Petronella Sibeene
21 August 2008
Windhoek — The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare intends to hold workshops with the country's political parties to sensitise them on the recently-signed Gender Protocol that calls for 50 percent women representation at all levels of government.
The protocol signed at the weekend by Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders will advance the process of women's emancipation through policies, laws, programmes and projects that all member states would have to implement.
One of the objectives of the protocol is to provide for the empowerment of women, eliminate discrimination and achieve gender equality and equity through the development and implementation of gender responsive legislation, policies, programmes and projects.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Sirkka Ausiku, told New Era yesterday that gender sensitisation workshops for political parties would start early next year. The country is expected to hold presidential and general elections next year.
The political parties workshops will be complemented by women workshops.
The aim is to ensure that by 2015, Namibia would have implemented the protocol's demands.
"State parties shall ensure that all legislative and other measures are accompanied by public awareness campaigns which demonstrate the vital link between the equal representation and participation of women and men in decision-making positions, democracy, good governance and that citizen participation are put in place at all levels," the protocol states.
In Namibia, women in decision-making positions in both the public and private sectors stand at 33 percent, while in parastatals, the figures are at 21 percent.
At parliamentary level, women representation is 31 percent and 41 percent at local government level.
"The holding of political parties workshops is to encourage their women to stand for elections," says the Permanent Secretary.
Ausiku said her ministry might have to consult and look at the possibilities of amending the Electoral Act so that it makes provisions that would make it mandatory for political parties to have women represented by 50 percent at both national assembly and regional levels.
She also told New Era that the ministry hopes the protocol will be ratified by Parliament by year end before it is simplified from legal to layman's language.
The protocol does not only call for 50 percent representation by women at all levels of government by 2015, but also for member states to put in place legislative measures which guarantee that political and policy structures are gender sensitive.
It draws up a plan of action setting specific targets and time frames for achieving gender equality in all SADC countries as well as effective monitoring and evaluation.
The document covers 25 articles on different aspects, ranging from access to justice and education as well as ensuring women's rights is included in member states' constitutions.
One of the highest priorities within the document is putting legislative measures in place to promote and ensure practical realisation of equality of women.
The gender protocol calls for governments in the region to prohibit all forms of gender-based violence, including marital rape. The document has a provision that will ensure perpetrators of all forms of gender-based violence are tried by a competent court of law.
HIV/Aids is also addressed. The SADC region has the highest number of fatalities across the globe. The protocol calls for necessary steps to be taken to prevent the transmission of HIV and Aids among women, men, girls and boys, including people with disabilities.
It also stresses the importance of female-controlled prevention methods.
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