Articles about Gender Links Opinion And Commentary Service
Bringing about a ?sea? change in local government
10 September 05
Regional relevance: South Africa
Being one of the few women in a leadership position amongst a sea of men has not been easy. I remember when I gave birth to my second child in 1994, when I was already serving at the ANC Johannesburg Region, I was referred to, by one of the male comrades as a ?child-maker? who had to occasionally excuse herself from... [read more]
Doing the ?gender work?
10 September 05
Regional relevance: South Africa
As a model for the SADC region, the Commission on Gender Equality (CGE) has both strengths and weaknesses. First, its independence is critical. Although in South Africa its status as a constitutional body is significant, it sometimes acts no differently to other civil society bodies. The reason for this is that its... [read more]
Finding gender in the MDGs
10 September 05
Regional relevance: South Africa
As the world?s attention shifts to the Millennium Review Summit taking place in Newy York from 12-14 September, Southern African gender activists are asking a critical question: Where is gender in the MDGs? [read more]
Levelling the playing fields in education: dare we hope?
10 September 05
Regional relevance: South Africa
While girl?s access to education is seemingly becoming less of a problem in most countries, their retention and long-term success in education still present a challenge. What happens when the adult caregivers are too ill to care for the family needs or die, often living children to fend for themselves? What happens... [read more]
Missing the mark?
10 September 05
Regional relevance: South Africa
When the men who lead the 14 member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) signed a Declaration on Gender and Development in 1997, the day of reckoning seemed far off. Among the several commitments made, they promised to ensure at least 30 percent women in all areas of decision-making by 2005.... [read more]
Navigating the gap between public and private law
10 September 05
Regional relevance: Botswana
In most Southern African Development community (SADC) countries, the primary source of human rights is the bill of rights in the constitution, where such exists. In those SADC countries with written constitutions, gender discrimination is outlawed, with South Africa, Namibia and Malawi having the most advanced... [read more]
One day is all it takes to change your life
10 September 05
Regional relevance: Mauritius
As many factories in Mauritius close as a result of the US Africa Growth and Opportunities Act making other locations cheaper, women who challenged the norms by taking to the workforce, are paying the price for economic globalisation. Rajendri Chengapen is one such woman. Her story gives a human face to the impact... [read more]
Shut Up! Be a Lady!
10 September 05
Regional relevance: Zimbabwe
Silencing women?s voices is one of the oldest methods in history of keeping women in their place. The denial of women?s right to communicate or to put in plainly, a right to voice and free speech, is one of the strongest political weapons in the armory of patriarchy. [read more]
Women?s bodies are a site of struggle
10 September 05
Regional relevance: South Africa
The liberation struggles of yesteryear are over. But in intra-country conflicts, rebel groups have taken the gendered dimension of conflict to catastrophic proportions. If you look beyond the ideology (where ideology and broad political grievances are the reasons for the wars), it seems that in recent African... [read more]
Women?s land ownership critical for economic independence
10 September 05
Regional relevance: Southern Africa (SADC), Zimbabwe
In Southern Africa women?s ability to access, own and control means of production such as land and livestock are severely limited by cultural practices and customary laws. This in turn has devastating impacts on their economic independence and ability to move out of poverty [read more]
