The Umbrella Newsletter Issue 05 2011 by YNGVE

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Changing the RiverÂ&#x2019;s Flow Newsletter Issue 05/2011

The Safe from GBV and HIV

South Africa: Empowered faith, empowered women Women at the centre of peace What to do when you have been assaulted or raped Include climate change on womenÂ&#x2019;s empowerment agenda SAfAIDS launches YWF! programme

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Acknowledgements SAfAIDS would like to thank everyone who contributed to this edition of The Umbrella - Safe from GBV and HIV. Producing this publication would not have been possible without the valued contributors who provided articles, photographs, insights and valuable information to our readers. The NGO sector must be applauded for all the courageous work that is being done in the response to GBV and HIV in southern Africa, including all the CBOs, FBOs and those individuals who selflessly volunteer and contribute in small - yet big ways to soothe the pains brought on by the twin epidemics. Most of all, we would like to express our gratitude to all the individuals who provided positive feedback and especially those who shared their personal stories and victories with us: those individual voices that continue to inspire change in all our communities - and give us hope for the future.

Contributors Petronella Mugoni Yngve Sjolund Lenhle Zulu Tonya Stanfield Phyllis Kachere James Hall

Natalie Davies - layout designer Photography images - courtesy of Swailand National Trust Commission p10, p11 Natalie Davies p15 UMC Mozambique, copyright ÂŠ 2000 p20, p22

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed in The Umbrella - Safe from GBV and HIV are those of the contributors. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this newsletter, the editor and SAfAIDS, its directors and members do not endorse nor are liable for the information contained in The Umbrella - Safe from GBV and HIV.

Thank-You

Rouzeh Eghtessadi for guidance and review. Yngve Sjolund for article contributions and collation. Petronella Mugoni for support in content direction of this Newsletter and for editing.

AYA

"Fern"

symbol of endurance and resourcefulness The fern is a hardy plant that can grow in difficult places. "An individual who wears this symbol suggests that he has endured many adversities and outlasted much difficulty." (Willis, The Adinkra Dictionary)

SAfAIDS Regional Office: (Reg. No. 208/025903/12), 479 Sappers Contour, Lynnwood, Pretoria 0081, South Africa. Tel: +27-12-3610889; Fax: +27-12-3610899, Email: info@safaids.net; Website: www.safaids.net Country Office - Zimbabwe: (PVO 14/96), 17 Beveridge Road, P.O. Box A509, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe. Tel: +263-4-336193/4; Fax: +263-4-336195, Email: info@safaids.org.zw; Website: www.safaids.net Country Office - Zambia: Plot No. 4, Lukasu Road, Rhodes Park, Lusaka, Zambia. Tel:+260-211-257652; Fax: +260-1-257652, Email: safaids@safaids.co.zm; Website: www.safaids.net Country Office - Mozambique: Avenida Ahmed Sekou Toure 1425 R/C, Maputo, Mozambique. Tel: +258-213-02623, Email: safaids@teledata.mz; Website: www.safaids.net

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CONTENTS Acknowledgments and credits

From the Editor Yvgve Sjolund

South Africa: Empowered faith, empowered women By Tonya Stanfield UN Security Council Resolution 1325 By Yvgve Sjolund Q & A with Lenhle Zulu, Law Student, Monash University True Swazi Culture, Swaziland s Incwala or Kingship Ceremony

5-6

8-10

News From The Region Farm schools boost food security and aim to prevent GBV in Kenya Calls for the inclusion of climate change on the gender a women s empowerment agenda By Petronella Mugoni

20-22

SADC Gender and Development Protocol 23-24 One country away from coming into force one more country s ratification needed Suggested Reading

10-11

Sources

24-25 25

What to do when you have been assaulted 12-15 or raped Compiled by Yvgve Sjolund Thuthuzela Care Centres, South Africa Good Practice in Survivor Care

New from SAfAIDS - Young Women First! (YWF!) Programme Launched Resources / listings / services SAfAIDS Regional Resource Centres

Religion and poverty force girls into early marriages By Phyllis Kachere

Where To Get Help

Traditional leaders help enlisted in AIDS battle By James Hall

16-17

26-27

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From the Editor

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- Yngve Sjolund

Gender-based violence (GBV) is traditionally portrayed in newspapers and the mainstream media through generalised facts and grim numbers with incidences of rape and sexual violence usually depicted as statistics without a face; a practice which tends to diminish feelings and the authentic human lives that are affected by gender violence in its many forms. At most, the public is bombarded with news stories of death, disease and disaster on a daily basis, making us all immune to the extent of violence in our own neighbourhoods and the realities of people s suffering. Due to the sedate anonymity of news reports, we often take the stance that violence happens elsewhere when in fact oppression, GBV and sexual violence are realities that touch the lives of people everywhere, everyday. Countless women spend most of their lives living in fear of their husbands or intimate partners; afraid of being abused, beaten, insulted, broken down and manipulated to the point where they believe there is no hope and no end in sight. Until, finally, one day they cannot take any more. Having lived their personal nightmares in silence; sometimes for years on end, their resilience of human spirit compels them to repair their broken lives and tell the world what they have witnessed a healing process that also becomes the eyes and ears for people who wish to explore GBV issues in different countries and cultures. In 1968 Muriel Rukeyser's said: What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life? The world would split open . Her evocative statement still holds true today and is a poignant reminder that personal moments of truthtelling are profoundly political. Women across the world are increasingly standing up and telling the truth about their lives to help others. Their experiences have been captured in a number of bestselling books which provide extraordinary insights into the secretive, grim and unknown inner worlds of survivors of abuse around the globe. Personal first-hand accounts of the authors provide greater understanding and unique insights into their personal experiences that we can only gain from hearing these first hand accounts and which mere statistics can never illustrate.

