SADC Parliamentary Forum
1 . INTRODUCTION
Following an invitation by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of the Kingdom of Lesotho, the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) constituted an Election Observation Mission to observe the 26th May 2012 National Assembly Elections in Lesotho. The 22-Member Mission was in the country from 15th to 29th May 2012. It was composed of 10 Members of Parliament,
7 Parliamentary staff from SADC Parliaments and 5 staff from the Forum's Secretariat. The Mission comprised male and female Members of Parliament from both the ruling and opposition political parties from Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This is the third time that the SADC Parliamentary Forum has observed National Assembly Elections in Lesotho, having previously observed the May 2002 and February 2007 Elections.
The Mission Leader for the SADC PF Election Observation Mission was Hon. Mkhululi Dlamini, a Member of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Swaziland and Treasurer of the SADC PF.
The 2012 Lesotho National Assembly Election is the 27th election to be observed by SADC PF since 1999 when the Forum started observing elections in SADC Member States. Previously, the Forum observed the following elections: Mozambique and Namibia (1999); Mauritius, Zimbabwe and Tanzania (2000); Zambia (2001); Zimbabwe and Lesotho (2002); Malawi, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Mozambique (2004); Mauritius and Tanzania (2005); Zambia, DRC and Madagascar (2006); Lesotho (2007); Malawi, South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique and Namibia (2009), Mauritius (2010); and Zambia (2011).
The purpose of this Interim Statement is to share with various electoral stakeholders in Lesotho (the Basotho, the IEC, political parties and candidates, civil society, the Government and National Parliaments of the Region and the international community in general) the Mission's Observations, Findings and Recommendations which are aimed at strengthening democratic electoral practices both in Lesotho and in the Region. A more detailed Final Report will be compiled and published not later than 90 days from the date of this Statement.
2 . TERMS OF REFERENCE
In undertaking its election observation work, the SADC Parliamentary Forum Election Observation Mission to the 2012 Lesotho National Assembly Elections was guided by the following terms of reference which are premised on the Forum's Norms and Standards for Elections in the SADC Region:
i) Assess the extent to which the elections are conducted in line with the Lesotho constitutional and legal framework as well as the Norms and Standards for Elections in the SADC Region;
ii) Assess the contextual factors, that is political, economic, social and human rights, that are likely to impinge upon the integrity, transparency, freeness, fairness, credibility and legitimacy of the elections;
iii) Assess the impartiality, efficiency and effectiveness of the Independent Electoral Commission of Lesotho in the management of all relevant aspects of the elections;
iv) Make an honest, independent, impartial and objective assessment of the extent to which conditions existed for the Basotho to freely express their will in the choice of political representatives;
v) Assess special provisions and facilities put in place to enable imprisoned persons, the disabled, sick, infirm, expecting mothers, citizens living abroad and public servants on duty, to vote;
vi) Identify some good practices, draw conclusions and make recommendations on the election for purposes of sharing with stakeholders in order to strengthening democratic electoral practices in the SADC Region; and
vii) Produce a report on the outcome of the election including strengths and possible areas of improvement.
3 . TRAINING AND ORIENTATION WORKSHOP
The work of the Mission commenced with a two-day Training and Orientation Workshop for the MPs and staff in Maseru from 16th to 17th May 2012. The main purpose of the Training and Orientation Workshop was to familiarise the Forum's Mission with general issues of democracy, governance and elections as well as the political, constitutional and legal context and the preparedness of the IEC for the 2012 Lesotho elections. It also sought to equip the Members with the skills for election observation including the terms of reference and the methodology for the Mission. The Stakeholders that briefed the Mission included the IEC, representatives of contesting political parties, civil society, the academics and the media.
4 . DEPLOYMENT
The Mission deployed a total of five (5) Teams from 21st until 27th May 2012, to cover the ten
(10) Districts of Lesotho. The Teams were based in the various District centres namely Maseru, Leribe, Mohale's Hoek, Qacha's Nek and Mokhotlong. The Mission Leader and his Team covered Maseru and Berea Districts. The Mission's deployment plan was as shown in the table below:
District's Covered | Team Headquarters | Team Members | Gender | Country |
1. Maseru 2. Berea | Maseru | Team 01 1. Hon. Mkhululi DLAMINI - Mission Leader 2. Hon. Nyeleti B. MONDLANE 3. Lesedi KEEKAE ….Staff | M F M | Swaziland Mozambique Botswana |
1. Leribe 2. Butha Buthe | Leribe | Team 02 1. Hon. Elifas DINGARA -Team Leader 2. Hon. Gabriel NDEBELE 3. Mkhululi MOLO….Staff | M M M | Namibia Zimbabwe South Africa |
1. Mafeteng 2. Mohale's Hoek 3. Quthing | Mohale's Hoek | Team 03 1. Hon. Pamela TSHWETE - Team Leader 2. Hon. John Paul LWANJI 3. Anthony MPOLOKOSO….Staff | F M M | South Africa Tanzania Zambia |
1. Qacha's Nek 2.Thaba-Tseka (sharing with Team 05) | Qacha's Neck | Team 04 1. Hon. Vincent MWALE - Team Leader 2. Hon. B. L. Mashile 3. Angumbwike Lameck NGWAVI...Staff 4. Mpendulo NGCAMPHALALA….Staff | M M M M | Zambia South Africa Tanzania Swaziland |
1. Mokhotlong 2.Thaba-Tseka (sharing with Team 04) | Mokhotlong | Team 05 1. Hon. Bagalatia ARONE - Team Leader 2. Hon. Waride Bakari JABU 3. David ZIMUNHU | M F M | Botswana Tanzania Zimbabwe |
5 . METHODOLOGY
The Mission Teams employed several methods to gather information. These included review of the constitutional and legal framework for elections in Lesotho, analysing the various election documents provided by the IEC, attending political campaign rallies, witnessing door to door campaigns, newspapers as well as electronic media and interacting with other Election Observer Missions such as the African Union, SADC Secretariat, SADC Electoral Commissioners Forum, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Electoral Institute of Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA) in order to exchange observations and information. These various methods enabled the Mission to gather comprehensive information and to assess the degree to which the 2012 Lesotho electoral processes were managed. The Mission's Teams visited all the 10
Districts in Lesotho, more than 65 constituencies and 99 polling stations during the observation period.
The Mission's observation process was based on the constitution and legal framework as well as the Norms and Standards for Elections in the SADC Region, the SADC Principles and Guidelines for Democratic Elections, the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, and the African Union Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa , the Benchmarks for Democratic Parliaments in the SADC Region among other relevant regional and international instruments. The global Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and the Code of Conduct for International Election Observers, which the Forum is party to, were also useful references for the Mission.
