Botswana: Why Defer SADC Gender Protocol? Asks Tlale

August 24, 2007 - (AllAfrica) The Executive Secretary of the Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO), Baboloki Tlale, has expressed disappointment that the SADC Draft Protocol on Gender and Development has been deferred so some member countries could go and consult.

"We were hoping that the protocol would advance the women's cause," he said, adding that it is disappointing that after so much effort the protocol has been deferred. "It is something that should propel the region forward," he said.

The protocol was deferred during the SADC Heads of State Summit held in Lusaka, Zambia, last week. Amongst others, the protocol called on member nations to enshrine gender equality in their constitutions. The protocol also calls on SADC states to adopt and implement legislative and other measures to eliminate all practices that negatively affect the fundamental rights of women, men, girls and boys.

Article 5 of the protocol says that by 2015, member states must ensure that 50 percent of decision-making positions in the pubic and private sectors are held by women. The article says member states shall achieve this target through constitutional and other legislative provisions.

However, Botswana was one of the countries against constitutional amendments. Assistant Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Utlwang Matlhabaphiri said this is due to the fact that the country's constitution can only be amended through a referendum.

Matlhabaphiri said Botswana would be comfortable with the provision that says 50 percent of decision-making positions should be held by women, but without any prescriptions on how to attain this quota. But Tlale said the constitution is not cast in stone since a referendum could still be conducted to facilitate the amendment.

"I don't think our constitution is a Bible," he said. He said the SADC protocol was meant to change the way "we have been doing things. I think we failed as a country and SADC by deferring the protocol," he said.

Another clause that Botswana was not comfortable with calls for free education. Article 6 says member states shall, by 2015, ensure equal access to free quality primary and secondary education.

Matlhabaphiri said the government has introduced cost-sharing based on the (Kedikilwe) education commission recommendations. He said if the government was to abolish cost-sharing, it would be disregarding the recommendations of the commission.

However, he said, the government supports the clause that calls for the provision of quality education. Matlhabaphiri said the clause dealing with education, has been referred to the SADC protocol on education.

He said they also felt that the article, which discusses the independence of the media, should be left out since the issue is not gender-related. The assistant minister pointed out that in Botswana, there were extensive consultations on the protocol.

He said a workshop was held in Mahalapye for stakeholders. This was followed by a regional workshop held in Gaborone in April. The assistant minister, who said Botswana supports the protocol and is even ready to sign it, disclosed that they also issued a memorandum about the protocol to other departments for their feedback. It is anticipated that the protocol would only be adopted after the other member states have thoroughly consulted the various stakeholders.

From: http://allafrica.com/stories/200708270774.html