SADC states fail to meet women quota

Zambia is among 10 Southern African countries that have failed to meet the 30 per cent quota stipulated by the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) protocol on the appointment of women legislators into higher positions of authority.

This is according to a SADC parliamentary forum official reported in Zimbabwe’s Financial Gazette. Only three countries namely South Africa (38 per cent), Mozambique (36 per cent) and Tanzania (30,4 per cent) out of 13 have met the 30 per cent quota set by African Heads of State at the 1997 SADC summit held in Namibia.Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Malawi, Swaziland, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zambia and Zimbabwe are lagging behind at 20 per cent.Speaking at the signing ceremony for a grant made to the SADC parliamentary forum by the Swedish Embassy, Secretary General of the Forum Kasukwa Mutukwa said the continent still had a lot of ground to cover with regard to the advancement of women to positions of authority.Mutukwa said the challenge to facilitate the advancement of women will be more pressing because the heads of state had mooted increasing the quota to 50 per cent of all leadership positions.”Since the protocol was launched in 1997, only three countries have managed to attain the 30 per cent quota that was set by Heads of State.The task that lies ahead is even more difficult taking into consideration that Heads of State and government are planning to increase that quota from the 30 per cent to about 50 per cent.If this sails through, it will leave member states and the forum with a lot of work to do,” said Mutukwa.Nampa-ZanaOnly three countries namely South Africa (38 per cent), Mozambique (36 per cent) and Tanzania (30,4 per cent) out of 13 have met the 30 per cent quota set by African Heads of State at the 1997 SADC summit held in Namibia.Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Malawi, Swaziland, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zambia and Zimbabwe are lagging behind at 20 per cent.Speaking at the signing ceremony for a grant made to the SADC parliamentary forum by the Swedish Embassy, Secretary General of the Forum Kasukwa Mutukwa said the continent still had a lot of ground to cover with regard to the advancement of women to positions of authority.Mutukwa said the challenge to facilitate the advancement of women will be more pressing because the heads of state had mooted increasing the quota to 50 per cent of all leadership positions.”Since the protocol was launched in 1997, only three countries have managed to attain the 30 per cent quota that was set by Heads of State.The task that lies ahead is even more difficult taking into consideration that Heads of State and government are planning to increase that quota from the 30 per cent to about 50 per cent.If this sails through, it will leave member states and the forum with a lot of work to do,” said Mutukwa.Nampa-Zana

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