6 . GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND POINTS OF ENQUIRY
In carrying out its observation work, the Mission was guided by the following principles:
i) impartiality, ii) neutrality,
iii) comprehensiveness, iv) transparency,
v) inclusiveness, and vi) objectivity.
The specific points of enquiry for the Mission were:
i) Constitutional and legal framework; ii) Comprehensiveness of Voters Roll; iii) Civic and voter education;
iv) Participation of women and the youth as voters, candidates and election officials;
v) Preparation and distribution of voting materials;
vi) Adequacy and location of voting centres;
vii) Voting arrangements;
viii) Counting of ballots, tabulation and verification of results;
ix) Use of ICTs;
x) Conflict Resolution mechanisms;
xi) Media coverage of parties, candidates and election-related events;
xii) Conduct of the campaign process;
xiii) Role of security forces;
xiv) Political Party Funding;
xv) Conduct of political parties and candidates; xvi) Good practices from the Lesotho Election; xvii) Areas of Improvement; and
xviii) Overall Mission Assessment of the Electoral Process.
7 . MISSION FINDINGS
7. 1 The Constitutional and Legal Framework
Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Lesotho provides for the protection of citizens' freedoms of movement, expression, assembly and association, among others. Section 20 specifically provides for citizens' right to vote and/or to stand for election at periodic elections under the Constitution through a system of universal and equal suffrage and secret ballot. These freedoms were, in the Mission's view, respected and exercised without undue hindrance.
The electoral process in Lesotho is governed principally by the Constitution of the Kingdom and the Lesotho National Assembly Electoral Act (2011). Section 56 and Section 57 of the Constitution make provision for, among other issues, elections for Members of the National Assembly and the electoral system. Section 66 of the Constitution provides for the establishment, functions and powers of the Independent Electoral Commission of Lesotho, while Section 67 of the Constitution provides for the delimitation of constituencies. Section 87 of the Constitution provides for the appointment of the Executive by the King, which Executive is led by a Prime Minister who is a Member of the National Assembly and leader of the majority party or coalition of parties in the National Assembly.
The Lesotho Constitution allows for the Prime Minister and Members of the Cabinet to continue exercising their functions and duties even after the dissolution of Parliament until the new Prime Minister and Members of Cabinet are sworn-in.
The Mission noted the existence of an Electoral Code of Conduct which is embedded in the Lesotho National Assembly Electoral Act (2011), regulating the conduct of political parties, candidates and general membership. The Mission further noted that the Code, which has a legal enforcement mechanism including fines and penalties, gives power to the IEC to reprimand and/or punish political parties and candidates violating the Code of Conduct.
The Mission, however, observed that the Code of Conduct doesn't bind other important electoral stakeholders such as the police and the media who play important roles in the electoral process and therefore have a duty to conduct themselves ethically in order to protect the credibility of elections.
The Mission is of the view that the constitutional and legal framework governing elections in the Kingdom of Lesotho generally augurs well for the conduct of free and fair elections.
7. 2 The Independent Electoral Commission of Lesotho
Section 66 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Lesotho establishes the IEC as an autonomous body with the sole mandate of registering voters, supervising the preparation, publication and maintenance of a general register of electors, registration of political parties, demarcation of constituency boundaries and conducting elections in terms of the Constitution and the National Assembly Electoral Act (2011).
The Constitution provides that the IEC comprises a Chairperson and two other members appointed by the King on the advice of the Council of State. For one to qualify as a member of the IEC, one should be of a high moral character, proven integrity and should either qualify to hold a high judicial office or should possess considerable experience and demonstrated competence in the administration of public affairs. The powers, functions and duties of the Commission are further articulated in the National Assembly Electoral Act (2011). The power and authority to appoint the Director and staff of the Commission rests solely with the Commission, to which such staff are accountable.
Recognising the notable exceptions relating to multiple voter registrations and concerns regarding delimitation of constituencies, electoral stakeholders generally expressed confidence in the independence, impartiality, openness, transparency and capacity of the IEC to organise and conduct credible elections.
The Mission noted that the legal framework within which the IEC is established and operates generally augurs well for the independence and autonomous functioning of the Commission. This is in line with theNorms and Standards for Elections in the SADC Region and the SADC Principles and Guidelines for Democratic Elections.
The Mission observed that the IEC was evidently prepared for the 2012 National Assembly Elections. The IEC ensured the printing of ballot papers in time under the observation of stakeholders including representatives of political parties, carried out voter education programmes in collaboration with civil society organisations, and distributed both sensitive and non sensitive voting materials to Constituency Voting Centres in the Districts according to the electoral calendar. It also trained electoral staff and engaged stakeholders throughout the process.
Overall, the Mission commends the IEC for the professional work in preparing for and conducting the 2012 Lesotho National Assembly Elections.
Voter Registration
The Mission noted that the voting age in Lesotho in terms of the law is 18 years. The Mission further noted that the law provides for continuous voter registration which process is periodically suspended on the 8th day after the commencement of an official election period and resumes 90 days after the end of the election period. The Mission further noted that the official elections period for the 2012 National Assembly Elections commenced on 15th March 2012.
The Mission observed that there are no personal national identity cards for citizens in Lesotho and the passport is the widely used identification document. There was growing suspicion that the use of passports during voter registration could create a loophole allowing for under-aged voters to be illegally included on the Voters' Register. Stakeholders consulted informed the Mission that the introduction of personal identity cards had the potential to curtail growing cases of multiple registrants and under-age voters.
Stakeholders consulted further informed the Mission that the practice in Lesotho is that, in the event of death, relatives of the deceased are obliged to notify the Chief, who in turn notifies the relevant authorities in Government and that failure by the respective Chiefs to notify Government regarding deaths in their jurisdictions was the main reason for the inflated Electors' Register which has a total of 1,127,960 registered voters out of a population of
1,902,707, depicting an unusually inverted demographic pyramid for Lesotho.
The SADC PF Election Observation Mission found out that for the 2012 National Assembly Elections, the IEC introduced 600 mobile registration units which produced instant voters' cards, a development which enhanced the efficiency of the process.
The Mission took note of the challenges faced by the IEC relating to the synchronization of the previously existing voters' data base with the newly acquired Mobile Registration Units (MRUs) which led to multiple registrants and appearances of deceased persons on the Voters' Roll. This has remained an issue of concern to most of the stakeholders, especially the political parties.
The Mission noted that the Electors' Register showed a total of 1,127,960 voters as being registered for the 2012 Lesotho National Assembly Elections out of the Country's approximately
1,153,218 eligible voters and a population estimated at 1,902,707. This puts Lesotho at around
98 per cent voter registration, which is far higher than the regional average of 77 percent.