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'Burned Alive' is the first true account ever published by a victim of an honour crime , a woman who miraculously survived an attempted honour killing inflicted upon her by members of her own family. Souad now lives in permanent exile from her homeland where she has decided to tell the truth in her book, and call to action an end to a heinous tradition. 'Burned Alive' tells the tale of thousands of women. More than five thousand honour killings are reported every year - many more go unreported. The power of one woman's truth will allow others to confront similar issues in their own lives, and create a ripple effect to encourage others to speak out as well and instil the courage and strength needed to rebuild their senses of self and heal and make the world a better place for all. We have a challenge at hand that can be taken up by anyone, anywhere and at any time! If there is anything on your mind, and you have anything you would like to share with us - or would like to contribute a story or insight from you country that can help to Change the River's Flow - please contact the Editor of The Umbrella Safe from GBV and HIV on editor_ctrf@safaids.net

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South Africa: Empowered faith, empowered women By Tonya Stanfield

"Your husband is king." This was recently the group consensus at a ladies faithbased study in the informal settlement of Masiphumelele in Cape Town. Agreement was muttered around the room as heads nodded.

view is the grid through which we interpret all things; for example, right and wrong, success and failure, and the worth of humankind. Religious or not, no one can escape the impact of the major faith or traditional beliefs they were raised with. Faith is a cornerstone of society that must be taken into account.

"His way is the only way. Even if he does not work, even if he drinks, even if he beats you, you must stay or you are not a real woman." None of the women present felt this was right, but none of them felt they could change it. They were trapped by a potent, twisted combination of culture and religious teaching. For these women, their perceived truth was not going to set them free.

Often a source of inequality is, sadly, the one place where women should be empowered the most -- their local church, mosque, temple or religious space. While women are empowered politically and educationally, they may be told each week their primary role is to serve their husbands and have children: their own contribution to society, outside of traditional roles, is undermined.

While the Rainbow Nation is striving to support and empower women in many societal spheres, one wonders what is being done in churches, mosques and temples. Women are gaining seats in parliament, making strides in education and law reform; yet, domestic abuse, rape and incest remain at alarming rates.

Traditional Christianity teaches a woman she is created to be her husband's helper and restricts women's roles in the church. Traditional Islam grants women equality at creation, but still teaches women are one degree short of a man and their primary role is in the home. Judaism historically taught that a woman is more intrinsically evil than a man. A traditional Buddhist proverb claims a person is born a woman as a result of 10 000 sins in a previous life. Until 1998, a woman in a customary marriage was considered a perpetual minor. And today, polygamy, eschewed by most women's rights groups, is not only legal, but South Africa's president is a partaker.

How does one reshape biases passed down in time and cultivated by environment? How does one tackle a war against a world view? How does one change instinctual, rather than purposeful behaviours? The key is to address the root, not only the symptoms, of gender-based injustice. Bias and inequity lie in the heart of every man and woman, deep inside our core beliefs. Gender injustice is the tainted fruit of wrong beliefs. There is no institution on earth better designed to reach into the heart of humankind, to flush out wrong belief, than our religious and spiritual homes. We must empower the faiths to empower women. "You are what you worship," says David Hamilton, author of Why Not Women?, a book championing women as equal partners in ministry. Faith shapes cultures, and culture plays a key part in shaping world view. Our world

Do the faiths believe they teach such inequality? They would shout out a resounding NO! And they're right, but they're also wrong. The histories of all faiths have at some point intertwined with the biases of those interpreting their scriptures and perpetuating their doctrines. Thus, women across the globe are still battling the residue of false truth about their sex taught by ancient Greek philosophers, church fathers, rabbis, imams, gurus and tribal chiefs. Two university-educated, ambitious girls in the religious study group had questions about their identity as

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There is no institution on earth better designed to reach into the heart of humankind, to flush out wrong belief, than our religious and spiritual homes. We must empower the faiths to empower women.

females when it came to the question of marriage and lobola. One young woman found it offensive; the other found it a harmless custom to be honoured. But they asked the same questions: "Who am I after I get married? Do my ambitions and dreams dissolve after I am a wife?" Both were taught by culture and religion that God created women primarily to serve their husbands. The empowerment of women is greatly compromised, if not defeated, when their places of worship settle for unchallenged traditional teaching, and do not make an effort to re-explore scriptures in light of cultural changes and modernisation. So, do we turn our back on religion? Definitely not. The answer is to empower faiths to empower women. Spiritual institutions must do the hard work of sifting truth from culture and bias passed down from history. This is how world views are shifted. Reinterpretation does not mean abandoning the authority of our holy books. It does not mean abandoning faith in God. It does not mean abandoning culture, but rather redeeming it. The Bible was once used to condone the ownership of slaves, until society changed. Christians began to ask, in light of the glaring truth of equality, why it was okay to own slaves. They questioned what they were taught and discovered an overarching theme of equality in the scriptures. They were empowered to use the same Bible as a basis for ending legalised slavery. Truth is constant, but it is also generational. Historically the world has woken up to certain truths in certain

