Honourable Members, Ms Boemo Sekgoma-SADC PF Secretary General, and the Secretariat, it’s a great honour for me to make a closing statement for our meeting.

Honourable Members, I am delighted to note that as a Committee we have been able to meet virtually and   hold our meeting as planned, and let me take this opportunity to thank the secretariat for their effort to facilitate the holding of this meeting  

Honourable Members, during this meeting, though short, the Committee has discussed a number of crucial issues in relation to the implementation of the SRHR HIV/AIDS and Governance Project, and a report will be prepared for presentation to the Plenary Assembly.

Honourable Members, let me also express my sincere gratitude to our secretariat for updating the committee on the project implementation. The Presentations were quite informative, and consequently as a Committee we have learnt quite a lot and we now have a clear picture on how the project is being implemented.  

Honourable Members, without wasting much of your time, let me declare the meeting closed and wish you safe stay.

Thank you all, Honourable Members

Closing Remarks by the Chairperson of the HSDSP Committee Honourable Bertha Ndebele MP, 16 April 2021

PRESENT

• Bertha M. Ndebele Malawi (Chairperson)
• Luisa Damiao Angola
• Ts’epang Ts’ita Mosena Lesotho
• Jerónima Agostinho        Mozambique
• Nkhensani Kate Bilankulu South Africa
• Lucien Rakotomalala Madagascar
• Maria Langa-Phiri Zambia
• Joyce Makonya Zimbabwe

ABSENT  WITH APOLOGY

• Hon Ashley Ittoo Mauritius
• Hon Sebastian Karupu Namibia
• Hon Jamal K Ali Tanzania
• Hon Terence Mondoni Seychelles

SECRETARY

• Mr Dennis Gondwe, Secretary SADC PF Secretariat

IN ATTENDANCE

• Boemo M. Sekgoma Secretary General
• Ms Jabulile Malaza Eswatini
• Ms Agnes Lilungwe SADC PF Secretariat
• Trudi Hartzenberg Executive Director, Trade Law

Centre (Resource Person)

The meeting was called to order at 09:15 hours.

AGENDA

• Credentials of Delegates and Apologies.
• Welcome Remarks by the Chairperson.
• Adoption of Agenda.
• Consideration of Minutes from the previous Meeting held at Southern Sun Hotel O.R. Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa on 10^th March 2020, ahead of the 47^th Plenary Assembly Session.
• Noting of the COVID-19 Guidelines Released to National Parliaments and Consideration of the Adaptive Strategy for the Forum concerning the linkage between SRHR and COVID-19
• Commemoration of the International Safe Abortion Day 2020
• Presentation on the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on the SADC Region
• Closing Remarks by the Chairperson

CREDENTIALS OF DELEGATES AND APOLOGIES

Apologies were recorded from the national Parliaments of Botswana, Namibia, Mauritius, Seychelles and Tanzania. 8 out of the 15 Member Parliaments were present. Accordingly, the meeting was deemed to be properly constituted.

ADOPTION OF AGENDA

The draft Agenda was adopted without amendments on a motion by Mozambique and seconded by Zimbabwe.

 WELCOME REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON

In her welcome remarks, the Chairperson, Hon Bertha Ndebele, recalled the meeting of the 10^th March 2020 held in Johannesburg, South Africa, where the HSDSP Committee had deliberated on a number of issues, including the implementation status of the second phase of the SRHR, HIV and AIDS Governance Project which fell under the Committee’s oversight ambit, the proposal for the development of the Model Law on Public Financial Management and the recruitment of the Programme Manager for the HSDSP and GEWAYD Standing Committees. In the same meeting, the Committee had also requested to be briefed on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the SADC Region hence the inclusion of the said briefing on the agenda of this meeting. Hon. Ndebele commended the Secretariat for securing a resource person to sensitize the Committee on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which was adversely affecting not only the Region but the entire globe. To that end, the meeting was being held under the current and relevant theme, “The need to adapt to COVID-19 and streamline response measures taken in the view of uplifting the SRHR Agenda of SADC Member Parliaments.”

Hon. Ndebele noted that in line with its Vision of standing as “the flag-bearer of democratization and socio-economic development in the SADC Region” the SADC PF had proactively developed and released COVID-19 Guidelines for National Parliaments to assist them to respond to the pandemic in a harmonized, rights-based manner. The HSDSP Committee, as the Committee directly responsible for championing human and social development issues at the Forum was thus duty bound to consider the Guidelines as well as the adaptive strategies and, where necessary, provide direction in the implementation of the same given the differential impact of COVID-19 on SRHR in the different Member States. It was thus imperative that the Members of the HSDSP Committee be capacitated on the impact of the pandemic and possible response strategies as this would enable them to spearhead debate at the Forum and in their national Parliaments.

CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING HELD AT SOUTHERN SUN HOTEL O.R. TAMBO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA ON 10^th MARCH 2020, AHEAD OF THE 47^TH PLENARY ASSEMBLY SESSION.

The Committee considered the minutes of the previous meeting, and the following corrections were made:

• That on page 1, the name of Hon. Maqelepo be removed on the list of those absent with apologies;
• That on page 5, Item 5.1 first sentence the word ‘including’ be replaced with ‘namely’
• That on Page 5 on the table reflecting SRHR Researchers the spelling of the name of the SRHR Researcher appointed by the Parliament of Lesotho be corrected to “Ntsoaki Chabeli”
• That on page 6 Item 5.2 be rephrased to ‘each staff member’
• That on page 10 Item 7.0 be rephrased to “…the Secretary General provided the link to the WHO website for more information”

On the motion by Mozambique and seconded by Zimbabwe the minutes of the previous meeting held on 10^th March 2020 were adopted as a correct record of proceedings subject to the afore stated amendments.

MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING, HELD AT SOUTHERN SUN HOTEL O.R. TAMBO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA ON 10^TH MARCH 2020, AHEAD OF THE 47^TH PLENARY ASSEMBLY SESSION.

There were no Matters Arising from the Minutes of the previous meeting.

NOTING OF THE COVID-19 GUIDELINES RELEASED TO NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS AND CONSIDERATION OF THE ADAPTIVE STRATEGY FOR THE FORUM CONCERNING THE LINKAGE BETWEEN SRHR AND COVID-19.

The Secretary General briefed the meeting that in line with the Forum’s Vision of being ‘the flag-bearer of democratisation and socio-economic development in the SADC Region,’ it was imperative for Member Parliaments and Members of the SADC PF to keep abreast with contemporary developmental issues, including strategies to counter and adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic which had been declared a disease of International Public Health Concern (IPHC) by the World Health Organisation (WHO). To that end, the SADC PF had come up with the Guidelines for National Parliaments to Address the COVID-19 Outbreak (Attached as Annexure 1) as a framework to buttress short and long-term interventions by national Parliaments and Governments in the region. The Guidelines were informed by public health principles contained in Model Laws that had been developed by the Forum, including the quest for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) which had been the theme of the 46^th Plenary Assembly held in Swakopmund, Namibia in December 2019, as well as international public health principles outlined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) among others.