7. 3 Electors' Register (Voters' Roll)
The Mission noted that copies of the Electors' Register were available to the public and stakeholders in hard copies. Besides cases of multiple registrants and appearance of deceased persons on the electors' register, no significant complaints were raised by the contesting political parties, candidates and other stakeholders, relating to anomalies, shortcomings and inaccuracies on the Register.
7. 4 Voter Education
The Mission found out that for the 2012 Lesotho National Assembly Elections, the IEC partnered with the civil society umbrella body, the Lesotho Council of NGOs (LCN), to train and deploy a total of approximately 700 voter educators across the country. The voter education exercise started on 1st April 2012 and ended on 15th May 2012. This period, however, was considered by some stakeholders as being inadequate.
The Mission observed that the Lesotho National Assembly Electoral Act provides for the IEC as the sole custodian of voter education with other partners such as civic society only coming in to assist the Commission. The IEC decides on the budget, curriculum and period during which voter education takes place in Lesotho.
The Mission further observed that voter education involved the IEC training trainers in critical stakeholder groups such as political parties, chiefs, women and youth groups, the police, teachers and church groups, with the civil society partners filling the gap were the IEC could not reach. In addition, the Mission observed that the voter education curriculum for the 2012
Lesotho National Assembly Elections was focused on the code of conduct, nomination process and voting steps.
7. 5 Role of Security Forces
The Mission noted the preliminary worries expressed by some stakeholders on the role of the security forces during the 2012 Lesotho National Assembly Elections. The Mission, however, observed that other than a statement reportedly issued by the military prior to the Mission's arrival in Lesotho, no incidents of the security forces' undue interference with the electoral processes were confirmed by the Mission's Election Observation Teams that were based in the 10 districts of Lesotho.
The Mission further observed that the Police were adequately prepared to perform their duties during the 2012 Lesotho National Assembly Elections as evidenced by the presence of police officers in all the polling centres visited by the Mission's Election Observation Teams. This also contributed to the general peaceful environment that existed in the country during the electoral process.
7. 6 Participation of Youths
The Mission noted that in spite of the youth constituting the majority of the voters, their participation was generally marginalised to mobilising support for their parties' candidates without having a clearly defined agenda of their own in the electoral process.
7. 7 Role of Civil Society Organisations
The Mission appreciated the civil society organisations for playing an important role in civic and voter education and working with the IEC. In addition, the Mission noted the role of CSOs in promoting the credibility of the election process through the training and deployment of approximately 300 Local Election Observers to observe the 2012 Lesotho National Assembly Elections.
7. 8 Role of Traditional Leaders
The Mission noted the roles played by chiefs during the 2012 National Assembly Elections, which roles included witnessing for their subjects who did not have identity documents during voter registration and actual voting as well as clearing the holding of rallies and political gatherings in their jurisdictions.
7. 9 Media Coverage of the Electoral Process
The Mission noted the vibrancy, plurality and diversity of the media landscape in Lesotho which includes public and private newspapers, community radio stations and the public broadcaster that gave extensive coverage to political parties, candidates and the general electoral process. The diversity of the media allowed for the levelling of the playing field to all contesting parties and candidates with regards to media coverage. The Mission further noted the efforts by the IEC to afford all participating political parties equitable coverage by the state media through securing time slots for airing campaign messages on the state broadcaster.
7.1 0 The Political Environment
The Mission found out that the political environment was generally peaceful as demonstrated by unimpeded political rallies, campaigns, and a generally high degree of tolerance among political party supporters although the Mission learnt of isolated cases of election-related violence that reportedly occurred prior to the Mission's arrival in Lesotho. The Mission noted the positive trend by most of the political parties and candidates to base their campaign messages on substantive policy issues as opposed to targeting personalities which tends to polarise society.
The SADC PF commends the Basotho for the generally peaceful and friendly manner in which they conducted themselves during the campaign, voting and counting of ballots.
7.1 1 Political Campaigns
The Mission noted that the official campaign period for the 2012 Lesotho National Assembly
Elections stretched from 15th March 2012 following dissolution of Parliament and ended on to
25th May 2012, which is 24 hours before voting in line with the regulations. The Mission further
noted that the conduct of political parties and other stakeholders during campaigns is governed by the Code of Conduct as provided for in the Lesotho National Assembly Electoral Act (2011).
The Mission observed that apart from the isolated reports of election related disputes, the election campaign was carried out in a calm and orderly manner with a relative degree of tolerance among contesting political parties and candidates. The 2012 Lesotho National Assembly Election campaign expressed itself in the form of political rallies, door-to-door campaigns, billboards, posters, radio and television adverts as well as live interactive programmes on the electronic media.
7.1 2 Funding of Political Parties
The Mission observed the existence of provisions within the National Assembly Electoral Act (2011) that provide for the public funding of political parties with seats in the National Assembly on an annual basis. In addition to public funding, the law provides for the allocation of campaign funds to all registered political parties participating in elections. This strengthens democracy by levelling the political field as resources are a major factor in political campaign.
7.1 3 Voting Centres
The Mission found out that the IEC established a total of 2,748 polling stations within voting centres, with each polling centre catering for up to approximately 600 voters. The IEC designated various places as voting centres including schools, halls, churches and chiefs' residences in villages. The Mission further noted that the voter registers were also customised up to a specific polling station, with a register for each station. The Mission also observed that most voting stations visited by its Teams in the districts were well staffed, with each voting station manned by an average of four officers other than security officers and ushers. Furthermore, the voting officers generally demonstrated good knowledge of the requisite voting procedures. The Mission is of the general view that the number of polling stations was adequate and generally accessible enough to allow as many eligible voters as possible to cast their vote.
7.1 4 The Vote and the Count
The Mission observed that most voting stations opened and closed at legislated times of 0700 and 1700 respectively. At all polling stations observed by the Mission's Teams, voters that were still in the voting queue by 1700 hrs were allowed to cast their votes in line with the regulations. Voting materials were generally available in adequate quantities and this allowed voting to proceed smoothly throughout the day at most voting stations. The Mission also note that the presence of political party agents, election monitors and the police at all voting stations together with the use of indelible ink to avoid multiple voters contributed to enhancing the transparency of the voting process.
The Mission observed that the voting process was conducted peacefully across the country with no significant cases of disturbances.
The Mission further observed that counting of ballots took place at the respective polling stations at the end of the voting process and was generally conducted in a peaceful and transparent manner in the presence of candidate representatives, and in some cases observers. The presiding officers and party agents signed the results before posting a copy on the outside of the voting station while each of the candidates' representatives were given signed copies of the same.