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generations; humankind is both deceived and enlightened together. Widows were once forced to throw themselves on their husband's funeral pyres in India. Pope John Paul II apologised to Muslims for the crusades. Husband and wife now have equal rights to children born in customary marriages. Generational truth is a real phenomenon. But, it's not enough to simply empower women. "There's a realisation that if we don't bring men in as partners we won't win the battle", says Sheila Meintjes, an official with the Commission on Gender Equality. Women receive the message of equality and shift their world view accordingly, but for men, this message can challenge their very identity, causing them to ask, "Then who am I?" Religious institutions are uniquely positioned to answer these core questions, if they are willing to do the hard work of sifting culture from truth. We must empower our faiths to empower women. We must empower our faiths to guide men in a generation where identities are being challenged. Loren Cunningham, founder of one of the world's largest mission organisations said, "What is the greatest issue in the 21st Century? It is the women's issue." The beautiful truth is at the fingertips of this generation. Let's grasp it together. Tonya Stanfield is the Director of Justice ACTs, a faithbased alliance working to combat human trafficking. This article was originally published as part of the Gender Links Opinion and Commentary Service.

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UN Security Council Resolution 1325 puts women at the centre of peace processes By Yngve Sjolund

Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury

As the President of the UN Security Council in early

2000, Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury brought the issue of women and peace and security onto the Council's agenda and convinced all 15 members to issue a Security Council Press Statement on the theme th of women and peace. International Women's Day (8 March 2000) paved the way for the landmark Security Council Resolution 1325 on women and peace and security, which was passed on 31 October the same year. During his time at the UN, Ambassador Chowdhury also spearheaded the adoption by the UN General Assembly in 1999 of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace. The following excerpt is from a speech given by Ambassador Chowdhury at the Â&#x2018;Women and WarÂ&#x2019; th conference held in celebration of the 10 anniversary of th UNSCR 1325 in Washington DC on 4 November 2010. My own experience in the course of my different responsibilities, more so during the last 20 years, has shown that the participation of women in peacemaking, peacekeeping and peace building assures that their experiences, priorities and solutions contribute to stability, inclusive governance and sustainable peace. Of 192 UN member states, only 23 have prepared their 1325 National Action Plans so far - a meagre one-third of which are by developing countries. Please remember that governments of developing countries, particularly of the most vulnerable and the poorest ones, would not move unless there is international support and encouragement to them. That should come from the UN - with UN Resident Coordinators who represent the UN and the Secretary-General at the national level taking the initiative to energise the national leadership. The much-needed and talked-about directive from

the Secretary-General to Resident Coordinators is still mired in the UN bureaucracy. The UN can take a lesson from Secretary of State Clinton's directive to all the US Ambassadors abroad regarding 1325. As we face the reality after the 10th anniversary, the international community's commitment for 2011 is crucial. Ten years of expectation and exasperation has to end! Anniversaries are good to lift the spirit and energise us. But the time to act was yesterday! Our work and advocacy should now be aimed for every day - never to give up. 1325 belongs to humanity: it is owned by us all it is for the benefit of all - it was intended to be so since March 2000 when the conceptual breakthrough was made. Therefore, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary at the peace gathering of civil society in New York on 25 October 2010, I declared 1325 "a common heritage of humanity" wherein the global objectives of peace, equality and development are reflected in a uniquely historic, universal document of the United Nations. We should never forget that when women are marginalised, there is little chance for our world to get peace in the real sense! Editors note: This article is adapted from Promoting Women's Participation in Conflict and Post-Conflict Societies: How women worldwide are making and building peace produced by Global Action to Prevent War, the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security and the Women's League for International Peace and Freedom. Please see http://www.sgiquarterly.org and www.globalactionpw.org for more information.

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True Swazi culture is peaceful The true Swazi culture is very peaceful, nowhere are you taught that you can be violent .

Lenhle Zulu Yngve Sjolund recently discussed perceptions of Swazi culture with a young woman; Lenhle Zulu, a final year law student at Midrand Graduate Institute (MGI) in South Africa. Yngve Sjolund: Do youth benefit from any traditional cultural practices in Swaziland? Lenhle Zulu: Culture brings young girls and the boys together, they learn things like how to grow up as a woman or as a man; how to live. They are taught things like how to grow into young entrepreneurs and how to make it in life if they are not formally employed by someone else. During the cultural events, like umhonge - which is the gathering of the maidens, and the incwala - where the young boys are gathered together; young boys and girls are taught how to grow up as men and women. This includes information on health issues, most recently testing for HIV, being faithful to their partners, the effect of having multiple concurrent partners; all those things. With the boys muvuna mkosi they are given practical experiences like ploughing the King s fields, literally doing the work and learning how to do the work and earn money and make a living from it. So personally I can say, even though I do not subscribe to most cultural practices in my home country, I have seen it and for those who want to do it they can, and they can learn from it. It brings the youth together to learn the value of staying pure as a boy and as a girl until they get married. So they get all the life-skills they need. YS: Can you please tell us about cultural practices or traditional customs in your country that are harmful to girls or boys? LZ: To my knowledge our culture - the true Swazi culture - isn t harmful to either boys or girls. You ve got the right to do what you want and you are not forced into doing