The Guidelines were also predicated on Parliament’s role in mitigating the pandemic including, but not limited to, policy-making and enactment of legislation as well as budgetary oversight. To that end, the Guidelines provided pointers to Members on what they should look out for in fulfilling their legislative, policy and budgetary oversight and representative role in the fight against COVID-19 within the remit of UHC. This included embedding principles of equality, access to health care services, observance of human rights, protection and promotion of frontline staff and access to SRHR services which had become more prominent during the pandemic. For instance, cases of teenage pregnancies, gender-based violence, intimate partner rape and rape in general had increased while access to health care services such as cervical cancer screening and access to anti-retroviral treatment had also been seriously compromised. It was thus critical for Parliament to enquire into and deliberate on these issues as well as ensuring that budgetary allocations cover this broad spectrum of SRHR issues which had been heightened by the pandemic. The Guidelines thus provided a user-friendly one-stop guideline in looking at this whole gamut of SRHR related issues.

The Guidelines also outlined the possible adaptive strategies by national Parliaments and how Parliaments could streamline SRHR issues within these response initiatives. For instance, it was highly probable that national Parliaments would prioritise the enactment of COVID-19 related emergency legislation during the prevalence of the pandemic at the expense of any other legislation. It would be important, therefore, for Members to ensure that SRHR issues do not take a back seat during the pandemic given the upturn in SRHR indicators during the pandemic. Thus it would be prudent for national Parliaments to prioritise both SRHR and COVID-19 related legislation despite giving greater priority to the latter.

The Secretary General stated that over and above budgetary oversight, the Guidelines also provided for increased oversight on institutions and agencies of the State during the pandemic. It was just as important for national Parliaments to ensure prudential allocation and use of resources during this crisis period as it was for them to prevent arbitrary wastage of public funds. It would also be important for Parliaments to demonstrate inclusivity and an increased willingness to champion SRHR issues of communities and vulnerable groups during the pandemic. To this end, Members of the HSDSP Committee were expected to engage citizens at the community level to hear their concerns and report to the Committee on the same. Members were also implored to influence their Committees at the national level to adopt and implement the Guidelines and again report on what they had done in this regard at the next meeting.

In the ensuing deliberations, the Chairperson underscored the importance of the Guidelines particularly, their insistence on Members keeping tabs on SRHR issues during the pandemic. Hon. Ndebele confirmed that, indeed, teenage pregnancies had gone up exponentially in Malawi with the Ministry of Health confirming that the rate of teenage pregnancies had risen from 29% to 35% since March 2020. To that end, it was imperative for Members of the HSDSP Committee to internalise the Guidelines and the adaptive strategies and champion them in their respective national Parliaments.

COMMEMORATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SAFE ABORTION DAY 2020

As part of belated commemorations of the International Safe Abortion Day held on 28^th September 2020 under the theme, “Telemedicine, self-managed abortion and access to safe abortion in the context of COVID-19 pandemic,” the Committee was treated to an illustrative video which highlighted the prevalence of unsafe abortions and their negative impact on women and girls in the region. The video revealed that, though most countries in the Region were averse to legalising safe abortion, one (1) in every four (4) pregnancies in Southern Africa ended in abortion while sixteen thousand (16 000) women die each year from abortion related complications. 74% of unsafe abortions ended in death and the reasons for unsafe abortion varied from rape to unmet needs for contraceptives as well as poverty.

However, these fatalities could be avoided if women and adolescent girls are given unrestricted access to safe abortion services and contraceptives. Instead, girls and women have had to suffer the ignominy of stigma and ostracism that often comes with unsafe abortion let alone the trauma and lifelong internal injuries associated with the same. Unsafe abortions were also impacting negatively on the development of women and adolescent girls in the Region as the victims are often forced to drop out of school due to stigmatisation and thus miss out on economic opportunities. In this regard, unsafe abortions have adverse economic consequences for governments and the public health system as the cost of having safe abortions was estimated to be less than a tenth of the cost of caring for women after abortion. Additionally, loss of income and the cost of recovery from unsafe abortions exerted a major financial burden on families, communities and the public health system.

Restrictive policies and legislation were the major stumbling block to safe abortion and unrestricted access to contraceptives. Even in cases where safe abortion is permissible, other barriers such as the distance to the health care service centre, lack of information on safe abortion, social norms and cultural practices that perceive abortion as taboo and sinful and stigma drove women and adolescent girls underground into unsafe abortion practices. Governments and Parliaments in the SADC Region thus had it within their power to stem the growing tide of unsafe abortions and save lives by:

• Enacting progressive SRHR policies and legislation that promote safe abortion and access to contraceptives.
• Speaking out against stigma, social norms and cultural practices that force women and adolescent girls to opt for clandestine unsafe abortions.
• Educating health service providers on ethical conduct that is non-judgemental and supportive of safe abortion.
• Enhancing access to sexual and reproductive health information.
• Lobbying for the implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education to prevent early and unwanted pregnancies

Making abortion legal and accessible would thus improve the lives of communities by reducing maternal mortality and morbidity, keeping the girl child in school and increasing sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Consequently, putting policies in place that expand access to safe abortion would lower health care costs and achieve Sustainable Development Goals.

The Committee noted and acknowledged the need to promote safe abortion in the SADC Region by enacting enabling legislation and policies. The Committee recognised that in the absence of enabling legislation unsafe abortion would continue unabated and the Region would continue to lose the potential human capital resident in women and adolescent girls.

PRESENTATION ON THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON

THE SADC REGION: TRUDY HARTZENBERG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TRADE LAW CENTRE

 Ms Hartzenberg prefaced her presentation by acknowledging that the COVID-19 pandemic had affected everyone, some more closely than others, and had changed the way we live, the way we relate and the way we do business. She asserted that the COVID-19 pandemic was a health crisis in the first instance which had morphed into a global economic crisis and a developmental crisis for Africa. This had been exacerbated by Africa’s vulnerability to crises due to the continent’s fragile health systems, the largely informal economies and a heavy reliance on tourism and trade which were adversely impacted by the closure of borders. COVID-19 had thus exposed existing vulnerabilities, inequalities and exclusions and unearthed new ones. The pandemic had brought to the fore the need for Africa and the region to review its national, regional and continental development priorities as well as the importance of regional integration, regional co-operation and collaborative regional responses in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and any other crises that may arise in future. It was thus important to review some of the response initiatives that countries in the region had taken with a view to galvanising reconstruction, recovery and building resilience.

The presenter noted that from the time the first case was discovered in Egypt on 14^th February 2020, African countries had stepped up their capacity to test and trace cases of infection. In that respect, African countries had proven that in a short space of time they could develop their capacities and strengthen their health care systems- a positive development which Africa and the region should build on for future resilience.