7.1 5 Conflict Resolution Mechanisms in Place
The Mission noted the existence, across the country, of District Dispute Resolution Committees comprising representatives of different political parties. At national level, the Mission noted the existence of the Panel responsible for dealing with complaints relating to abuse of State resources during campaigns and the Tribunal charged with resolving disputes relating to violation of the Code of Conduct at national level. The Mission further noted that the Tribunal is provided for under the Lesotho National Assembly Electoral Act (2011) and is a critical structure through which the IEC administers the Code of Conduct.
The Mission observed that at least three cases of election related disputes were brought before the Tribunal during the run-up to the Lesotho 2012 National Assembly Elections.
The Mission also noted that in the event of disputes relating to the outcome of elections in Lesotho, the aggrieved party has access to legal recourse through the High Court which is the only court conferred with jurisdiction to preside over post electoral disputes.
7.1 6 Provision of Special Arrangements
The Mission noted that there were arrangements for prisoners to cast their votes although there were no such voting arrangements for special groups such as the sick, the pregnant, the disabled and those citizens living abroad.
7.1 7 Gender Representation
The Mission observed that there were very few women candidates contesting constituency based National Assembly seats during the 2012 Lesotho National Assembly Elections.
The Mission, however, noted and welcomed the requirement in the National Assembly Electoral Act (2011) stipulating that when nominating candidates for proportional representation seats, each male or female candidate's name should be followed by that of a candidate of the opposite sex and that the party lists should have equal numbers of male and female candidates. This augurs well for the attainment of 50/50 women and men representation in both political and decision making positions in line with the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development.
The Mission noted the urgent need for Political Parties in Lesotho to incorporate gender equity in their constitutions, policies and manifestos.
The Mission was however, encouraged by Women's representation within the IEC structures where two of the three Commissioners are women. While gender was not a criterion for the recruitment of electoral officials, the Mission observed that most of the IEC officials manning the polling centres were women.
8 . GOOD PRACTICES FROM THE 2012 LESOTHO NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS
The Mission observed the following as good practices from the 2012 Lesotho National Assembly
Elections:
i) High degree of tolerance which contributed to peaceful and orderly campaigns and generally amicable atmosphere during voting;
ii) Existence of enforceable Electoral Code of Conduct which is embedded within the Lesotho National Assembly Electoral Act (2011), stipulating how political parties, candidates and the general membership should conduct themselves during elections;
iii) Efforts by the IEC in opening up the electoral process by engaging and communicating with stakeholders on a regular basis, encouraging voters' interest and participation through voter education and enhancing the transparency of the electoral process and speedy tabulation of results;
iv) Professionalism and commitment to duty demonstrated by the electoral staff;
v) The establishment of multiple polling stations at voting centres and limiting the number of voters to 600 per voting station which speeded up the voting process;
vi) The establishment of Dispute Management Committees involving the contesting political parties to handle election-related disputes;
vii) The levelling of the electoral playing field through provision of public funding for political parties and allocation of campaign funds to all registered political parties participating in elections;
viii) The provision for continuous Voter Registration in the law;
ix) The use of transparent and translucent ballot boxes;
x) The prohibition of political campaigning 24 hours prior to the election date which helps to create a calm and tranquil environment during the period leading to and on the voting day;
xi) The role played by political party leaders in committing themselves to peace and tolerance prior, during and post the voting process;
xii) Role of religious organisations in fostering harmony and political tolerance among political parties and the general public;
xiii) Counting of ballots at each of the voting stations in the presence of party agents and observers and the signing of voting station result sheets by electoral officials, and party agents before they are posted at each voting station; and
xiv) The existence of a vibrant, diverse and pluralistic media which balanced media coverage of the elections.
9 . AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
i) Lack of provisions in the National Assembly Electoral Act on the facilitation of voting by special groups such as the sick, the disabled, the pregnant and citizens abroad;
ii) The absence of personal identity cards for citizens which has potential to curtail growing cases of multiple registrants and under-age voters.
iii) Absence of an efficient process and legal framework to facilitate timely removal of details of deceased persons from the Elector's Register in order to maintain a clean and credible Electors' Register.
iv) The need for the establishment of a special Electoral Court to expedite the resolution of election related disputes in keeping with good practices; and
v) The need to expand the Code of Conduct to include responsibilities for other critical electoral stakeholders such as the police and the media so as to harmonise stakeholder collaboration in the management of elections.
10 . MISSION'S OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF THE 2012 LESOTHO NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS
Based on its overall findings, the Mission is of the view that there existed a substantially conducive and peaceful environment in which elections were conducted. The Basotho were accorded the opportunity to freely express their will in voting for political parties and candidates of their choice.
Having duly noted that the 2012 Lesotho National Assembly Elections were, on the whole, a credible reflection of the will of the people of Lesotho, the SADC Parliamentary Forum, therefore, declares the 2012 Lesotho Elections as having been free and fair.
Staff Writer
MAHE, SEYCHELLES - The 41st Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC Parliamentary Forum gets underway on Monday 10th July 2017, here with a Symposium focusing on the Youths as SADC Member states angle for the demographic dividend that the region's youthful population presents.
The Plenary is SADC PF's highest decision-making body that brings together Speakers of 14th National SADC Member States or their representatives and up to five Members or Parliament from each Member State, observers and resource persons. It meets twice a year. In all, 12 National Parliaments are attending this Plenary. Lesotho and Tanzania are not attending, citing pressing national engagements according to Sheuneni Kurasha, SADC PF's Parliamentary Business Focal Person.
SADC PF Secretary General Dr Esau Chiviya on Saturday told a high level preparatory meeting ahead of the Plenary that the 41st Plenary Assembly Session is being held under the Theme: "Harnessing Demographic Dividend in SADC through investment in Youth."
Hopes hang on new regional anti-child marriage law
06 Jun. 2016Ezulwini: It is the 3rd of June, 2016. The clock ticks towards 4pm at the Royal Swazi Hotel here during the 39 th Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC Parliamentary Forum.
It has been approximately a year and a half since the SADC PF and other partners began developing a SADC Model Law on eradicating Child Marriage and protecting those already in marriage. The Plenary Assembly Session is the highest decision-making body of SADC PF - the deliberative body that brings together 14 national parliaments of Southern Africa.
Today, the region's parliamentarians stand on the cusp of history. After nearly nine hours of intense debate and poring over all parts of the draft model law, a bold decision must be made.
In attendance are about 190 people. They include Speakers of National parliaments, parliamentarians and traditional leaders - the first time latter have attended a SADC Plenary Assembly Session. Also present are observers. Mostly representatives of organisations that collaborate with SADC PF.
Special care has been taken to develop a regional law with so much commonality that it can be easily adapted or adopted as member states enact or refine national laws to eradicate child marriage, which Dr. Esau Chiviya, Secretary General of SADC PF, has branded "an abomination."
