Women still lag behind
A Southern Africa gender survey has found that 28% of women hold economic decision-making posts in Namibia, compared to more than 36% in Botswana and 23.5% in South Africa.
One of the other findings was that 55% of respondents across the region felt people should be treated the same, whatever gender they are. Nevertheless, 56% said that a woman should obey her husband.
While women are making some progress towards gender equality, many barriers, including emotional and physical violence, as well as workplace and economic discrimination, remain.
Southern African gender activists convened on the outskirts of Windhoek yesterday afternoon to launch the tenth edition of the SADC Gender Protocol Barometer.
The findings show that employers in all 15 SADC states pay women less than men.
At 54%, the difference between women's and men's average earnings is highest in Swaziland and lowest in Botswana, with an average difference of 12%.
Gender Links CEO Colleen Lowe said the gender barometer shows that “for every step forward on gender equality, we have witnessed a step backwards”.
“It's time for women to claim their space and make their own decisions about their bodies, their work, their relationships and their lives”.
The report shows that 11 countries in the region have undertaken constitutional reviews over the past ten years, and all but two, Botswana and Seychelles, now have specific references to promoting gender equality.
In terms of political representation, 26% of parliamentarians in the region are female, which is one percentage point lower than the baseline 2009 results, but two percentage points higher than the global and sub-Saharan average of 24%.
Women's representation in cabinet positions is lower, at 20%.
In Namibia, more than 31% of parliament members are women.
Namibia is one of the 13 SADC countries that have reached equal or close to equal enrolment in primary school.
Overall, eight SADC countries have reached equal enrolment in secondary school, with Namibia listed as one of those countries.
One in three women has experienced violence at the hands of intimate partners or others.
Emotional abuse, the most prevalent form of GBV in southern Africa, is the type least likely to be reported to the authorities, the survey found.
Sexual and physical abuse are grossly under-reported in the region overall, including in Namibia.
Out of the 15 SADC countries, only South Africa and Mozambique have legalised abortion on request.
And, while much has been done to address the issue, maternal mortality across the region “is unacceptably high and declining too slowly” to meet the global target of 70 per 100 000.
JANA-MARI SMITH
One of the other findings was that 55% of respondents across the region felt people should be treated the same, whatever gender they are. Nevertheless, 56% said that a woman should obey her husband.
While women are making some progress towards gender equality, many barriers, including emotional and physical violence, as well as workplace and economic discrimination, remain.
Southern African gender activists convened on the outskirts of Windhoek yesterday afternoon to launch the tenth edition of the SADC Gender Protocol Barometer.
The findings show that employers in all 15 SADC states pay women less than men.
At 54%, the difference between women's and men's average earnings is highest in Swaziland and lowest in Botswana, with an average difference of 12%.
Gender Links CEO Colleen Lowe said the gender barometer shows that “for every step forward on gender equality, we have witnessed a step backwards”.
“It's time for women to claim their space and make their own decisions about their bodies, their work, their relationships and their lives”.
The report shows that 11 countries in the region have undertaken constitutional reviews over the past ten years, and all but two, Botswana and Seychelles, now have specific references to promoting gender equality.
In terms of political representation, 26% of parliamentarians in the region are female, which is one percentage point lower than the baseline 2009 results, but two percentage points higher than the global and sub-Saharan average of 24%.
Women's representation in cabinet positions is lower, at 20%.
In Namibia, more than 31% of parliament members are women.
Namibia is one of the 13 SADC countries that have reached equal or close to equal enrolment in primary school.
Overall, eight SADC countries have reached equal enrolment in secondary school, with Namibia listed as one of those countries.
One in three women has experienced violence at the hands of intimate partners or others.
Emotional abuse, the most prevalent form of GBV in southern Africa, is the type least likely to be reported to the authorities, the survey found.
Sexual and physical abuse are grossly under-reported in the region overall, including in Namibia.
Out of the 15 SADC countries, only South Africa and Mozambique have legalised abortion on request.
And, while much has been done to address the issue, maternal mortality across the region “is unacceptably high and declining too slowly” to meet the global target of 70 per 100 000.
JANA-MARI SMITH
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