In terms of national emergency response measures, the presenter noted that most countries either declared the pandemic a state of emergency or a national disaster, both of which are governed by national constitutions and are subject to Parliamentary oversight. These declarations were both legitimate and appropriate and allowed States to muster the resources necessary to fight the pandemic timeously. However, it must be noted that some of the emergency measures, including national lockdowns, had had a severe and lasting impact on the economies of SADC countries in terms of income generation and employment. An increasing number of people had lost their livelihoods, among them cross border traders who were mostly women, tour operators, small and medium enterprises. It was thus urgent and imperative for policy-makers to start factoring this into the planning process for post-COVID recovery and job creation.

Ms Hartzenberg also reminded the Committee that the rule of law is no suspended during states of emergency/national disasters. It was, therefore, the role of Parliament to ensure that the rule of law is observed and further that the measures adopted are legitimate and appropriate within the ambit of the state of emergency. The presenter highlighted that national emergency measures do not only impact on the national territory but can go further to adversely affect neighbouring countries. For instance, the closure of a border has an immediate impact on neighbouring countries particularly in view of the configuration of the SADC Region which has a number of landlocked countries. This impacts on trade routes and renders access to food supplies difficult thus making food security a major concern. Access to medicinal requirements and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was also disturbed by the closure of borders. Additionally, international agreements, among them, Article 9 of the SADC Protocol on Trade, allow for exceptions during states of emergency and enable countries to place restrictions on exports while allowing imports by, for example, lowering import duty on certain goods. However, when governments entertain these measures they recognise the impact that it will have but the measures are adopted to protect the interests of their citizens even if they have an impact beyond their national jurisdiction or boundaries. Thus the pandemic also affected trading across borders.

On a positive note, the COVID-19 pandemic had enhanced the use of information and communication technology. The presenter noted that some countries had begun accepting e-certificates of origin in payments, e-certificates for standards and communicating digitally to expedite decisions and facilitate trade. The lesson to be learnt was that if digital trade solutions work in the Region during the time of the pandemic, then there was need to seriously consider adopting them post-COVID as they bring significant cost and time savings and reduce the transaction cost of doing business which disproportionately impacts SMEs. However, the region must remain wary that digital trade is contingent upon network connectivity and energy security which the Region has to improve.

Conversely, the coronavirus had exposed Africa and the region’s vulnerability. The presenter pointed out that Africa as a continent is home to thirty-three (33) of the world’s forty-seven (47) least developed countries. Of those 33, fourteen (14) are landlocked which brings its own challenges while some are also small island countries which brings additional challenges. To this end, the budgets of the majority of nations had been stretched to the limit in attempting to mitigate the pandemic leaving them largely dependent on external support. While this support was welcome, the presenter cautioned that some of the support would only worsen the national debt post-COVID 19. This would have a bearing on reconstruction and recovery efforts. It was, therefore, important for Parliaments to closely monitor the national debt with a view to ensuring that it does not adversely affect the country’s resilience in future.

Ms Hartzenberg also flagged the strain that had been placed by the COVID-19 pandemic on diaspora remittances as one of the economic effects of the pandemic. She noted that in some countries, diaspora remittances make a significant contribution to financial inflows at the household and national level. As such they were critical for livelihoods and access to essential services and supplies. Regrettably, the World Investment Report predicted that foreign direct investment to African countries would decline by between 25% and 40% which is a very significant reduction particularly in view of the fact that most African countries did not generate enough savings to translate into domestic investment. National Parliaments were, therefore, duty-bound to initiate dialogue and find solutions to the heavy dependence on diaspora remittances going forward.

The presenter noted that though generally the statistics appeared to show that there was a greater infection rate among men than women in the SADC Region, there was an unfortunate dearth of statistics in relation to how the pandemic was impacting on women and girls at the household and national level. It was imperative, therefore, for solid, evidence-based research to be carried out to determine the economic and social impact of the pandemic on women and girls at the household and community level.

The pandemic had also resulted in a significant reduction in commodity prices on the international market due to a decline in demand resulting from the closure of borders and national lockdowns. For instance, the price of oil had gone down leading to a concomitant reduction in the price of fuel in some countries. Additionally, the pandemic had also culminated in an inevitable shrinking of the tourism sector and related downstream sectors by 3.3%. The Region’s recovery was thus inextricably tied to the recovery of the global economy.

True to the maxim that says “necessity is the mother of invention,” the pandemic had also exposed the ingenuity of business people and young people in the Region. UNICEF had launched a COVID-19 Design Innovation Challenge and youths from the length and breadth of the continent had responded positively with new products and new digital solutions. A case in point was the 23-year old Malawian national who had developed an offline mobile learning application. The majority of inventions were digital innovations which would put the Region at a competitive advantage on the global market post-COVID.

The presenter commended Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the SADC PF for issuing Guidelines and recommendations to assist SADC countries in the fight against the pandemic. She noted that the Guidelines developed by the SADC PF, which called for co-operation among Member States, had been proactively issued in April, shortly after the outbreak of the pandemic, which demonstrated the Forum’s responsiveness to issues affecting the region. However, she noted with dismay that whilst the Guidelines provided a comprehensive reference point for adaptive strategies, the major drawback was that they were not binding on Member States and thus could not be enforced. She called upon the Committee to find ways of ensuring that the Guidelines are implemented.

In view of the foregoing impact of the pandemic, the presenter made the following recommendations:

• She called on Africa and the region to focus on enhancing its productive capacity by harnessing the intellect of students at universities and tertiary institutions to repurpose the Region’s productive capacity.
• She stressed the need for consultation, co-operation and a co-ordinated regional response in customs and border management, harmonisation of tariffs and trade facilitation, among other issues.
• She implored policy-makers in the Region to initiate discussions on post-COVID recovery, reconstruction and resilience. The discussions ought to centre on diversification and developing productive capacity, food security in terms of linking agriculture to industrial development, trade facilitation, development of the services sector, that is, health care, education, transport, communications, including digital health care solutions which remained untapped, and enhancing Governments’ capacity to respond to and manage crises.

In the ensuing deliberations, the Chairperson expressed the Committee’s appreciation to Ms Trudi Hartzenberg for an informative and eye-opening presentation. The Chairperson conceded that, indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic had thrown the spotlight on the need for SADC countries to work together in fighting the pandemic following the realisation that what affected one country was likely to affect its neighbours. To that end, the Committee undertook to use the presentation as an informative baseline in lobbying for the implementation of the Guidelines.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

In her concluding remarks, the Chairperson thanked the Secretariat for laying the groundwork for a successful meeting. She also reiterated the Committee’s appreciation to Ms Hartzenberg for taking time off her busy schedule to deliver an enriching and mutually edifying presentation. She averred that the information they had been given would allow the Committee Members to make evidence-based interventions during deliberations in their national Parliaments and at the Forum.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

There being no further business to transact, the meeting adjourned at 12:12 hours.