I PUT IT TO YOU: ZIMBABWEAN PARLIAMENTARIAN INNOCENT GONESE (RIGHT) MAKES THE CASE FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE SADC MODEL LAW ON ERADICATING CHILD MARRIAGE AND PROTECTING THOSE ALREADY IN MARRIAGE. PHOTO: MOSES MAGADZA
Now the region's lawmakers must adopt the model law or throw it out. After an impassioned submission, Zimbabwean lawyer and parliamentarian, Innocent Gonese, rests his case with a plea to the plenary to adopt the law.
Perched on the podium, Malawian lawmaker, Joseph Njobvuyalema - the deputy president of SADC PF - is acting president during this plenary. He is presiding over proceedings with magisterial seriousness.
With his head tilted and peering over his spectacles, he calls for order.
"Honourable members," he says, "I now pose the main question: those who think the SADC Model Law on eradicating child marriages and protecting those already in marriage should be adopted, say 'Aye'."
A young woman - she can't be more than 25 years old- sits nervously, eyes wide open with anticipation. She is so young that she looks out of place in this august house. I make a mental note to interview her later.
In response to Njobvuyalema's question, there is a loud chorus of 'Aye!'
Out of formality, he says: "Those of the contrary opinion, say 'Noe'."
There is so much silence you can hear a snail clearing its throat a kilometer away.
Once again, the Acting President's authoritative voice booms through the public address system.
"The 'Ayes' have it."
He bangs his fist on the table, closing the matter.
While many delegates in the house cheer and others hug each other with excitement, the young woman raises two clenched fists into the air, closes her eyes and smiles.
As soon as I can, I approach her and introduce myself. I am curious to know why she is here.
UNBROKEN: MS CHIPASHA ILIAMUPU WHO WAS MARRIED OFF AT THE AGE OF 14 HOPES SADC MEMBER STATES WILL USE THE NEW MODEL LAW TO ENSURE THAT HER SEVEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND MILLIONS OF OTHER GIRLS AND BOYS IN THE SADC REGION WILL HAVE A BETTER FUTURE. PHOTO: MOSES MAGADZA
"My name is Chipasha Iliamupu. I am 23 years old and I am a child marriage survivor from Zambia," she tells me.
She agrees to tell me her story and our interview begins. My 20 years of journalism experience have not prepared me for what I am about to hear.
"Where were you born, and how many siblings do you have," I ask.
"I was born in Livingstone. I have five brothers and two sisters. I am the second from last," she says.
"What did your parents do for a living?"
"They were never in any formal employment. They had tailoring skills and were peasant farmers."
"How old were you when you started school?"
"I was seven years old at Kalumwange Primary School in the western province of Zambia."
"Teachers often ask first graders what they want to be when they grow up. What did you aspire to become?"
"My mother saw a freedom fighter in me. She called me 'Mama Kankasa' (one of the freedom fighters during Zambia's struggle for independence). I said I wanted to be an ambassador."
"When and how did the going get tough for your family?"
"When my mother passed on. Things got very hard."
"How old were you and were all your siblings in school?"
"I was nine. All my siblings were in school, but the majority ended in primary school. Only two of my siblings reached Grade 9."
"Did your father remarry or did he try to raise you and your siblings alone?"
"He never remarried."
"How was your marriage arranged and how did you meet your husband?"
"I saw him for the first time on the day that I was married off. He was 20 years older than me. He had three children with three different women. I was nearly 15 years old."
"How were you prepared you for what you were getting into?"
"My tradition prepares girls for marriage at puberty, regardless of one's age. I had already been taught to maintain a home at the age of 14."
"What is the name of that cultural initiation, how long does it take, who does the teaching and what were you taught?"
"It is called Sikenge of the Lozi people. The duration is dependent on how slow or fast one is on catching instructions. The curriculum includes how to take care of a man in the bedroom, how to care for a family and how to treat in-laws. The most repeated and emphasised thing is to be secretive about whatever treatment one receives in the marriage home. Fast learners only learn for a month. Slow learners can go for three or more months."
"How much was your father paid in lobola and why do you think he married you off?"
"My lobola was ZMK300, 00 (about USD30). He married me off due to financial constraints. Besides, I had already been prepared for marriage. I dropped out of school in Grade 8."
"How was life in your new home?"
"Life was pathetic. Our relationship lacked intimacy. I fell pregnant within four months of my arrival. My first sexual encounter was very, very painful and that triggered a lot of things in my mind. After being prepared for sweet, enjoyable sex, I got the opposite."
"Were you physically, emotionally or sexually abused?"
"Yes. He never used to prepare me for intercourse. He just used to force himself on me. He used to beat me up a lot and strip me naked in public. He ill-treated me. He would write budgets for me and give me exact amounts of money."
"How old were you when your child was born?"
"I was 15 years and 10 months old. I had serious problems during labour because it was prolonged and difficult. After a while I met officials from Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) and decided to go back to school. That made my husband more violent."
"What prompted your desire to go back to school?"
"I thought I was being subjected to inhuman treatment due to lack of education."
"How difficult was it for you to walk out of that marriage?"
"It wasn't easy. I was all alone. My relatives didn't want me to leave. Others said I would suffer if I left. I filed for divorce and followed the procedures alone. The only 'relatives' I had were the documents I got from the Victim Support Unit of the police."
"Did you succeed?"
"Yes. The court ruled that I must have custody of the child and that the father must support her until she is 18 but he threatened me; said whatever happened to the child - even if she died - I mustn't inform him."
"Where did you go and what did you walk away with?"
"I went to my uncle's house. I walked away with the freedom to pursue my dreams academically and to strive towards self-actualisation. I went back to school in 2010. It wasn't easy. Female teachers stigmatized and ridiculed me. I overcame that by confiding in the head teacher. He understood and supported me."
"How did that help you?"
"I excelled in my studies so much that I was selected to represent my province on an educational tour to Kenya. I am now a second year student at the University of Zambia, reading towards the award of a degree in Linguistics."
I ask her what she would want to see the region's parliamentarians do now that the model law has been adopted.
"They should make the rights of my seven year old daughter and other children a priority by implementing the law. They should involve young people in discussions about issues that affect young people. No one knows where the shoe pinches like the wearer. Young people learn more from other young people. Create a platform for them," she says.
Following the adoption of the model law, solidarity and congratulatory messages are coming thick and fast.
Sweden has partnered with SADC PF since 2007. From 2014 it has been funding a four year SRHR, HIV and AIDS Governance programme. It wishes SADC PF all "success with the execution of the model law, in particular the domestication and monitoring."