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anything you do not want to do. That is our culture. That is why I am saying it is not harmful. YS: Do you think these cultural practices increase violence in your country? LZ: I can say definitely not! The true Swazi culture is very peaceful, nowhere are you taught that you can be violent. Actually, our culture is such that you have to respect your partner. You have to know that you are partners in a relationship. So these are part of the things youth are taught from a very young age; how women must take care of their men and respect them, and how men must take care of their women and take care of their children. YS: How about the HIV situation and the beliefs and practices of youth in Swaziland; are condoms stigmatised? Are youth aware of their sexual and reproductive rights? Yes, they are. There are still those who do not believe in using condoms because of traditional reasons. Who believe that I am married to this woman and I have conjugal rights - and yes, they do, but it has to be negotiated and done the right way. There are still those who believe that she is married to me, and yes: anytime, anywhere and I must have sex the way I want it you still have a problem there. But most of our younger generation all know of these things, they are educated enough to know that women are not sex objects. This is a two-way street; sex is something that has to be enjoyed responsibly by both parties. So I am happy, because the future generations are aware of these issues and the outlook seems promising to reduce violence around sex. I think the other thing that contributes a lot to that is ignorance and young girls are not as educated as they should be they do not know all their rights, only to grow up and get married and have children. They think that

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that is love . I have a right to say: I can have three children if I choose, and I cannot have any more because I need to take care of myself as well . But you know, if you are not educated you think the man paid dowry for you and he can demand that you bear as many children as he wants you to. But if you are educated, you cannot be subjected to that kind of abuse. So I think with education and with technology we are coming out of that era. YS: If youth, women and men are aware of their fundamental sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) their rights to having responsible sex lives; to planned parenthood etc - what in your opinion is the way forward to further reduce HIV, sexual violence and GBV for future generations?

I have a right to say: I can have three children if I choose, and I cannot have any more, because I need to take care of myself as well . But you know, if you are not educated you think the man paid dowry for you and he can demand that you bear as many children as he wants you to. But if you are educated, you cannot be subjected to that kind of abuse. So I think with education and with t e c h n o l o g y we a r e coming out of that era.

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YS: You also mentioned the right of men and women to exercise over themselves their rights to their own sexual and reproductive health, their life and their own finances. LZ: If a woman is educated, if she is working or self-employed, she is in control of her life. I am emphasising that education is key, being learned even maybe if you assume she does not get the formal education she can t afford for some reason but being open minded, knowing your rights and how things work in the outside world is very important. It helps you to say no , to see when you are being abused, and when you are not. YS: And what are your thoughts around polygamy?

LZ: My view, I do not believe in polygamy. Personally, I LZ: Firstly: respect. Respect for your partner. Knowing am a Christian and I believe in one man for one woman . that in a relationship you are equal partners. There is no I can t see happiness where you are fighting for one pot master and in everything that you do, you are adults. of food or for one meal. If you are the man you take care You have to conduct yourself in that manner. of your woman nicely. She s got a house and the other Secondly, to reduce oppression and violence, our youth women in the polygamous marriage all have their own must know their rights. They must be empowered to know houses, and all the children are educated. Violence enters their rights, they must be enlightened. They must also the picture when the man fails to manage all the women. have formal education. Because I personally believe that if you have been educated, and if you He may be able to provide a house have been exposed to technology and and food for one and maybe not for To reduce oppression and human rights, even beyond your the others. Now this may cause violence, our youth must borders it is easy for you to know friction. If you are a real man, I believe, know their rights. They when things are not going right. So you go into polygamy knowing that must be empowered to education and respect are key. And you will be capable of managing all know their rights, they knowing that you are equal in a your houses. If a man is able to fully must be enlightened, they relationship is very, very important. I provide for all his houses, then it is am married to this woman and she fine. must know. And get belongs to the family, and whatever formal education. Because the family says she must do . Men YS: What brought you to law? I personally believe that if need to take the stance that this is you have been educated; my wife and I have to protect her LZ: I am a broad-minded woman you have been exposed to we are equals in this and I need to and I love to see justice happening technology and human protect her, even from cultural and I love to see women being rights, even beyond your practices that are not right for her . empowered. I believe that women can borders. It s easy for you to With that in mind, our future be empowered and that they are wise know when things are not generations will have a very good life enough to hold the ranks. So it is one going right. and a prosperous and healthy of the reasons I came to law, it is a society. good field, you get to know things,

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where you stand in life, what it is that you need out there to live. I can say to all young people: God is key in your life. You must know God as King in your life. And if God is Lord in your life, He will be the one to direct you on the right path. And over and above knowing God, you must

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also have a vision in life. You must know what you want and search yourself for what you want. I believe when I speak of a vision, I speak of something that is beneficial to you you know where you are going in life. Follow your vision and follow your passion. As long as it is right!

Swaziland s Incwala or Kingship Ceremony

The most significant cultural event in Swaziland.

Beginning

No announcement is made for the date of the public holiday for the main day of the Incwala. It is the fourth day after the full moon nearest the longest day, December 21. Incwala is often explained in English as the 'first fruits ceremony', but the King's tasting of the new harvest is only one aspect among many in this long pageant. Incwala is best translated as 'Kingship Ceremony : when there is no king, there is no Incwala.

At full moon in November, the bemanti set off from the Queen Mother s home in two groups: The big group goes to kaTembe (Catembe, south of Maputo), to collect sea-water. The smaller group goes north, collecting water from rivers. The bemanti return to the royal capital with the new moon in December.Then the Little Incwala takes place and is comprised of two days of dance, song and ritual.

Every Swazi may take part in the public aspects of the Incwala, especially the climax, the fourth day of the Big Incwala. The key figures are the King, Queen Mother, royal wives and children, the royal governors (indunas), the chiefs, the regiments, and the "bemanti" or 'water people'.