Minutes of the HSDSP for the meeting of 16 October 2020

Honourable Members, Ms Boemo Sekgoma- the SADC PF Secretary General, and the Secretariat, it’s a great honour for me to speak before you this morning.

Honourable Members, as you are aware one of the guiding principles of the SADC Parliamentary Forum is to promote a culture of human rights within SADC which includes the enjoyment of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) for all, without discrimination. On the strength of this mandate, the SADC-PF in collaboration with national parliaments is implementing   a 3-year Project on SRHR, HIV and AIDS Governance.

Honourable Members, the activity period for the Project is from 1^st July 2019 to 30^th June 2022, and 14 national parliaments are taking part in the implementation of the project.

Honourable Members, as you are aware, the HSDSP committee has a statutory mandate to oversee and provide leadership in the implementation of the project. It is against this background that this meeting has been organised so that the Members are updated on implementation processes of the project

Honourable Members, during this meeting, the committee will also consider its annual workplan for the year 2021, you are all therefore requested to have a look at it and make contributions on how best the workplan can be effectively implemented.

Honourable Members, without wasting much of your time, let me welcome you all to the meeting and wishing you fruitful deliberations.

Thank you all, Honourable Members

NOTICE OF MEETING

You are invited to a Zoom meeting of the SADC PF Regional Women Parliamentary Caucus (RWPC) under the THEME:  “POST COVID IN THE SADC REGION: MEETING WOMEN’S NEEDS IN A CONTEXT OF MULTIPLIED CHALLENGES”

When: Thursday, 17 June  2021 from 11:00 AM to 17:00 Johannesburg Time.

Please register in advance for the meeting on this link:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIvcemopzsqEtDN5j91xZL-QTQMRsiQPkto

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Contact Paulina for inquiries: email: [DOT] </" data-ep-ae40f="i<small> [A">.

Thank you.

INTRODUCTION

• The Regional Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (RWPC) of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum organizes a Zoom Meeting to discuss the ways that Parliamentarians can work with their local governments to help mitigate the challenges faced by women before, during and post COVID-19.

• If the situation was dire for women’s empowerment and development before the COVID-19 Pandemic, the crisis has only come to bring those challenges to the surface and the Post-Covid era comes to present a time for urgent change, in order to prevent a further exasperation of existing inequalities between women and men, girls and boys.

CONTEXTUALIZATION

• COVID-19 may be considered the worst economic social and health crisis of the century, so far, and at this point, governments are scrambling to find solutions and implement recovery plans that guarantee economic growth for all. Nevertheless, the situation is a bit grimmer for women in the region.

• Women are more likely than men to have the lowest paid and least protected jobs that are the first to fall away in economic crises. Women account for a significant influx of informal and cross border trading, agriculture and entrepreneurship. Approximately 74% of women in Africa are engaged in the informal sector, working as nannies, street vendors or domestic workers, all of which are jobs where access to social security, health insurance, or entitlement to sick leave are limited or simply not provided. Women also comprise most of the smallholder farming sector that has been paralyzed due to the travel restrictions imposed by many states to mitigate the spread of the disease. Migrant workers, in their majority women, have their rights, movements and remittances equally restricted due to pandemic control measures. The vulnerability persists as schools remain closed, and the likeliness of the increase of girls dropping out and early marriages due to poverty is practically inevitable.

• According to a UNWomen and UNFPA report, “the COVID-19 Pandemic has had far reaching and diverse effects on women and girls and will set back global efforts to achieve most gender related SDG targets, especially those related to SDG3 (Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being at all ages) and SDG 5 (Achieving gender equality and empowering all). The alarm has been sounded.

• According to this same study, more than 60% of Women and Men in Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa experienced a complete loss or decline in personal incomes, deepening already high poverty rates and entrenching the gender disparity of women being more likely than men to live in extreme poverty.

• As said by Dr. Julitta Onabanjo, Regional Director of UNFPA in East and Southern Africa, “The pandemic has a strong gender dimension, with women at the front line as health and care responders, at the same time experiencing a kick-on impact on several fronts, including their sexual and reproductive health. We have seen communities that have resorted to negative coping mechanisms such as child, early and forced marriages. We have also see escalating levels of domestic violence and abuse. The consequences being a denial of women and young girls’ health, rights and socio-economic prospects. By denying their prospects and potential, you deny society the opportunity to prosper.

• All the SADC Member states are parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Radical Discrimination (CERD), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and The African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR). Only DRC and Zimbabwe have not ratified the Convention Against Torture (CAT). Botswana, Comoros, DRC and Mozambique are not parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).

• At the continental level, in June of 2020 the AU Commission on Women, Gender and Development Directorate set in motion the “Maputo Protocol Scorecard and Index Framework” as a monitoring and evaluation tool that will be used not only as a safety measure against the violation of women’s rights during the emergency crises, and as a recovery tool. It is expected that this tool will enhance accountability for how Member States implement the obligations that they commit to. Only 12 countries in the SADC region are party to the Maputo Protocol, and all except for Mauritius have ratified the SADC Treaty and the Protocol on Gender.

• In the specific case of GBV, SADC Member States have agreed to the commitment to eliminate GBV by 2030 and the SADC-PF commissioned the development of the Model Law on Gender-Based Violence that could be used by its member states to prevent, address and combat all forms of GBV. By guiding Member States in the ratification, domestication and implementation of the relevant international and regional principles, guidelines and obligations that inform gender-based violence prevention and response interventions at Member State level, the law has become of primordial necessity in this post-COVID19 era.

• A primary aspect of the recovery is the COVID-19 vaccine which is recognized as the only viable means of combatting the disease. It is therefore, heartening to note that according to the WHO, as of the beginning of the month of June, 51 of the 53 African countries had received doses of the vaccine, although only 48 had begun administering them.

• Evidence available shows that vaccine roll out has been slow in most countries and Africa still does not have enough vaccines. It is imperative for the SADC region to work towards a total removal of all obstacles hampering the ability to access vaccines. According to research, it should stand that until all of us have access to vaccines, no one, including those that are getting the vaccine, are safe. It is only through an equitable approach that we can ensure eradication of the virus on the African continent, and globally.

• We continue to face a lack of accountability, absence of or limited access to verifiable data, limited capacity for data and information processing, and the lack a platform for the identification of best practices that can be adapted into a mechanism for the successful resurfacing of African economies.

• Through their constitutional mandates in their respective national Parliaments, and through forums such as this one Women Parliamentarians have and get the capacity to advocate for and promote the effectiveness of the measures adopted by governments in order to guarantee that the Rights, Protection and Empowerment of women and girls are taken into account at every level of implementation. As part of the effort to elaborate the GBV Model Law, this intersected characteristic of discrimination and disempowerment of women and girls brought about by the pandemic equally need to be carefully considered.

• The SADC Gender Policy recognizes that women and girls face challenges in accessing legal rights, education, health and economic resources. The increase in GBV incidence exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic makes it an urgency for Member States to carefully assess where they stand, and where they need to in order for the living conditions, for women and girls to radically change in an eventual Post-COVID era and hence achieve development targets recommended in the International and Regional Conventions ratified by the Member States of SADC.

