Challenges to Mainstreaming Gender in Legislation and Governance

Photo by David Harrison 

Both President Zuma and Minister Mayende-Sibiya have emphasised that partnerships with civil society are necessary for the empowerment of women and to ensure that women’s issues remain a priority in government’s agendas. Indeed, South African women’s gains to date have been the fruits of alliances between those in government and those in society. The mooted Gender Equality Act presents an opportunity for further engagement and partnership building.

In an attempt to stimulate this dialogue, the Heinrich Boell Stiftung together with the Gender Advocacy Programme and the Commission for Gender Equality hosted an event on “Challenges to Mainstreaming Gender in Legislation and Governance: Comparative Perspectives" in Cape Town on the 3rd February 2010. The roundtable brought together public representatives, civil society organisations and academics to engage with SA’s reconfigured Gender Machinery landscape, discuss international experiences of gender mainstreaming, and debate crucial questions on the country’s future approaches to effecting women’s empowerment. The overall purpose of the event was to identify ways in which the Women’s Sector could provide support to the reconfigured gender machinery.

The two lead questions for the event were:

• Gender mainstreaming: Limitations and Opportunities of an approach. What has gender mainstreaming achieved in different contexts but what has it undermined? When and where has gender mainstreaming worked? Perspectives from South Africa and abroad.

• South Africa’s Gender Mainstreaming futures: What does the new political and institutional landscape allow? What mechanisms and instruments will constitute future efforts in South Africa? What is the vision for the new ministry?  

The roundtable provided an opportunity for Advocate Memani-Balani (Special Advisor: Ministry of Women, Children, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities) to update the audience on developments in the newly formed Ministry, and for prominent gender activists and politicians including Hon. Lynne Brown, (Shadow Premier of the Western Cape) and Prof. Amanda Gouws (Professor, University of Stellenbosch) to reflect on gender power imbalances in South African politics, about the gains and disappointments of Women’s Representation and Gender mainstreaming in the South African context, as well as SA’s reconfigured Gender Machinery landscape.  Barbara Unmüßig (President, HBS) spoke abut lessons learned through international experiences of Gender mainstreaming and the reconfiguration of governance structures to address gender imbalances. Lisa Vetten of Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre spoke on challenges to Civil Society’s engagement to date and the scope for engagement in a reconfigured landscape.  

Photographs of the Round Table

 

 

Photos by David Harrison