14 days later the Big Incwala begins.

Princesses

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Afternoon: The King receives traditional medicines in his sanctuary.

Left: The women

Incwala: Day 4 Day 4: Eating the First Fruits and Throwing the Gourd The main day: all the key players perform in a spectacular pageant inside the cattle byre; the king and regiments appear in full war-dress. Day 5: Day of Abstinence

Below: Fetching the lusekwane, Day 1 Day 1: Fetching the lusekwane (sickle bush/ Dichrostachys cinerea) Unmarried male youths set off from the Queen Mothers village and march 50 kilometres to cut branches of the lusekwane under the light of the full moon. Day 2: Dropping the lusekwane The boys place their lusekwane branches in the national cattle byre/kraal. The elders weave these branches in between the poles of the inhlambelo the king's private sanctuary. Day 3: Cutting the imbondvo Morning: young boys cut the branches of the "black imbondvo" (red bushwillow/Combretum apiculatum) and these are added to-the "inhlambelo".

The bemanti roam the royal capital in daylight hours, enforcing the rules of this day: no sexual contact, touching water, wearing decorations, sitting on chairs/mats, shaking hands, scratching, singing or dancing. Day 6: Day of the Log The regiments march to a forest and return with firewood. The elders prepare a great fire in the centre of the cattle byre. On it, certain ritual objects are burnt, signifying the end of the old year, while the key players dance and sing inside the byre. The king remains in seclusion until the next full moon, when the lusekwane branches are removed and burnt. Source: Cultural Resources - Swazi Culture Swaziland National Trust Commission http://www.sntc.org.sz/cultural/incwala.asp

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What to do when you have been assaulted or raped Tips for survivors of rape and sexual violence Â&#x2013; and suggested approaches, useful steps and guidelines for law enforcement in southern African countries Compiled by Yngve Sjolund

Please share the following recommended

guidelines with your local NGOs, CBOs, Municipalities, Hospitals, Clinics, Churches, care workers, health providers and Police Station.

Reporting a Case

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If you have been the victim of a sexual offence, you should report the sexual offence to the police or a health care professional, preferably as soon as possible after the act of sexual violence was committed against you or within 72 hours (3 days) of the assault.

You will be required to make a statement including details on your identity when you report the offence; including, if possible - details on the identity of the perpetrator of the sexual offence and details of the actual criminal offence that was committed against you. This statement will be used by the court if the case goes to court. You must ensure that all the information in your statement is exactly what you experienced and is true and correct.

The police are responsible for providing the following care to the survivor:

- If the offence is a result of domestic violence, the police must advise the survivor of her right to apply for a protection order and to lay a criminal charge against the offender. - Provide the survivor with information about medical and counselling services that are available to her.

The police officer must do the following when a survivor reports a sexual offence

Re-assure the survivor of her safety and that the matter will be dealt with professionally and sensitively. Determine if the survivor is in need of medical attention and make arrangements for it, if needed. Ask the survivor if she would like to have another person present during the interview and allow for such person to be present. Listen to and write down what the survivor says without interrupting her or being judgmental. Take all reports seriously, regardless of when or where the offence occurred. Open a docket for the case. If the survivor cannot make a clear and logical statement at the time, open a skeleton docket with a statement from any person accompanying the survivor. The survivor may make a statement at a later stage.

If you report a sexual offence to the police by telephone, the police must do the following: Obtain the address of where you are phoning from. - Establish whether you are in any danger. - Send a patrol vehicle to where you are as soon as possible to secure the crime scene and assist you. Often a police station only has a certain number of patrol vehicles available to them and all the patrol vehicles may be in use at the time that the sexual offence is reported.

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After the report, the police member must:

An investigating officer will be assigned to each case. The investigating officer is in charge of the investigation and must:

Inform you that you should not change your clothing or wash yourself or any of your clothing, as evidence will be lost if you do so. - Ascertain whether you require an ambulance and if so, an ambulance must be sent to you immediately.

Inform the survivor of the case number and investigating officerÂ&#x2019;s details. - Inform the survivor of the processes that they will follow and regularly update the survivor on any progress with the investigation. - Inform the survivor of the importance of a medical examination and that she may ask the health care professional attending her for medical advice.

At the scene of an offence, the police member must: -

Deal with the survivor professionally. Re-assure the survivor of her safety. Obtain a brief explanation of the events that took place. - If the suspect could still be close by, obtain a description of the suspect and relay that information to the police in the area. - Listen to the survivor and write down what she says.

Safeguard the crime scene to preserve evidence while also protecting the survivorÂ&#x2019;s privacy. Take further steps to avoid the spoiling or loss of evidence.

Instruct police members at the scene of the offence. - Refer the survivor for a medical examination. - Take an initial statement from the survivor and, later, an in-depth statement. The investigating officer should be sensitive to the survivorÂ&#x2019;s culture, language, religion, and gender. Further, the investigating officer must adequately prepare for such statements; allow for interested persons to be present if the survivor so desires, and advise the survivor of the importance of providing details which might be intimate and not hide information. - Keep the survivor informed of any progress with the investigation. Before trial, take an additional statement from the survivor with regard to how the incident has affected his or her life and relationships.

