Gender and governance - SADC Gender Barometer

Women's leadership, inclusivity at all levels of decision making and representation is central to achieving human development and promoting human rights. When women are marginalised in politics, issues that concern them, children and youth tend to be compromised at the political decision-making level. When women are equal partners in decision-making, and their experiences considered and their voices heard, national and development policies are more inclusive and have a broader influence and impact.Key points:

• The revised SADC Gender Protocol represents a crucial paradigm shift from mere numerical representation of women in decision-making to effective leadership.
• Analysis in this chapter shows that countries with a PR or mixed system and quota have double the percentage of women (36% to 40% at local and national levels) compared to 9% to 17% in the FPTP system (with no quota).
• Women's representation in SADC stands at 27% for Parliament, 26% for local government and 23% for Cabinet.