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says today is "a wonderful day" and congratulates SADC PF MPs for making a "landmark decision which has the power to transform the lives of millions of girls."
Fighting back tears, Ms. Nyaradzai Gumbonzvanda, the African Union's Ambassador for Ending Child Marriage praises the MPs, telling them the adoption of the model law is "precedent-setting."
The Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA) says the adoption marks "a turning point in the struggle for the rights of the girl…an example of parliamentary excellence."
Civil Society Organisations salute the MPs for "enduring a long and painful process of delivering this baby (model law), which is alive, healthy and eagerly awaited out there by tens of thousands of people."
The East African Legislative Assembly says SADC PF MPs have come of age and urges all SADC member states to "support the long overdue transformation of SADC PF into a SADC Regional Parliament."
The SADC Secretariat says the SADC PF MPs have taken a "step in the right direction" and says the model law is consistent with the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development which prohibits marriage of anyone below 18 years of age.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) calls the adoption "an historic initiative."
The excitement is understandable. UNFPA reckons that in East and Southern Africa, 34 percent of girls are married before the age of 18 - seven million girls every year. Over a million of them are below the age of 15. That makes them vulnerable. UNDP estimates that in at least five countries in SADC, almost 40 percent of children are married before the age of 18. Two of the 10 countries with the highest prevalence of child marriages are in the SADC Region.
One man - Harvard-trained lawyer and Botswana Member of Parliament, Duma Boko, - follows the congratulatory messages seemingly unmoved. I approach him and fish for his reaction and what he would like to see going forward.
"Adoption is a very important step," he tells me. "It expresses ideals. The next is to have all SADC countries incorporate, enact or promulgate the provisions of this model law into their domestic legal frameworks. It is only at that point that we will begin to celebrate because that would provide a concrete measure of whether the goals enunciated in the model law are being realized in practice. That would be the ideal time to pop the Champaign and celebrate."
For Gonese, who strenuously argued for the adoption of the model, today was just another day in parliament.
For Iliamupu, her daughter and millions of the region's girls and boys - many undocumented - the hopeful wait for implementation of this law and results begins now.
"Freedom cannot be achieved unless women have been emancipated from all forms of oppression," - Nelson Mandela, first democratically elected President of South Africa.
IMPACT COMMITMENTS
1. Ensure that our understanding of gender as the Secretariat is deepened
Gender has gone beyond grammatical understanding of 'male', 'female' and 'neuter'. Gender is about relations of power between men and women, in which women are subordinated. There are various gender analysis tools and frameworks, which I think we should understand as development practitioners working with elected public representatives (parliamentarians) to ensure that SADCPF's Programmes are gender sensitive. As the Secretary General (SG) of the SADC-PF, working with Gender Program Manager, I will ensure that there are resources to continue building capacity of the Secretariat in this regard.
2. Monitor implementation of 'gender mainstreaming' across SADC-PF Policies and Practices
The SADC Declaration on Gender and Development signed by Heads of State and Government on the 8th of September 1997, highlights gender mainstreaming as a strategy to remove existing inequalities between men and women with the intention of empowering women. The SADC-PF 35THPlenary Assembly Session held at Port Louis, in Mauritius adopted 'gender mainstreaming', as a strategy for gender equality. As the SG of the SADC-PF, I will monitor gender responsiveness of all SADC-PF's policies and practices, e.g. programmes, plans, reports, and budgets. I further commit myself to work hand in hand with SADC National Parliaments to ensure that every SADC-PF Mission has equal representation of men and women.
3. Support initiatives of the Standing Committee on Gender Equality, Women's Advancement and Youth Development(GEWAYD)
GEWAYD Standing Committee being a newly established Standing Committee at the SADC-PF is still finding its feet therefore needs support from the SG's Office. I will scale up my support and interest in the work of this Committee as some of its work is to support, and in some instances, initiate practices that challenge gender in equalities across SADC-PF, which at times might be faced with resistance.
INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE SADC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM - DR. ESAU CHIVIYA
07 Nov. 2016AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING
OF THE 40 th PLENARY ASSEMBLY SESSION
OF THE SADC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM
HELD AT
RAINBOW TOWERS HOTEL
HARARE, ZIMBABWE
03 TO 15 NOVEMBER 2016
1.0 SALUTATIONS
· The Master of Ceremony
· The Vice President, and also Minister Responsible for Legal, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Hon. Emerson Mnangagwa, Our Guest of Honour
· Hon. Adv. Jacob Francis Mudenda, Speaker of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe and Host of the SADC PF 40th Plenary Assembly Session,
· President of the SADC PF, Hon. Job Ndugai, Speaker of the Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania, in absentia
· Hon. Joseph Njovhuyalema, MP and Vice President of SADC Parliamentary Forum,
· Hon. Speakers and Deputy Speakers of the SADC National Parliaments,
· Hon. Leaders of Delegations,
· Hon. Members of Parliament and Senators from the various SADC Countries,
· Hon. Ministers here present,
· Chairperson of the SADC PF Regional Women's Parliamentary Caucus, Hon. Dr. Jesica Kabwila,
· Invited Observers and Resource Persons,
· Staff from the SADC PF and National Parliaments
· Ladies and Gentlemen.
2.0 INTRODUCTION
I am greatly honoured to welcome Delegates to this 40 th Plenary Assembly Session of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) being hosted by the Parliament of Zimbabwe in this beautiful and warm city of Harare. This is the fifth time the Parliament of Zimbabwe is involved in the hosting of SADC PF Plenary Assembly Sessions. The hosting has been as follows:
i. The first time was in November 2001 when the Parliament of Zimbabwe hosted a SADC PF Plenary Assembly Session 100%,
ii. The second time was in 2009 during the 26th SADC PF Plenary Assembly Session held in Victoria Falls when Zimbabwe assisted SADC PF in hosting the Plenary Assembly,
iii. The third time was in 2011 during the 30th SADC PF Plenary Assembly Session held in Victoria Falls when Zimbabwe again assisted SADC PF in hosting the Plenary Assembly,
iv. The fourth time was in 2014 during the 36th SADC PF Plenary Assembly Session held in Victoria Falls when Zimbabwe further assisted SADC PF in hosting the Plenary Assembly, and
v. The fifth time is the current 40th SADC PF Plenary Assembly Session of November 2016 being held here at Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare which the Parliament of Zimbabwe is hosting 100%.
The hosting of these SADC PF Plenary Assembly Sessions by the Parliament of Zimbabwe and the active participation by SADC PF Members from Zimbabwe in the affairs and activities of SADC PF is a clear demonstration of Zimbabwe's support for and commitment to what the SADC Parliamentary Forum stands for as stated in its Constitution.