• In an Assessment of Compliance of Existing Southern African Development Community (SADC) Member States’ Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Laws to International Agreements and SADC Regulations, it is recommended that all Member States should be encouraged to ratify the international and regional treaties which provide benchmark for GBV legislation. It also states that the Model Law will be central in ensuring that post ratification, domestication is comprehensive and in line with international and regional standards, while prioritizing the following:
• Comprehensive definitions of crimes related to GBV;
• Uniformity in victim support services;
• Provision of free legal aid for survivors;
• Recognition of multiple and intersecting vulnerabilities;
• Revision of sentencing guidelines; and
• Harmonization in legal age of majority.

OBJECTIVES

• The specific objectives of the Zoom meeting are:
• To analyze the many ways in which GBV has been exacerbated in the context of the COVID-19 Pandemic;
• To explore the ways in which women’s and girls’ rights have been violated and could be promoted positively for the period post COVID-19;
• To engage with the RWPC in promoting women’s and girls’ right to freedom from discrimination and access to civil liberties and equal labor rights in the face of COVID-19;
• To promote continuous peer learning among Parliamentarians (sharing information, experiences and challenges, relating to and amidst the present context of COVID-19.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

• The expected outcomes of the RWPC Meeting are:
• To have areas and means of action for mitigation of violation of women’s and girls’ labor rights clearly defined
• To take further steps towards the elaboration and approval of the GBV Model Law

METHODOLOGY

• Each country will present the impact of GBV within the context of COVID-19 and on progress on COVID-19 vaccination, including progress made in enabling women to access COVID Vaccines through a PowerPoint presentation or a short intervention of no more than 7 minutes

• Presentations on:
• The safety of COVID-19 vaccinations and related ethical considerations;
• Findings from a study conducted by UN Women and UNFPA on Gender consideration in the context of GBV.

VENUE AND DATE

• The meeting will take place via the platform Zoom on June 17th^h, 2020

TARGET PARTICIPANTS

• The Zoom meeting targets the MPs from RWPC, CSOs and partners of development involved in the promotion of gender equality and labor rights of women and girls, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 situation.

Concept - RWPC Meeting 17 June 2021

THEME:     ENHANCING REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION THROUGH INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT:  A CASE OF ONE STOP BORDER POST

Background

Infrastructure development is very fundamental in the trade facilitation agenda as well as in deepening regional economic integration among Regional Economic Communities (RECs). This is because well-established infrastructure such as roads, railways and border infrastructure, among others facilitate efficient intra-regional trade and the free movement of goods, services and people across boundaries. It follows, therefore, that the absence of well-established infrastructure negatively impacts the flow of goods and services including individuals. The African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 aspires to put in place the necessary infrastructure to support Africa’s accelerated integration and growth, technological transformation, trade and development. This infrastructure development is therefore aimed at catalising integration and intra-African trade and investment, among other things.

One key element in facilitating infrastructure development relating to trade is the model of One-Stops Border Post (OSBPs).  The OSBP concept refers to the legal and institutional framework, facilities, and associated procedures that enable goods, people, and vehicles to stop in a single facility in which they undergo necessary controls following applicable regional and national laws to exit one state and enter the adjoining state (OSBP Sourcebook, 2^nd Edition, 2016)

In 2004, the East African Community (EAC) together with the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority developed the East African Transport and Trade Facilitation Project, which among other activities, called for the development of OSBPs in the Region. OSBPs have also been identified as a central element in the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) and its associated Priority Action Plan (PAP) prioritising continental programs to address the infrastructure deficit that severely hampers Africa’s competitiveness in the global market (ibid).

The Chirundu OSBP, the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, is the first OSBP in the African region. The OSBP programme was initiated by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Regional Economic Community and the Zimbabwean and Zambian governments embarked on the preparations to launch an OSBP at Chirundu in 2004 (COMESA, 2013). Following the launch of the Chirundu OSBP, with the support of development partners, the concept and development of OSBPs has expanded rapidly with the support of development partners as one of the major tools to tackle impediments to the growth of trade in Africa. More than 80 OSBPs/joint border posts (JBPs) on the continent are now at the planning or implementation stage. However, as of 2016, not all OSBPs that have been constructed are fully functional (OSBP Sourcebook, 2^nd Edition, 2016).

However, despite the progress recorded of more than 80 OSBS in the process of being operationalised, and the anticipated benefits of the model of OSBP such as improvement in physical infrastructure, streamlining the bureaucratic clearance procedures, and generally improving the efficiency in border management and operations, very little is known regarding the progress and trajectory of implementing the OSBP model in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Region. Therefore, the role of Regional Parliaments in facilitating pieces of legislation to support the establishment of OSBP and advocating for adequate budget allocation to support the core cannot be downplayed. With the commencement of trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on 1^st January, 2021, acceleration of infrastructure development under the OSBP model will be very fundamental in realising the returns from intra-regional trade under the AfCFTA and under other trade Agreements.

With this background, the TIFI Committee will consider the theme Enhancing Regional Economic Integration through Infrastructure Development through the concept of OSBP.

Objectives

The objectives of the Committee meeting on Enhancing Regional Economic Integration through Infrastructure Development: A case of One Stop Border Posts are to:

• understand the background to the concept of OSBPs
• explore the benefits of OSBPs;
• appreciate the role of OSBPs in the trade facilitation agenda including harmonisation and simplification of international trade procedures;
• appreaciate the lessons learnt, the challenges being faced and the prospects, if any, in the implementation of OSBPS;
• learn the status in implementing the model of OSBP in the Southern African Region;
• establish the role national Parliaments can play in enhancing regional economic integration through infrastructure development;

Methodology

The virtual meeting will be a one day activity hosted by the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) and convened by the by the SADC PF Standing Committee on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment (TIFI). The meeting will receive expert presentations from COMESA, the Zambia Revenue Authority, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and the Southern Africa Cross Border Traders’ Association.

 Venue and Date

The Meeting will be held virtually on Zoom on 11^th April, 2021 from 09:30 to 16:00 (GMT+2) and simultaneous interpretation will be available in the three official languages of SADC PF, namely English, French and Portuguese.

 Participants

The Session will be attended by members of the SADC PF Standing Committee on on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment and stakeholders drawn from Civil Society Organisations, the media and technical partners in SADC.

Concept Note - Standing Committee on Trade, Industry, Finance And Investment (TIFI), Sunday, 11th April, 2021

PRESENT

The virtual meeting of the Standing Committee on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment (TIFI) was held on Monday, 6^th July, 2020.  In attendance were the following Members who convened via Zoom:

Hon. Anele Ndebele                         (Chairperson)               Zimbabwe 

Hon. Ruth Mendes                           (Vice Chairperson)       Angola

Hon. Dumelang Saleshando                                                 Botswana

Hon. Tsepang Tsita-Mosena                                                 Lesotho

Hon. Denis Namachekecha                                                  Malawi

Hon. Jimmy Donovan                                                           Madagascar

Hon. Rosina Ntshetsana Komane               Proxy                South Africa

Hon. Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane                                       Zambia

ABSENT WITH APOLOGY

An apology from the Parliament of Eswatini was noted.