HIV risks and safety measures to minimise exposure to HIV following rape Survivors of rape and sexual violence may have been exposed to HIV infection. The police officer must inform you of the importance of obtaining PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) to prevent HIV infection. PEP is an antiretroviral treatment that is used to limit the risk of contracting HIV after you have possibly been exposed to the virus. PEP is not effective in all instances. PEP must be taken within 72 hours after having been exposed to the virus and can have better results if taken within 48 hours of exposure. The cost of PEP should be covered by the state and you can obtain PEP from designated health establishments, or through a local hospital, clinic or NGO.

Where can PEP be found? PEP is usually found at a health centre, such as a hospital or clinic. You may contact your doctor for more information on where to get PEP in the area where you live. When accessing PEP it is recommended that the following process must be followed: - The survivor must be counselled prior to the HIV test. - A rapid HIV test must be performed on all survivors who opt to use PEP.

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- The survivor must be informed if the test results are negative and must be provided with post-test counselling. - If the first test results reveal that the survivor is HIV positive, a second rapid test must be performed. - If the result of the second rapid test is negative, a laboratory test must be performed. The survivor must be given additional information on HIV and AIDS at this stage.

The right to receive PEP is not conditional on having a police case number. PEP cannot be withheld due to the fact that a survivor has not reported the sexual assault to the police nor can a survivor be told to first report the offence and then return to receive PEP. Other recommended treatments that survivors can access - All female survivors who present themselves for treatment within five days (120 hours) of a sexual assault should be provided with emergency contraception (EC). Survivors should be informed that EC works best if taken as soon as possible, but EC cannot be refused if the survivor presents within the 120 hour period. - Anti-tetanus toxoid (ATT) if the survivor was last immunised against tetanus more than 10 years ago. - Treatment for sexually transmitted infections. - Hepatitis immunisation to survivors who have not been vaccinated.

Survivors must be given clear and simple instructions on how to use medication. The survivor must be offered a range of services including counselling, treatment for sexually transmitted infections, HIV and AIDS, treatment for physical injuries, pregnancy risk evaluation and prevention treatment and other infectious disease treatment and prevention. 14

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Thuthuzela Care Centres, South Africa - good practice in survivor care The South African Government took a decision to begin providing post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to victims of sexual assault in 2002. The provision of PEP in a country with a high prevalence of HIV is reportedly one of the services most valued by victims of sexual assault, along with access to justice. The Thuthuzela Care Centres (TCC s) are onestop facilities for sexual assault survivors, introduced as part of South Africa s national antirape strategy. Located in public hospitals, the TCCs aim to provide survivors with a broad range of essential services from emergency medical care, counselling and court preparation in a holistic, integrated and surviour-friendly manner. The goal of the TCC model is to effectively address the medical and social needs of sexual assault survivors, reduce secondary victimisation, improve conviction rates and reduce the lead time for finalisation of cases. The Thuthuzela project is an interdepartmental collaboration between the departments of Justice, Health, Safety and Security, Social Development, Education, Local Government, Correctional Services, Treasury and designated civil society organisations (at the project site). The project is led by the Sexual Offences and Community Affairs (SOCA) Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and is managed by a high-level Interdepartmental Management Team (IDMT) consisting of representatives of all member departments at national level. Services offered by the TCCs include: - reception and comforting of clients - information counselling on services and procedures - history taking and medical-legal examination - prophylaxis provision and treatment for pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STI), and HIV

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- bath or shower, refreshments and change of clothing - transportation home or to safe shelter, and - referrals; and follow-up support At some TCC sites, clients are able to open a case on-site, give their statement to the police, and/or receive longer-term psycho-social counselling and other support services. Case management and support relating to the clientÂ&#x2019;s criminal case are provided by a case manager and/or victim assistant. Effective delivery of services requires ongoing coordination and cooperation of all relevant stakeholders, including the police, health care professionals, prosecutors, social workers and affiliated NGOs. There are currently 15 TCCs in South Africa, located in six of the nine provinces. These include: Eastern Cape St. Barnabas Hospital (Libode) Cecilia Makiwane Hospital (Mdantsane) Gauteng Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital (Soweto) Natalspruit Hospital (Katlehong) Mamelodi Hospital (Pretoria) Kopanong Hospital Tembisa Hospital

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Limpopo Province Mangkwng Hospital Tshilidzini Hospital Mpumalanga Themba Hospital Kwa Zulu Natal Prince Mshiyeni Hospital (Umlazi) Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital (Phoenix) Northern Cape Galeshewe Day Hospital (Kimberly) North West Mafikeng Hospital (Mafikeng) Western Cape G.F. Jooste Hospital (Mannenburg) Editors Note: Sexual assault services are provided nationally by a wide range of health service providers, including but not limited to the TCCs. These include independent NGO-run centres, and crisis centre units within public hospitals and community health centres. Sexual assault management is also part of the overall health service package coordinated through district health services, and may also be provided by private doctors, clinics and hospitals. Most service providers are not able to offer a full range of services, however, links between health and the justice system are generally not well established outside the TCCs.

