By IPS Correspondents
DAR ES SALAAM, Aug 28 2003 (IPS)

Southern Africa leaders reaffirmed their commitment to reach a target of at least 30 percent of women in political and decision-making structures by 2005.

This commitment came in light of a review at the Aug 25-26 meeting in Dar es Salaam which showed that progress towards achieving the Declaration on Gender Equality, signed by all Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries in Blantyre, Malawi in 1997 was disappointing.

Only two countries, Mozambique and South Africa, have achieved the target of 30 percent.

The SADC Declaration on Gender Equality commits the 14 member countries of SADC to repealing and reforming all laws, amending constitutions and changing social practices which still subject women to discrimination. It also commits the countries to promoting women’s full access to, and control over productive resources to reduce the level of poverty among women and taking urgent measures to prevent and deal with increasing levels of violence against women.

Tanzania’s foreign minister, who is the new chairperson of the SADC Council of Ministers, Jakaya Kikwete, told journalists that the council will “encourage member states to implement that decision well before the deadline”.

But there are fears that some SADC countries might not reach the target of 30 percent by 2005 since politics and decision making have been the domains of men for a long time. It will take time for the African social systems to accept women as equal to men.

“The countries are trying their best when we consider that we have less than two years before 2005. Sometimes it might be difficult to say that every country will reach the target of 30 percent,” said Christine Warioba, SADC Head of Gender Unit. “We have to look at it from a context where women were not involved in politics and decision-making positions.”

Warioba argued that, although doors are now open for women in politics they still face hurdles during election campaigns since they lack resources.

But she admits that where political parties have quota system it becomes easier for women to be elected into the political office. She cited South Africa and Mozambique, the only countries in the region which have achieved the target of 30 percent.

She says Tanzania has not reached the 30 percent target. But that it has institutionalised a target of 20 percent and 30 percent for councilors and legislators. As a result, Tanzania was able to achieve a target of 22 percent for women in parliament and 33 percent in local council during 2000 elections. The next general elections are scheduled for Oct. 2005.

Critics say Tanzania will achieve the target only if each party adopts quarter system and both parties and civil societies prepare women candidates for elections.

“Patriarchal system is slowly dying in Tanzania, societies are beginning to accept women as leaders, but parties need to do more ground work to look for women whose name will sell to the electorates,” says Ruth Meena, political scientists, gender and human rights activist at the University of Dar es Salaam.

She cites the 12 ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), women candidates who were nominated to contest but only one fail to sail through.

“This testifies that if parties decide even to put 50-50 men and women as contestants, all women might win if enough work is done to search for the candidates as well as capacity build them and get party backing,” Meena says. “Political parties are dominated by a patriarchal system which undermines and oppresses and marginalises women.”

She says political parties should be pioneers of gender equality since their countries have signed declarations, which are binding.

Warioba says Botswana, Mauritius, Namibia and Swaziland might meet the 30 percent target since they have elections before 2005. But the voters in Malawi and Zimbabwe go to the polls in 2005.

Swaziland, which holds its elections this year, also stands a good chance of achieving the target because it has adopted quota system in its constitution.

Unfortunately, Lesotho and Zambia have no way to achieve the target since they will be holding their general elections after 2005.

South Africa and Mozambique are likely to go beyond 30 percent, because both countries will hold their next general elections in 2004.

Warioba says the credit will go to Southern African leaders if they achieve the target. “The credit will go to them, and to their countries and the Southern Africa region as a whole,” she says.

SADC signed a Declaration on Gender, Equality and Development, committing its members to achieving the 30 percent target, in Blantyre, Malawi in 1997. Seven years later, the SADC heads of state summit, which was held in Dar es Salaam on Aug. 25-26, was still calling on the countries in the region to double their efforts to meeting that target.

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