IN ATTENDANCE

Ms. Boemo Sekgoma                                        Secretary General

Mrs Edna K Zgambo                                         Committee Secretary

Mr Sheuneni Kurasha                                       Programmes Manager

Mr Rangarirai Chikova                                      Resource Person (AFRODAD) Mr Adrian Chikowore, Resource Person (AFRODAD)

Mr Misael Kateshi                                              Resource Person

AGENDA

On a proposal by Zambia and Seconded by Malawi, the agenda was adopted without amendments as set out below.

• Credentials of Delegates and Apologies.
• Adoption of the Agenda.
• Welcome Remarks by the Chairperson of the Committee.
• Consideration of Minutes and Matters Arising from the Minutes of the previous Meeting held from 6^th to 7^th July, 2020.
• Consideration of the draft work plan for the year.
• Consideration of the Theme Enhancing the Role of Parliament in Budgeting for Increased Budget Credibility and Public Financial Accountability in times of Pandemics and Crises.
• Any Other Business.
• Conclusion and Closing remarks by the Chairperson.

WELCOMING REMARKS

The Standing Committee met under the theme, ‘Enhancing the Role of Parliament in Budgeting for Increased Budget Credibility and Public Financial Accountability in times of Pandemics and Crises.’ The Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment (TIFI), Hon Anele Ndebele, welcomed the Members and resource persons to the meeting. The Chairperson acknowledged that by leveraging the limitless possibilities that Information Technology (IT) offered, the Forum had made it possible for Members of the Forum, wherever they were, to discharge their mandate, which included representation, law making and ensuring accountability. The Chairperson noted that the theme under consideration was timely and relevant because a defining characteristic of crises and pandemics was their unpredictability. This necessitated pre-emptive planning and budgeting to ensure robust, timely and adequate responses, ideally those that were financially supported by domestic resources.

In conclusion, Hon Ndebele invited Honourable Members to join him in congratulating His Excellency Mr Wavel Ramkalawan, a former Member of Parliament of the SADC Parliamentary Forum on his well-deserved election as President of the Republic of Seychelles.

CONSIDERATION OF THE WORKPLAN

On a proposal by Angola and Seconded by Zambia the work plan was adopted as follows:

• Summer School organised by the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD to be held on );
• Review of the status of ratification of SADC Protocols on a date to be advised; and
• Review of the One Stop Border Posts on a date to be advised.

CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES AND MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MEETING OF THE TIFI STANDING COMMITTEE HELD ON THURSDAY, 23^RD MAY 2019, PREMIER HOTEL O. R TAMBO AIRPORT, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

On a proposal by Malawi and seconded by Lesotho, the minutes of the previous meeting were adopted without amendments and the minutes were approved as a true reflection of the TIFI Standing Committee meeting which took place on Monday, 6^th and Tuesday, 7^th July, 2020. Further, no matters arising were raised,

Budget Credibility and factors driving low budget credibility

The Standing Committee on TIFI received and considered an expert presentation from Rangarirai Chikova a Policy Analyst for Domestic Resources Mobilisation from AFRODAD. Mr. Chikova’s presentation highlighted the important issues as outlined below.

• Budget credibility was noted to be a fundamental objective of any developing Public Financial Management (PFM) System. It was recognised as an important component of effective institutions in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework.
• A credibly implemented budget was one that had only small deviations from the approved one both in terms of overall expenditure and revenues and in terms of the allocation between programs.
• Factors driving budget incredibility included: under spending which could occur when revenue collections were lower than anticipated, delays in receipt of revenues and unpredictable revenue flows. Others included ineffective procurement systems and inflexible procurement rules that made it difficult to execute and insertion of infeasible projects into the budget by legislators thereby exacerbating budget credibility
• Regarding underspending in developing countries, on average, national budgets in aggregate were underspent by almost 10 per cent. Levels of underspending were also higher in critical sectors, such as agriculture, Education and health.
• High reliance on mineral rents, weak tax laws, Illicit Financial Flows (IFF), large informal sector, corruption and tax holidays were noted to be the major factors related to revenue deviations. Between the year 2004 and 2013, a cumulative of USD 309 Million had been lost from the SADC Region through IFF.
• Pandemics, crises and national disasters were unforeseen circumstances which usually resulted in governments spending more than they had planned.
• In the context of the Covid-19 Pandemic, the SADC region economic growth forecast was revised from a growth of 2.3 per cent in October 2019 to a contraction of 3.4 per cent in April 2020. As a result, the fiscal deficit of the SADC region was estimated to widen to 8.9 per cent compared to the October, 2019 of 4.5 per cent, a reflection that the region spent more than what was planned.
• Lock downs and temporary closure of companies resulted in revenue losses. IFF also rose due to the fact that countries were placing greater attention to control the spread of the pandemic and giving a blind eye to smuggling.
• The presenter noted that prior to the Covid-19, 45 million people were estimated to be food insecure in the SADC Region as a result of climate shocks, as well as structural macro-economic factors. Covid outbreak and its debilitating impacts on livelihoods exacerbated the situation.  
• To effectively ensure budget credibility, the TIFI Committee was informed that Honourable Members must actively engage in, among other things, Pre-budgets debates and take stock of what had worked in the previous year and devise ways to address identified challenges and see to it that parliament becomes aware of the government’s fiscal policy intentions.

The TIFI Standing Committee concluded and resolved as follows:

Following the presentation, the TIFI Committee discussed and drew the following conclusions and recommendations

• Budgets that were not credible undermined confidence between those who provided funds (taxpayers and donors) and those entrusted to administer them in accordance with the agreed plan.
• Ineffective procurement systems especially during pandemic and crises created room for revenue leakages and made it difficult to execute budgets as appropriated. It was the responsible of Parliaments to enhance fiscal transparency practices, such as adopting measures to report whether budgets had been executed as planned, or whether there had been deviations along with clear explanations for the reasons for deviations.
• Forgone revenue through unnecessary tax holidays could potentially increase government revenue and reduce the burden of accruing debt to finance national budget. This called for national Parliaments to legislate on laws that curb IFFs, tax evasion, tax avoidance including eliminating harmful tax holidays.
• National Parliaments should thoroughly scrutinise tax mining development agendas so that our governments do not continue losing revenue through clauses embedded in these agendas.
• As a result of crises and pandemics, nations were quick to borrow from both domestic and international economies to respond to the effects brought about by crises. The increase in debts implied less resources for budget allocations to critical sectors such as education, health and agriculture because collected revenues are diverted to debt servicing.
• Most budgets were based on unrealistic assumptions and weak frameworks. Therefore, there was need to strengthen national governments’ revenue planning and forecasting by addressing gaps in technical capacities and removing political incentives to inflate revenue projections
• During unprecedented pandemics or crises, expenditure control mechanisms turned out to be weaker in practice, fiscal rules and procurement procedures were flouted in the process due to the perceived urgency to respond to the effects of the pandemic. In times of pandemics, parliamentary oversight must be fully exercised to ensure prudent utilisation of resources by the Executive. Further, national fiscal transparency practices must be enhanced.
• Covid Pandemic outbreak and its debilitating impacts on livelihoods had exacerbated the livelihood situation in the SADC Region. Prior to the Covid-19, 45 million people were estimated to be food insecure in the SADC Region as a result of climate shocks, as well as structural macro-economic factors. Therefore, national governments must develop roadmaps, guiding spending towards poverty alleviating programs and effective delivery of public services and progress on sustainable development.

