EXECUTIVE SECRETARY S STATEMENT ON THE OCCASION OF THE COMMEMORATION OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN S DAY 2017 8TH MARCH, 2017 MANZINI, KINGDOM OF SWAZILAND
Programme Director, Ms Khangeziwe Mabuza, Principal Secretary - DPMO The Right Honorable Deputy Prime Minister, Senator Paul Dlamini Hon. Esther Dlamini, Deputy Speaker of the House of Parliament Hon. Jabulane Mabuza, Minister for Commerce, Industry& Trade Chief Gcokoma, Manzini Regional Administrator Your Excellency Ms. Lisa. J. Peterson, the US Ambassador Mr. Israel Dessalegne, UN Resident Coordinator - Rev. B. Malaza, Council of Churches Mhlophe Mhlanga, Woman Farmer of the Year 2016 Neliswa Bhembe, Junior Achiever Africa Winner 2016, African Champion Thulisile Dladla, SWEET Operational Manager Mrs. Aylline Dlamini, President of Lutsango LwaKaNgwane Ms. Colani Hlatshwayo, Civil Society Organizations Representative Our exhibitors Invited Guests The Media As has been our norm as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat, we join the rest of the world, and the kingdom of Swaziland in particular, in commemorating the International Women s Day 2017 under the theme Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030. As SADC, we would also like to recognise and acknowledge the African Union s theme, which saw the year 2017 being declared as the year for Harnessing the demographic dividend through investments in youth. In this regard, SADC applauds the African Union
Commission for profiling the informal sector at global level as well as African Union call to invest in youth for the realisation of Agenda 2030 and Agenda 2063 respectively. A key objective of SADC is to achieve economic development, peace and security, growth, poverty alleviation, enhancement of standard and quality of life of the peoples of Southern Africa, and support socially disadvantaged groups through regional integration. This is in line with the priorities identified in our blueprint documents, namely the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP). Our strategic documents clearly address issues such as employment creation, poverty reduction, social protection and inclusive development by putting focus on supporting industrialisation and productive sectors with a view to promoting access to growth by developing value chains in the SADC region in sectors with large potential for job creation, such as agriculture. Consequently, SADC has rolled out SADC Guidelines on Gender Responsive Budgeting to planning entities in SADC Member States. These Guidelines provide a framework for SADC Member States to ensure that national budgets are practically addressing gender equality priorities and commitments. A SADC Youth Employment Promotion Policy Framework aimed at combating youth unemployment, and promoting entrepreneurship and access to decent job was also developed during 2016. These interventions are expected to contribute to the realisation of Demographic Dividend through the emergence of a larger, skilled and energetic labour force with a high income potential to accelerate the region s economic growth and integration. Without dampening the mood of this momentous occasion, the World Economic Forum predicts that globally, gender gap won't close entirely until 2186. In realizing how this is too long to wait, the critical question posed was: What if the world truly stepped up to take bold action? This very question emanated in the Campaign Theme dedicated
to address this gender gap called #BeBoldForChange# on International Women's Day 2017 and beyond, by taking ground-breaking action that truly drives the greatest change for women. Each one of us - through purposeful collaboration, like we are doing today, can help women advance by coming up with measures that are key to ensuring women s economic empowerment in the changing world of work. These must include supporting the development of a robust Regional Multi-Dimensional Women s Economic Empowerment Programme (RMDWEEP). Developing RMDWEEP that is all inclusive, multi-sectoral, and multi-stakeholder in approach with strong involvement of not only Gender Machineries, but also other critical sectors such as Agriculture, Horticulture, Trade, Finance, Infrastructure, Mining, Science and Technology etc, is key. Although not an absolute panacea to the problems of unemployment, especially of women and youth, it will certainly go a long way in addressing both the CSW and AUC themes. Women in the SADC region represent the majority of the poorest and the most vulnerable among social groups. This is due to the general subordinate legal status, limited access to productive resources such as land, technology, credit, education and training, formal employment, as well as susceptibility to HIV and AIDS. Women continue to be disadvantaged by limited access to and control over productive resources despite positive developments in the review of laws on access to some of these productive resources. The development of the Regional Multi-Dimensional Women s Economic Empowerment Programme is premised on the Revised SADC Protocol on Gender and Development PART FIVE PRODUCTIVE RESOURCES AND EMPLOYMENT, which comprehensively covers 5 critical articles that include: Article 15: Economic Policies and Decision Making; Article 16: Multiple Roles of Women;
Article 17: Economic Empowerment; Article 18: Access to Property and Resources; and Article 19: Equal Access to Employment and Benefits. As time will not allow me to enunciate all these articles, I am encouraging you to read the elaboration of how our region is doing in these as it is well captured in the fifth chapter of the SADC Gender and Development Monitor 2016, which was launched in Mbabane, Swaziland, in August 2016 on the margins of the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government. Since this is the first time that SADC Secretariat is collaborating with the SADC Chair in commemorating the International Women s Day, it is indeed befitting to congratulate you Deputy Prime Minister Senator Paul Dlamini, as the current Chair of SADC, to have swiftly acceded and grabbed the opportunity to be a trendsetter for other incoming Chairs. I indeed also commend the Department of Gender and Family Issues of YOUR Office for their sterling work in ensuring that this day becomes a success. We are ecstatic to witness commendable progress and efforts that you have made as well as visible results in the implementation of gender equality and women s empowerment commitments. Indeed, I must unreservedly and categorically state that the exhibition of the best practice on women in Agriculture and women and financial inclusion on this occasion of commemorating the International Women s Day in the Kingdom of Swaziland is a testimony to your unwavering commitment to Women Economic Empowerment. Programs exhibited today, like restoring girls dignity, girls access to communal land for farming, as well as demonstrating how the Junior Achievers Programme in Swaziland became a trendsetter in Africa through instilling an entrepreneurial culture for the in- and out-of-school youths, and how it empowers them with economic and financial literacy while exposing them to the workplace, are undoubtedly clear evidence of harnessing the
demographic dividend. They are indeed the epitome of both the International Women s Day and the African Union Commission themes for 2017. I can assure you that these will be part of the Best Practice materials that we envisage to infuse in the development of SADC Regional Multi-Dimensional Women Economic Empowerment Programme (RMDWEEP). I would like to reiterate our commitment as Secretariat towards women empowerment and achieving gender equality in the region, which will ultimately contribute to economic development and peace and security in the region. Our commitment is also evidenced by our collaboration here in harnessing the emerging focus area that calls for the empowerment of indigenous women, hence our consensus theme of SADC Secretariat Supports Women Economic Empowerment of Swazi Women. Chairperson, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to conclude by thanking you for the warm hospitality extended to me and my staff from the SADC Secretariat since our arrival in this beautiful kingdom. I thank you.