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Religion and poverty force girls into early marriages By Phyllis Kachere

HARARE, Apr 9 (IPS) - While her peers get ready to

go to school each morning, 14-year-old Matipedza (not her real name) of Marange district in Manicaland has to stay behind to prepare breakfast for her 67year-old husband. Although her marriage is not legally registered, it is customarily recognised, and the teenager is expected to live as a housewife and soon bear children. "I can t go against [the will of ] my elders and leave my husband in order to attend school. Besides, where would I go if I leave? My parents will not welcome me," said Matipedza. Her case is not unique. In fact, the majority of schoolgoing girls in Marange, some as young as ten, have been married to older men from their church, the Johanne Marange Apostolic sect, which is infamous for believing in polygamy. Most marriages are arranged between adult men and under-age girls. Although it is criminal under the recently enacted Domestic Violence Act to marry off an under-age girl the age of sexual consent in Zimbabwe is 16 years - it is difficult to stop these marriages, as members of the sect are complicit and secretive. Recently released research by Harare-based nongovernmental organisation Women and Law Southern Africa (WLSA) has shown that young girls in early marriages are likely to suffer birth complications, some of them resulting in death. The WLSA study also revealed that those girls are prone to cervical cancer, suffer psychological trauma and encounter a host of problems, such as failing to deal with the social pressures that come with being a wife in a polygamous union.

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The findings have forced Zimbabwean authorities to step up efforts to stop the practice that has forced thousands of girls in the Marange, Odzi and Buhera districts of Manicaland to drop out of school. Although current data is not available, statistics from the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture district office reveal that out of the 10,000 girls who enrolled in Form One in the Marange district in 2000, only about a third completed Form Four in 2003. "Those who dropped out became wives, with a small number dropping out because they could not afford the fees," said a senior district education officer who did not want to be named.

School dropouts

Most girls stop schooling in July when the sect celebrates Passover, a religious festivity during which marriage ceremonies take place. Gideon Mombeshora, a sect member, told IPS that most men in the church prefer to marry under-age girls because it is easier to control them. "Most men want to get married to docile women. The younger the bride the more chances for dominance for the man," he said. He further explained the sect strongly believes in the practice of under-age brides: "Although it is not in our churchÂ&#x2019;s statutes that old men should marry under-age girls, the practice is deeply entrenched in our belief system." Former senator Sheila Mahere said early marriages are a social ill that threatens to derail governmentÂ&#x2019;s bid to fulfil its Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on increasing access to primary education as girls continue to drop out of the already constrained education system.

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"Early marriages threaten national economic development, as bright and intelligent girls are forced out of school to become cheap labour and child bearers in their homesteads. Most of the girls become farm labourers on their husbandsÂ&#x2019; farms," she said.

Caroline Nyamayemombe, gender officer at the United Nations Population and Development Agency (UNFPA) country office in Harare, says studies have confirmed that teenage pregnancy is on the increase in Zimbabwe and a leading cause of maternal mortality.

The Union for the Development of Apostolic Churches in Zimbabwe-Africa (UDA-CIZA), a coalition of 160 apostolic sects in Zimbabwe, tries to raise awareness among apostolic sect leaders of the dangers of early marriages. But in most cases, it faces serious resistance.

"Young girls are married off to men often older than their own fathers. This scenario has significantly contributed to pregnancy complications in teenage mothers. These harmful cultural practices are rampant in some districts in the country," she explained.

"The police has been the biggest let down in early forced child marriages as they have continued to turn a blind eye to these crimes," explain UDA-CIZA programme manager Edson Tsvakai. "We sometimes report some of our members to the police for these crimes but there have been very few successful prosecutions, largely because police view these cases as not serious and because some of the sect leaders are highly networked with the authorities."

Nyamayemombe said apart from religious beliefs, poverty is one of the key reasons for early marriages, as UNFPA data have shown that about 80 percent of pregnant teenagers come from poor families. "Single adolescent girls who become pregnant are more likely to drop out of school, thus compromising their future earning capacity and becoming more likely to end in poverty. Maternal mortality and mortality from HIV/AIDS related causes become a reality for these girls and often lead or exacerbate poverty," she added.

Serious resistance

In 2007, the Harare-based Girl Child Network, rescued an 11-year-old girl who had been married off to a 44year-old man in Buhera. The man was successfully prosecuted and sentenced to six months in jail. However, shortly thereafter, the sentence was suspended and the girl had to live in a safe house because the unrepentant husband continued to claim her as his wife.

A pregnant teenager faces the risk of immature uterine muscles and mucous membranes that pose serious danger and a high risk of a ruptured uterus in cases of prolonged labour. (c) This article has been reprinted with kind permission from Inter Press Service (IPS)

Are you a woman who has ever gone through any traditional sexual and reproductive health ralated processes? No Yes, female genital cutting Yes, sex and sexuality counselling by aunt, grandmother or other family member Yes, sex training

Are you a man who has ever gone through any traditional sexual and reproductive health ralated processes? No Yes, sex and sexuality counselling by uncle, grandfather or other family member Yes, sex training Yes, traditional initation

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Traditional leaders help enlisted in AIDS battle Hosi Tinyiko Nwamitwa from Tzaneen, South Africa

By James Hall

Chief, elders and community councils have important

We will now be equipped with skills on how best we can assist our community members when HIV is in their households, he said.

However, as a conference held from the 12th to the 14th of April 2011 highlighted, these important traditional authorities have not been adequately utilised in the past. Traditional leaders can encourage the people in their communities to test for HIV. They can lobby for health care facilities from governments and donors. They have a huge role to play in ending discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS by lecturing their subjects against this malpractice. The sponsor of this column, the Southern African AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS) believes in the role these elders can play, and launched an HIV prevention movement involving traditional leaders at the Regional Traditional Leadership Rock Indaba in Johannesburg.

AIDS has changed African society and to defeat the disease it is necessary for society to adapt. As Chingandu reported; We found that the African epidemic had something to do with our culture. As much as we love our culture, it is important for our culture to protect us.

roles to play in the eradication of AIDS in southern Africa.