International Public Finance and Budget Credibility in SADC

The Standing Committee on TIFI received and considered an expert presentation from Mr Adrian Chikowore, the Policy and Research Consultant in International Public Finance at AFRODAD. Mr. Chikowore’s presentation highlighted matters as outlined below.

• The TIFI Committee was informed that Financing for Development (FfD) was about promoting a comprehensive and integrated approach to providing the policies and resources needed to support sustainable development around the world.
• It included the mobilisation of domestic resources (such as tax revenues), international financial resources (such as Official Development Assistance (ODA) and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), remittances and Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). 
• The presenter highlighted that harnessing the role of the private sector in financing development, maximising the use of innovative financing sources and mechanisms as well as increasing trade capacity and investment to create jobs and promoting debt sustainability were also tenets of FfD.
• Given the challenges in raising finances domestically and falling ODA and FDI, PPPs had become critical in raising resources from private sector for development interventions. As such, governments had been raising capital/financing through partnerships with private actors. However, the results had not been all positive especially recognising the fact that PPPs were seldom on the budget books of governments thereby giving a false picture on the fiscal position of governments.
• Eight countries had dominated the blended finance/PPP deal share in the sub-Sahara region with Uganda at the top accounting for at least 34 per cent with an average deal size of $205 million per year between 2012 and 2017. DRC accounted for 11 per cent share of blended finance/PPP deals in the region with an average deal size of USD$230 million. The difference between these top 8 blended finance/PPP destinations was based upon geography, resources endowments and sectors in which finances were disbursed towards or sectors in which private sector realised profit with limited risks.

The TIFI Standing Committee concluded and resolved as follows:

Following the presentation, the TIFI Committee discussed and drew the following conclusions and recommendations.

• Given the challenges in raising finances domestically and falling ODA and FDI, SADC Governments must harness the role of the private sector in financing development, maximising the use of innovative financing sources and mechanisms in order to sustainably provide required services to citizens.
• National parliaments must enhance oversight on ODA disbursements and PPP contracts in respective countries in order to maximise returns from PPP projects and obtain value for money through the ODA.
• Member countries must increase advocacy on sustainable financing instruments through Pro-People development finance especially on PPPs including inclusive stakeholder consultations on PPPs. Member countries must enhance capacity development on the implications of International Public Finances on national budgeting cycles.

Role of Parliament in Budgeting and Oversight with Particular Reference to the COVID-19 Pandemic and other Crises

The Standing Committee on TIFI also received and considered an expert presentation from Mr Misael Kateshi, the Head of Department for the Budget Office at the Zambian Parliament. A summary of the presentation was as outlined below.

• Oversight was one of the functions of the Legislature and in most jurisdictions. The Constitution mandated Parliament to oversee the performance of the Executive functions.

• The TIFI Committee was informed that crises came in many forms and varying degrees of severity and location. They could be as a result of human activity or could be natural.

• Measures that governments could take to deal with a crisis or pandemic included fiscal and monetary policy measures. Huge amounts of resources were usually mobilised domestically and externally to deal with any crisis. These measures usually came with accountability issues.

• The presenter submitted that experience suggested that reasons for accountability challenges included: large scale of spending which triggered rent-seeking behaviour, uncoordinated involvement of many actors created opportunities for inefficiency and leakage, the speed with which interventions were implemented tended to result in Public Financial Management (PFM) regulations being relaxed such as those relating to procurement, accounting for extra-budgetary funds, and ex-post verification.

• The Committee was informed that it was important for Parliaments to scrutinise the allocation of donated resources and reallocation of savings arising from debt relief such as the Debt Service Suspension Initiative.

• It was noted that multi-sector approaches to deal with crises were incomplete without parliamentary involvement. Therefore, oversight mechanisms during a crisis must include activities such as The Parliamentary Committee System, Motions and Petitions, among many others.

• Therefore, Parliamentary Budget Offices and Research Units and Parliamentary Committees needed to be capacitated and active in order to be relevant in supporting Honourable Members and providing accountability respectively during a crises or pandemics.

• The presenter emphasised on the need for the crisis resolution process to be transparent and that all stakeholders should have access to information. In addition, closer collaboration with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) must exist as they conduct social accountability exercises.

• It was proposed that Supreme Audit Institutions should as much as possible conduct special audits on programmes to deal with any crisis in a timely manner in order to arrest anomalies.

Following the presentation by Mr Kateshi, the TIFI Committee discussed and drew the following conclusions and recommendations.

• The SADC Parliamentary Forum and national parliaments must actively engage in capacitating parliamentary budget offices, Research Units and Parliamentary Committees needed in order to be relevant in supporting Honourable Members and providing accountability during a crises or pandemics.

• There was need for the SADC governments to provide a transparent crisis resolution process and ensure that closer collaboration with CSOs existed. In addition, national parliaments must ensure all stakeholders had easy access to information required for their social accountability exercises.

• Importantly, Supreme Audit Institutions should as much as possible conduct special audits on programmes to deal with any crisis in a timely manner in order to address the findings in accordance with the provisions of the PFM legislation.

• Finally, the Committee emphasised the importance of Parliaments to scrutinise the allocation of donated resources and reallocation of savings arising from debt relief such as the Debt Service Suspension Initiative.

Conclusion and Vote of Thanks

The Chairperson extended his profound appreciation on behalf of the Committee to the resource persons from AFRODAD and the Parliamentary Budget Office in the Zambian Parliament for positively responding to the call. Hon Ndebele urged the Honourable Members to make use of the valuable lessons learnt to make a difference in their oversight, legislative and representative roles in their respective parliaments, including during pandemics and crises.

Some Honourable Members expressed concern on the law participation of some Committee Members. The Committee Chairperson urged all Members to prioritise activities of the Committee even amidst the inability of convening physically to discuss matters that concern the SADC region.

Minutes of the Virtual Meeting of The Standing Committee On Trade, Industry, Finance And Investment (TIFI) Held On Thursday, 29th October, 2020

THEME:     Unpaid Care and Domestic Work: Why Should Parliament Care?