3.0 SADC PF 40 th PLENARY ASSEMBLY SESSION THEME
Our Guest of Honour and Distinguished Delegates, it is in the context of providing a platform to discuss matters of common interest that the Theme for this SADC PF 40th Plenary Assembly Session is "Statelessness in the SADC Region" which was deliberated upon yesterday following presentation by our esteemed Resource Persons.
The deliberation provided Members of Parliament in the SADC Countries with an opportunity to take stock of the statelessness situation in the SADC Countries in general and the most affected people in particular and what they can do to address the problems of statelessness in their Countries.
4.0 THE SADC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM (SADC PF)
Our Guest of Honour, and Distinguished Delegates, the SADC PF was established in 1997 by the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government that met in Blantyre, Malawi, as an autonomous institution of SADC in accordance with Article 9(2) of the SADC Treaty. The objective was "to constitute a Parliamentary Consultative Assembly, the ultimate goal being the establishment of a Regional Parliamentary Framework for dialogue on issues of regional interest and concern".
Despite all the lobbying efforts by the SADC PF leadership for the Forum to be transformed into a SADC Regional Parliament, 20 years after it was established SADC PF still remains a Forum and not a SADC Regional Parliament. It is the only Region out of the five (5) Regions of Africa without its own Regional Parliament.
With a Membership from 14 of the SADC National Parliaments, SADC PF provides a platform for Parliamentarians as representatives of the people of SADC, to consult, consider and dialogue on matters of common interest to the people of the SADC Region, such as Statelessness in the SADC Region, which was discussed and deliberated upon yesterday.
5.0 SADC PF 40 th PLENARY ASSEMBLY DELEGATES
Our Guest of Honour and Distinguished Delegates, the Plenary Assembly is the SADC PF policy making body which meets twice per year in June and November. This 40th Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC PF has drawn Delegates from 13 SADC National Parliaments. We have 6 Delegations led by Speakers, 3 Delegations by Deputy Speakers, and four (4) Delegations by Members of Parliament. This means that we have a 93% turn up for this SADC PF 40th Plenary Assembly Sessions. This is highly impressive. Shall we clap hands for this impressive turn up.
I now call upon the Delegations country by country to stand up so that we can see them.
1. National Assembly of Angola, a Delegation of 8 Members led by Hon. Speaker Fernando Da Piedade Dia Dos Santos,
2. Parliament of Botswana, a Delegation of 4 Members led by Hon. Deputy Speaker Kagiso P. Molatlhegi,
3. Parliament of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a Delegation of 3 Members led by Hon. Nkolo Boniface Balamage, MP,
4. Parliament of the Kingdom of Lesotho, a Delegation of 5 Members led by Hon. Deputy Speaker Solomon Montsuoe Lethoba,
5. National Assembly of Malawi, a Delegation of 8 Members led by Rt. Hon. Speaker Richard Msowoya,
6. National Assembly of Mauritius, a Delegation of 2 Members led by Hon. Maneesh Gobin, MP,
7. National Assembly of Mozambique, a Delegation of 6 Members led by Hon Jaime Bessa Augusto Neto, MP,
8. National Assembly of Namibia, a Delegation of 4 Members led by Hon. Speaker Prof. Peter H. Katjavivi,
9. National Assembly of Seychelles, a Delegation of 4 Members led by Hon. Speaker Patrick Pillay,
10. Parliament of the Republic of South Africa, a Delegation of 13 Members led by Hon. Speaker Baleka Mbete,
11. Parliament of the Kingdom of Swaziland, a Delegation of 7 Members led by Hon. Speaker Themba Msibi,
12. National Assembly of Zambia, a Delegation of 10 Members led by the Hon. Second Deputy Speaker Mwimba Malama,
13. Parliament of the Republic of Zimbabwe, a Delegation of 10 Members led by Hon. Speaker Advocate Jacob Francis Mudenda, our Host.
14. The Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania sent an apology of absence; and
15. The SADC PF Secretariat Staff Members led by the Secretary General, myself.
6.0 THANKS TO ZIMBABWE
Master of Ceremony, Our Guest of Honour and Distinguished Delegates, may I conclude my Opening Statement by thanking the Government and the Parliament of the Republic of Zimbabwe through the Hon. Advocate Jacob Francis Mudenda, Speaker of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe, for graciously and meticulously making accommodation, transport, protocol services, administrative and other logistical arrangements to facilitate smooth stay of Delegates during this SADC PF 40th Plenary Assembly Session being hosted in this beautiful Zimbabwe's Capital City of Harare.
The arrangements the Parliament of Zimbabwe has made for the comfort of the Delegates are all highly appreciated. Indeed, we will remember the warm hospitality from the people, the Government and the Parliament of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
I wish the Distinguished Delegates fruitful deliberations.
I THANK YOU.
DELIVERED AT YHE 40 TH PLENARY ASSEMBLY SESSION OF THE SADC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM,
10 TH NOVEMBER, 2016,
HARARE, ZIMBABWE
The President of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, in absenstia;
Deputy President of the SADC PF, Hon Joseph Njobvuyalema;
The Speaker of the Parliament of Zimbabwe, Adv. Jacob Mudenda;
Hon Speakers here present;
The Secretary General of SADC PF; Dr Esau Chiviya;
Hon Members from SADC PF Member States;
Cooperating partners of SADC PF,
Staff of SADC PF;
Invited guests, ladies and gentlemen;
Members of the Media.
Comrades and friends.
Today is a great day in the history of our SADC Region. Today will go down in the annals of history as the day that our Members of Parliament, as elected representatives of the great people of our region, set aside political and other differences to resoundingly say NO to child marriage by delivering a Model Law that will no doubt provide guidance to all our Member States as they develop or refine their own national laws to address child marriage.
It is my singular honour to be invited to the launch the Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage and Protecting those in Marriage.
It has been more than a year since the SADC PF and other partners began developing a SADC model law on eradicating child marriage and protecting those already in marriage with so much commonality that it can easily be adopted or adapted as Member States develop legal instruments and policies to confront this embarrassing scourge. The Plenary Assembly Session is the highest decision-making body of SADC PF - the deliberative body that brings together 14 national parliaments of Southern Africa. It is only logical that we are launching this Model Law here.
Hon Members, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to make it very clear from the onset that for us in Zimbabwe, our government joins the greater progressive SADC Region in expressing our abomination for Child Marriages and we are committed to ending the menace. Unless we all join hands and walk our talk on this issue, many of our Member States will fail to benefit from the demographic dividend.
My Principal, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Honourable Robert Gabriel Mugabe, is firmly with us on this matter. A trained teacher, President Mugabe understands very clearly the need transformative power of formal education and the need to keep all children in school. Our President knows that child marriage prevents young people from realizing self-actualization. Accordingly, he has spoken very strongly against child marriages, as has our First Lady, Amai Grace Mugabe.
