AWD Report 2020
development; women entrepreneurs from the region; CSOs; and observers. As a result of the conferences, a database of women entrepreneurs has been developed and a network of businesswomen in the region, called the East African Women in Business Platform, has been established. The EAC has also drafted a Regional Strategy for Promoting Women in Business for Socio-Economic Development, which aims to “increase the number of women engaging in viable and value-adding economic activities.” The vision is to create a region where women “enjoy economic, social, and political rights and are empowered to secure better lives for themselves, their families, and their communities.” The EAC is also the process of developing a Regional Financial Facility targeting women-owned businesses in collaboration with the East African Development Bank. This will target women-owned businesses and aim at reducing the risk of loans extended to these, limit transaction costs and guarantee payment in case of default.387 Both the Draft Regional Strategy and the proposal for the Facility currently await adoption by the Council.388 The Gender and Community Development Department has implemented initiatives to promote women’s rights and gender equality. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Gender Department has partnered with the East African Civil Society Organizations’ Forum Kenya Chapter, the Forum for African Women Educationalists and the Mentoring and Empowerment Programme for Young Women to establish mechanisms that can mitigate the effects of COVID-19 and address GBV in the region.389 The objectives include strengthening monitoring, reporting and accountability mechanisms of regional and sub-regional bodies on GBV as well as practices that promote the economic empowerment of women and girls.390 Moreover, the EAC has adopted strategies and guidelines to ensure and improve the promotion of gender mainstreaming within its institutions and organs. For example, the EAC adopted the Guidelines and Checklists for Gender Mainstreaming in EAC Organs and Institutions in 2013. This provides three basic tools to guide Secretariat staff and key stakeholders in the effective mainstreaming of gender and gender analysis in programmes and projects in the region.391
4.3. Strengths, Challenges and Gaps Since its establishment, the EAC has adopted a reasonably strong women’s rights and gender equality framework in general and in specific rights areas. The frameworks also align with continental and international gender commitments. Moreover, the binding nature of EAC legislation contributes to the harmonisation and implementation of regional commitments.392 Finally, the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) can hold States accountable for violations of rights. From a rights perspective, a notable strength is the role of CSOs in the development and drafting of legislation, policies and projects. The adoption of the EAC Consultative Dialogue Framework has strengthened the role of CSOs. For example, regional actors have contributed to the drafting of the Gender Equality and Development Bill, Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR), the HIV and AIDS Prevention and Management Act and the EAC Gender Equality and Development Barometer.393 The latter is a tool that tracks implementation of the EAC’s gender equality and development legislation and allows for the monitoring, measuring and documentation of progress made in achieving gender equality in key result areas. Insufficient institutional capacities and sources can, in part, explain the challenges in implementing the EAC’s gender commitments. The Gender Department is responsible for many issues; however, it has limited human and financial resources, and this negatively impacts the effectiveness of the gender mainstreaming project.394 The EAC budget comprises Member State contributions and financial support from development partners. In practice, however, the contributions of Member States represent an unreliable source of funding. States are often late or non-compliant in disbursing their contributions, and this hinders effective operations and implementation of EAC commitments, in particular those concerning gender.395
> back to contents
75