Wednesday 14^th April 2021

 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

Gender equality cannot be talked about without talking about Unpaid Care and Domestic Work (UCDW), which a critical, yet largely unseen dimension of human well-being that provides essential domestic services within households and community members.

The current conventional measure of most economies in the world ignores a large portion of work that affects all of us. Most of this work is done by women and girls for free. In 2018, 606 million women of working age declared themselves to be unavailable for employment due to unpaid care work, while only 41 million men were inactive for the same reason. Women, therefore, have less time to engage in paid work, network or participate in activities for societal change. This undermines their well-being, fosters financial dependence and limits options for decent work, to a point of restricting women to low status and part-time jobs in the informal sector.

Women and girls are responsible for 76.2 percent of UCDW. UCDW refers to all non-market, unpaid activities carried out in household, including both direct care of persons such as the sick children or elderly, and indirect care such as cooking, cleaning, fetching water or fuel. These tasks vary in physical effort and intensity depending on socio-economic status and/or marital status. Estimates based on time-use survey data in 64 countries, representing 66.9 percent of the world’s working age population show that 16.4 billion hours are spent in unpaid care work every day. This is equivalent to 2 billion people working 8 hours per day with no remuneration (ILO, 2019). Unpaid care work has been identified as an obstacle to women’s empowerment because women’s disproportionate share has a direct impact on their ability to participate in the paid economy, leading to gender gaps in employment outcomes, wages and pensions.

Target 5.4 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals sets the direction on how to address unpaid care work. The first step is to recognise the value of unpaid care work. This will require data on how women and men spend their time. However, only 83 countries have conducted time-use surveys, and only 24 percent of those were conducted after 2010 (UN Women, 2010). Time-use data for developing countries is even more limited due to significant costs and capacities required.

The second step is to reduce the physically demanding and hazardous tasks such as cooking with unsafe fuel sources. Clean cooking for all would save more than100 billion hours per year of women collecting and hauling fuel wood, thereby freeing women’s time to pursue economic opportunities (IEA, 2017). Entry points to reduce time spent on unpaid care work such as electric grinding mills, water taps and biogas plants have been identified.

The third step is to share the remaining hours more equally between all actors, including men, women, states and the private sector. The availability of affordable and quality care services is, therefore, key to promoting women’s economic empowerment and ensure their participation in paid work.

As a result of little evidence being gathered about the extent or distribution of unpaid work in different contexts such as rural and urban, there has been limited understanding of the impact of UCDW on women and girls, causing to receive little consideration in public policy. Against this background, the Committee finds it necessary to outline the need for national Parliaments in the SADC region to recognise, value and validate Unpaid Care and Domestic Work (UCDW) by ensuring the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies in the region.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this undertaking are to:

• deepen the Committee’s understanding of the magnitude, dynamics and impact of unpaid care and domestic work and its contribution to gender inequality and low status of women in the SADC region and identify possible avenues;
• make unpaid care and domestic work a dialogue issue in national Parliaments so that it is recognised and valued;
• open up space for national policy dialogue on unpaid care and domestic work with the assistance of national Parliaments;
• encourage SADC member States to conduct of time-use surveys for the development of programmes and policies which will promote the recognition, reduction and redistribution of UCDW; and
• make recommendations on how parliaments’ role can be enhanced on issues of UCDW.

APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY TO THE MEETING

The Committee will benefit from expert presentations, discussions and interactive dialogue by the following:

• UN Women;
• Oxfam International; and
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Concept Note Meeting of the SADC PF Standing Committee On Gender Equality, Women Advancement And Youth Development

THEME:         UNPAID CARE AND DOMESTIC WORK: WHY SHOULD PARLIAMENT CARE?

DATE:             WEDNESDAY, 14^TH APRIL, 2021 

TIME:            09:30 – 12:30 AND 14:30 – 16:00

VENUE:         VIRTUAL

AGENDA

• Credentials of Delegates and Apologies.

• Adoption of the Agenda.

• Welcome Remarks by the Chairperson.

• Minutes of the SADC-PF Standing Committee on Gender Equality, Women Advancement and Youth Development Meeting held virtually on Wednesday, 28^th October, 2020, ahead of the 48^th Plenary Assembly Session.

• Matters Arising from the Minutes of the SADC-PF Standing Committee on Gender Equality, Women Advancement and Youth Development Meeting held virtually on Wednesday, 28^th October, 2020, ahead of the 48^th Plenary Assembly Session.

• Consideration of the Concept Note for the Proposed Theme for the 48^th Plenary Assembly Session.

• Any Other Business.

ANNOTATED AGENDA

ISSUES FOR CONSIDERATION

Adoption of the Agenda

Members are invited to consider and adopt the draft Agenda presented by the Secretariat.

Matters Arising from the Minutes of the SADC-PF Standing Committee on Gender Equality, Women Advancement and Youth Development Meeting held virtually on Wednesday, 28^th October, 2020, ahead of the 48^th Plenary Assembly Session.

The Committee is invited to recall that at its meeting on 28^th October, 2020, ahead of the 48^th Plenary Assembly Session, the Committee proposed to recommend a strong collaboration with traditional institutions because when laws to do with child marriage or monitoring the age of consent, education or realignment or sentencing are being passed, the main issue was usually tradition.

The Committee also recommended that public awareness on child marriage prevalence, drivers and consequences should be enhanced, and called for greater government leadership and investment in its prevention and mitigation.

Further, the Committee proposed to recommend that a comprehensive post COVID 19 plan for re-opening schools should be put in place. There was need for a multi-sectoral approach, particularly in health and education to develop and communicate well-defined timelines to re-open schools with clear benchmarks and standard.

Consideration of the Concept Note for the Proposed Theme

The Committee is invited to consider and approve the proposed theme namely: Unpaid Care and Domestic Work: Why Should Parliament Care?

For UN Women and Oxfam International to be invited to give expert presentations on the theme under consideration. 

Annotated Agenda Meeting of the SADC PF Standing Committee On Gender Equality, Women Advancement And Youth Development

Honourable Members, Ms Boemo Sekgoma-SADC PF Secretary General, and the Secretariat, it’s a great honour for me to make a closing statement for our meeting.

Honourable Members, I am delighted to note that as a Committee we have been able to meet virtually and   hold our meeting as planned, and let me take this opportunity to thank the secretariat for their effort to facilitate the holding of this meeting  

Honourable Members, during this meeting, though short, the Committee has discussed a number of crucial issues in relation to the implementation of the SRHR HIV/AIDS and Governance Project, and a report will be prepared for presentation to the Plenary Assembly.

Honourable Members, let me also express my sincere gratitude to our secretariat for updating the committee on the project implementation. The Presentations were quite informative, and consequently as a Committee we have learnt quite a lot and we now have a clear picture on how the project is being implemented.  

Honourable Members, without wasting much of your time, let me declare the meeting closed and wish you safe stay.

Thank you all, Honourable Members