Hon Members, ladies and gentlemen, I am happy to reveal that advocacy and activism against child marriages have been as vociferous in our Parliament as in the rest of the other Parliaments in the SADC Region.
It is therefore gratifying to note that as a result of our common position on issues to do with Child Marriages, it was possible for members of SADC PF to consult widely and come up with this Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage and Protecting that Already in Marriage.
Within the SADC Region, traditional culture, poverty and religion have been cited as drivers of Child Marriage.
Girls should be in schools and at the playground, not in bedrooms as wives.
As congratulate all those who worked hard to develop this Model Law and all those who supported the process through technical and or financial resources, allow me to stress that the real work begins now.
Members of Parliament would need to use the floors of their national Parliaments to advocate for the eradication of child marriage as well as the enactment of nationally relevant laws and policies in this regard. More importantly, Members of Parliament can and must use their oversight role to ensure that National budgets support implementation of laws and policies to eradicate child marriage and support those already in marriage.
We need to empower girls in our Southern Africa Region with education while protecting them from early marriages.
As we all know, educated girls will create a generation of empowered women in our region.
Let me also hasten to add that an educated generation of women will result in an empowered Southern Africa.
Allow me to congratulate and commend our media within the SADC Region, for reporting about the development and adoption of this Model Law. While I was preparing my remarks I went to Google to appreciate how our media have been reporting about this Model Law and I was impressed by the many media reports from different Member States focusing on various stages in the development of this law. I would like to urge our media to keep up the good work. We would like to see more media articles explaining aspects of this Model Law and saying what Member States are doing or not doing with respect to implementation.
We need to create awareness of this law and to ensure that it is made available to as many stakeholders as is possible. I would suggest, among other things, that copies of the Model Law be made available to all libraries of our High Courts and Law Schools in the SADC Region.
Additionally, we should redouble our efforts to tackle many more issues that affect our people that include teenage Pregnancy, unmet needs for family planning, lack of harmonization of laws, lack of comprehensive sexuality education, lack of health facilities that are user friendly, lack facilities for screening for diseases and inadequate health provision personnel.
Allow me to end by once again congratulating SADC PF MPs for uniting in fighting for the rights, protection and welfare of our children through developing this bold Model Law.
Now is the time to explore possibilities and opportunities in adopting and domesticating and implementing this Model Law.
It is now my singular honour and privilege to declare this Model Law duly launched.
I thank you!
Women and girls under spotlight
05 Jul. 2017The causal factors of the high HIV prevalence in young women and girls in Africa will be investigated this week.
Civil society organisations, United Nations agencies and other partners are working with the SADC Parliamentary Forum to hold the first ever Women's Parliament in Mahe, Seychelles this week 5 and 6 July.
The organisers say the parliament will bring together SADC female MPs and their counterparts from other parts of the world to critically discuss and sustain the engagement of parliaments to implement Resolution 60/2 of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) which focuses on women, the girl-child and HIV and Aids. Through Resolution 60/2, the UNCSW calls for full attention to the high levels of new HIV infections among young women and adolescent girls, and their root causes. As the Report of the United Nations' Global Commission on HIV and the Law noted almost exactly five years ago, such root causes include a country's body of laws concerning HIV and Aids.
The evidence indicates that an enabling legal environment, including one that ensures both the legal and practical equality of women and girls, is much more likely to result in lower rates of HIV infection than a punitive one that enshrines historical inequalities. Consideration of women and girls in the HIV discourse is a response to the high burden of disease among women and girls in the region and globally. United Nations statistics indicate that 51% of all adults living with HIV globally as of 2015 were women aged 15 years and older. In east and southern Africa, women account for more than half of the total number of people living with HIV.
MESSAGE BY THE REGIONAL WOMEN'S PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS ON THE OCCASION OF THE 40TH PLENARY ASSEMBLY SESSION
30 Nov. 2016AT RAINBOW HOTEL,
HARARE,
ZIMBABWE:
I am deeply gratified to be conveying this message of support on behalf of my sisters in the Regional Women's Parliamentary Caucus to this illustrious occasion - the SADC Parliamentary Forum's 40th Plenary Assembly. The Theme this year is: Statelessness in the SADC Region.
For us, this is an important theme as statelessness cannot be discussed without looking at its direct impact on women and girl-children. Gender discrimination, the subordination and marginalisation of women, and feminised poverty are some of the crucial factors in creating and perpetuating statelessness and non-recognition of citizenship rights. Many countries still do not have gender-neutral citizenship laws. In the worst cases, women lose their citizenship upon marriage to foreigners, and are unable to pass on their citizenship to their children. In Africa over 20 countries, including some SADC Member States, still deny women the right to pass on nationality to a foreign spouse.
Windhoek - Civil Society Organisations, United Nations agencies and other partners are working with the SADC Parliamentary Forum to hold the first ever Women's Parliament in Mahe, Seychelles next week from Wednesday to Thursday.
The organisers say the Women's Parliament will bring together SADC women members of parliament, and their counterparts from other parts of the world, to critically discuss and sustain the engagement of parliaments to implement Resolution 60/2 of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW).
The resolution focuses on women, the girl-child and HIV and Aids, which is still a major grim reaper claiming countless lives.
Through Resolution 60/2, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) calls on governments, international partners and civil society to give full attention to the high levels of new HIV infections among young women and adolescent girls, and their root causes.
As the Report of the United Nations' Global Commission on HIV and the Law noted almost exactly five years ago, such root causes include a country's body of laws concerning HIV and Aids.
The evidence indicates that an enabling legal environment, including one that ensures both the legal and practical equality of women and girls, is much more likely to result in lower rates of HIV infection than a punitive one that enshrines historical inequalities.
The SADC Parliamentary Forum is the deliberative body that brings together 14 National Parliaments in the SADC Region to discuss common issues affecting the SADC region as well as to support the regional integration agenda.
MAHE, SEYCHELLES - Delegates to the first ever Women's Parliament which ended here on July 6 2017 have called for sustained engagement over issues dealt with during the Parliament.
The SADC Parliamentary Forum, the Regional Women's Parliamentary Caucus (RWPC) and other cooperation partners, notably ARASA, organized the Women's Parliament, which sought to rally female Members of Parliament around Resolution 60/2 on the status of Women, Children and the Girl Child. Resolution 60/2 seeks to end HIV infection among women and girls.
The major outcome of the Women's Parliament was the Mahe Declaration which summarises deliberations that took place during the two-day Women's Parliament. The Mahe Declaration captures resolutions on specific action that needs to be taken to address the various issues that were discussed.