National Action Plans - SADC

The South African Development Community (SADC)

In 2001, the SADC signed the Protocol on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation, a document that does not once mention that role of women in peacebuilding or refer to the disproportionate suffering of women in conflict. However, in 2008 the SADC drafted an additional Protocol on Gender and Development, which references UNSCR 1325 and other international instruments, including CEDAW, the Beijing Platform for Action (1995), and the Maputo Protocol (2003).

Though this is a step forward, a valid criticism of the Protocol is its new unwillingness to connect women's wellbeing and participation to a national and regional stability. The Civil Society Advisory Group to the UN on Women, Peace and Security remarks, "Like many states and regional organizations, SADC treats women's rights and gender as a separate and distinct issue from peace and security. Means of addressing the intersection of both these sectors must be created, recognizing that they are intertwined."

Details/Analysis

28 June 2012

Theme: Government Actors

Details/Analysis:

Member States must harmonize national legislation, policies, strategies and programmes, with relevant regional and national instruments to ensure implementation at the national level. Instrastate and interstate cooperation is expected.

The following institutional mechanisms are responsible for the implementation of the Protocol:

Committee of Ministers Responsible for Gender/Women's Affairs
Committee of Senior Officials Responsible for Gender/Women's Affairs
SADC Secretariat

28 June 2012

Theme: Civil Society Actors

Details/Analysis:

The Protocol states that the media must take the lead in giving equal voice to men and women in all areas of coverage and eschewing the depiction of gender stereotypes.

28 June 2012

Theme: Budget

Details/Analysis:

Member States must ensure gender sensitive budgets and designate the "necessary resources" toward empowerment initiatives.

28 June 2012

Theme: Implementation, Monitoring & Evaluation

Details/Analysis:

Member states must submit reports to the Executive Secretary of SADC biennially to indicate the progress achieved thus far.

The Executive Secretary of SADC will forward these reports to the Council and Summit. By 2015, member states must:

"enshrine gender equality and equity" in their constitutions and additionally ensure that these rights are not being compromised by any alternate provisions or practices
implement gender sensitive education policies and programmes addressing gender-based violence, among other pressing issues
review national trade and entrepreneurship policies in order to make them gender responsive
establish bilateral and multilateral agreements to run join actions against human trafficking and gender-based violence
adopt policies and services to:

reduce the maternal mortality ratio by 75%
address the mental, sexual and reproductive health needs of women and men
develop gender sensitive strategies to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS

place measures that ensure women equal representation and participation in conflict resolution and peacebuilding processes

CSOs have been vigilant with implementation tracking. See the attached SADC Gender Protocol Baseline Barometer 2009 for critical information on the success of the Protocol.

SADC Gender Protocol Baseline Barometer 2009

National Implementation

National Action Plans - SADC

Details/Analysis