruments by addressing gaps and setting up specific measurable targets where these do not already exist. The Protocol also advances gender equality by ensuring accountability by all SADC Member States and providing a forum for the sharing of best practises, peer support and review. The SADC Protocol on Gender and Development has elevated the SADC Declaration on Gender and Development to the most binding of regional organisation s instruments. The Protocol is a global first and has identified 28 targets to be achieved by the region by 2015. Some of the areas covered in the targets include: constitutional & legal rights; governance; education & training; Productive resources & employment; Gender based violence; health; HIV & AIDS; media, information & communication and implementation. In terms of progress and based on the findings of the Alliance s SADC Gender Protocol Baseline Barometer of 2009, Loveness reported that while there is some visible progress in all 15 countries especially at the political decision making and education levels, there is still a long way to go in achieving the 28 targets of the SADC Gender Protocol. However, the SADC Protocol Citizen Score Card gives an overall rating of 55% in terms of the commitments that have been achieved. Botswana and Mauritius have however not signed the Protocol.
Loveness continued to report that in the SADC region, constitutional provisions for gender equality are patchy and even though legal reform is advancing, harmful customary practices continue to undermine women s rights. Also, the issue of HIV and AIDS continues to undermine the fragile gains made and women continue to lack decision making power over their lives and bodies. Gender violence is also escalating but is high on the political agenda. Progress on the legal front in combating GBV is also patchy. Services are inadequate and there is need for reliable indicators on GBV. Loveness noted that Gender Links is in the process of trying to develop indicators for measuring GBV and that a pilot study in this regard is in progress. There has been progress in education, as well as a significant movement with regard to women s participation in political decision making. There are however major gaps between countries. For instance, there are 42% women in parliament in South Africa compared to 7% in DRC while 58 % of women are represented in Lesotho compared to 1,2% in Angola. Botswana and Lesotho top the public service charts. Women are however missing from economic decision making and from all areas of economic participation. In terms of media participation there has been a one step forwards, two steps backwards kind of progress by women in the media. Loveness observed that political will is key and deliberate measures are necessary in terms of quotas and affirmative action in all sectors etc. Targets set for 2015 are half way from being achieved but there is need for consistent monitoring. She cautioned that if these commitments are fulfilled or at least there is notable progress, then as a sub region, SADC would have contributed immensely to the advancement of African woman, albeit in the region. There are spin offs elsewhere as well, for example, other regions such as East Africa have approached the Alliance to learn lessons on developing a sub regional Gender Protocol of their own. Loveness concluded by noting that SADC is setting the pace for the continent, and maybe at a global level too. The final speaker at the Seminar, Theresa Moletsane, presented on South Africa s Progress on Gender Mainstreaming in Peace Missions. She began by observing that South Africa s participation in Peace Support Operations started in 1998 and is regarded as an extension of the country s foreign policy. Women in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) have been employed as Commanding officers, legal officers, air traffic controllers, cargo handlers, guards, advisory team members on integration, specialist medical advisors, military police, infantry soldiers etc. Ten percent of the personnel currently deployed in Burundi, DRC and Darfur are women. In terms of legislation, South Africa has ratified sub regional, regional and international gender mainstreaming instruments. These instruments endeavour to facilitate the full and effective representation of women in peace processes, including prevention, resolution, management of conflicts and post conflict reconstruction and development. The instruments include the Southern African
Development Community (SADC) Declaration on Gender and Development, the Beijing Platform of Action (1996), the Namibian Plan of Action on Protocol on Mainstreaming Gender, a gender perspective in multidimensional Peace Support Operations (2000), United Nations Resolution 1325 (2000), the African Charter on Human and People s Rights of women (2003) and the African Union Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (2004). In the South African context, Lt Col Moletsane noted that the participation of women in all spheres of life is one of the key elements of the South African government s transformation agenda. The achievement of gender equality is a Constitutional imperative based on section 9 of the South African Constitution, which entrenches the right to substantive equality. These rights include the prohibition of unfair discrimination based on gender, sex, marital status, and pregnancy. It also includes the adoption of positive measures to advance women, as a historically disadvantaged group, in order to address their systemic disadvantage in organisations and society. South Africa s Constitution further stipulates that, [t]he primary object of the Defence Force is to defend and protect the Republic, its territorial integrity and its people in accordance with the Constitution and the principles of International law regulating the use of force. Equality and, consequently, gender mainstreaming, are implied as follows by the above mentioned extracts from the Constitution: the people, which includes women and men; the Constitution, includes the principle of equality and International law which includes the gender dimensions thereof. Lt Col Moletsane added that South Africa s National Policy Framework for Women s Empowerment and Gender Equality (2000) undertakes to ensure that gender equality is at the centre of political, economic and social transformation process in the country, within all structures so that women and men benefit equally. She cited as an instance the White Paper on Defence (1996), the Police Act (1995) and the Correctional Services White Paper (2005), which all commit the respective Departments to gender equality at all levels. Chapter six of the South Africa Defence White Paper (1996) in particular underscores the principle of equality within the SANDF, and further stipulates that representation in terms of race and gender is fundamental to the legitimacy of the SANDF. The Ministry of Defence has expressed a commitment to align itself to the South African Constitution and the International prescripts on issues relating to gender equity and human rights. Specifically, there has been commitment by the SANDF to the following aspects: increasing the representivity of women at all ranks in the SANDF and in the Defence Secretariat; the acceptance of women to serve in the combat role and the provision of gender sensitivity education and training to all Department of Defence personnel without exception. In terms of success, South Africa leads on the representation of women in United Nations peace missions in Africa. 40% of these women come from the South African National Police Services and and 10 % from the SANDF.
Plenary discussions and comments There was a general sense of acknowledgement in the plenary that much remains to be done in terms of addressing implementation gaps with international and regional gender policy instruments. It was observed that in the long run, gender policy implementation obviously needs to happen, but this will not be achieved if women at the grassroots are not involved in the implementation process and also if the gender agenda is not grounded in the work of women at the grassroots. In line with the saying that whom the shoe pinches is going to act, one of the participants suggested the need to have a continental wide African women s movement. It was also observed that even though the AU Gender Policy is quite comprehensive, there is still need to find a way of addressing cultural practises that continue to hinder the implementation of the policy. Another important challenge to the implementation of gender policies is that there are no tools or ways of measuring and accessing what African governments have achieved or the progress they are making in implementing gender policies. There is therefore need to have a system that tracks achievements or lack thereof, of gender policy implementation at all levels, from the grassroots to the national level. Women movements should also create a framework that ensures that women s needs are tracked and how these needs are being addressed by individual African governments. Sandra also reiterated the need to address the seeming divide or disconnect between policy at the continental level and policy at the individual/grassroots level. Closing remarks Dr Hendricks noted that what had generally emerged from the discussions and presentations was the need to increase monitoring and evaluation to ensure implementation, but also to shift our focus back to grassroots participation and mobilisation. In addition, the preoccupation with measurement and technical aspects has a tendency to write out power dynamics. We need to keep a focus on power (who gets what, when, why and how) as central to inhibiting and/or changing gender relations. She thanked participants again for their presence and expressed her appreciation for the large and turnout of participants, from civil society, government and researchers, and especially the increased presence of men at these seminars. Dr Hendricks urged participants to do more of their own homework noting that if we want to see change, then we have to be the change that we want to see.