SAfAIDS Executive Director Lois Chingandu told the gathering; As chiefs, you must tell yourself that I want zero new infections in my village. This can only happen if you know the epidemic, start to openly talk about sex and encourage your community members to go for HIV tests. This should start with you .

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We found some practices that were not protecting us but putting us at risk, for example, wife inheritance. We are therefore working with traditional leaders to find ways on how we can practice our culture, without exposing ourselves to HIV infection. She further explained that traditional leaders who demonstrate positive results in fighting AIDS amongst their subjects will be internationally recognised with a new award. This award is aimed at acknowledging traditional leaders who would have excelled in community HIV prevention efforts as well as encourage others to follow suit, said Chingandu.

South Africa s Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs agreed. As traditional leaders, it is a source of pride to have a healthy community. As traditional leaders, we have a lot of respect and influence on our community members. People look up to us for solutions to different challenges they might face.

The Rock Indaba for traditional leaders from the region was given its name because the rock is seen as a constant and dependable object, and traditional leaders are the rocks of their communities. The dependable nature of traditional leaders should also be extended to HIV interventions, and this is the reason why SAfAIDS sees the future of HIV prevention interventions lying with traditional leaders, among other interventions, Chingandu said.

However, the minister admitted; Even with HIV, they have been looking upon us and half the time our interventions were uninformed , thus the need for the new programme, which the minister saw as a way of empowering traditional leaders.

JAMES HALL, originally from Chicago, has lived in Swaziland since 1988. He is a correspondent for Reuters and Agence France Presse, contributing editor for Business in Africa magazine and a radio reporter for Channel Africa and regularly contributes to SAfAIDS publications and online platforms.

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NEWS FROM THE REGION

Farm schools boost food security and aim to prevent GBV in Kenya More than half a million Kenyans - most of them in the

Rift Valley, an area with an HIV prevalence of 6.3% - were displaced during post-election violence in early 2008. While most have since left the camps, they have struggled to restore their livelihoods and a national food crisis in 2009 made things even tougher for them. A programme that now aims to improve food security and incomes and reduce women's vulnerability to gender-based violence by teaching better farming techniques aims to benefit thousands of affected rural Kenyans. According to Godrick Khisa, the national coordinator of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): "Food insecurity and malnutrition are key issues in the spread of HIV and it is also common knowledge that when people are food-insecure (women and children in particular), they become susceptible to sexual and gender-based violence. This programme aims to mitigate this [risk] by providing training and better farming methods to the most vulnerable to improve food production."

Training Using its Farmer Field School model, FAO's Regional Response to Food Insecurity, HIV and Gender Based Violence project provides training in farming and gives participants a forum to share experiences and learn from each other. The targeted communities are given agricultural training such as post-harvest management, seed selection and soil management by government agricultural extension officers. They are then provided with grants that go into purchasing farm inputs, and training and exchange visits. Wanjiku Maina (not her real name) who is living with HIV and a mother of five, lost her only source of livelihood in early 2008 when marauding youths destroyed her shop during post-election violence in Burnt Forest, a town in Kenya's Rift Valley Province.

Maina resisted the urge to turn to sex work to make ends meet, but saw many women do so. "I was left with nothing to feed myself and my children; I just became a beggar and relied on handouts in the camps [for internally displaced persons]. I saw some people sell their bodies [to get food]... I almost did it too." Following her resettlement from a camp for internally displaced persons, she received training from FAO and now grows Irish potatoes and rears chickens for sale. "I use my small shamba [farm] to take care of myself and my children... I can produce my food and I can sell some of it to make a little money. Now I don't take my ARVs on an empty stomach." Another beneficiary of the project, Douglas Mbugua, maintains that it has helped restore the self-esteem of many people living with HIV: "People respect those who are [HIV] positive because they are seen to be as productive as anybody else; it gives hope to others that HIV is not the end." Peter Gitau is a coordinator with Neighbours in Action which works with communities affected by the postelection violence in Burnt Forest, and he has witnessed the difference a small income can make in a woman's empowerment Â&#x2013; and her ability to refuse unwanted sexual advances: "Those who were displaced during the violence are particularly vulnerable; integrating them back into the society must involve making them food-secure too. People feel empowered when they can provide for themselves." The project has supported more than 4,900 households in four Kenyan districts; Busia, Bondo and Eldoret in western Kenya and Kwale on the east coast. The four districts experience high levels of HIV infection due to poverty and mobile communities including tourists, transport workers and fisher folk. Learn more about the FAO project at www.fao.org Adapted from IRIN - HIV/AIDS news and analysis: www.plusnews.org

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Tanzania Malawi

Zimbabwe

Mozambique

Zimbabwe

South Africa

Calls for the inclusion of climate change on the gender and womenÂ&#x2019;s empowerment agenda: a case of Mozambique By Petronella Mugoni

The recent devastation and chaos in Japan as well as

the cost of human life and compromised livelihoods which were caused by the earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 is a wake-up call for southern African governments and civil society to work together in order to tackle the issue of climate change and address its impact on the most affected; including low income women, men, orphans and vulnerable children and the elderly in rural areas. This was the feeling among participants in response to a presentation by Ms Saquina Mucavele, Executive Director of Mulher Genero e Desenvolvimento (MuGeDe). MuGeDe is a Mozambican womenÂ&#x2019;s organisation addressing issues of rural development with a special focus on environment and gender. Ms Mucavele was speaking on the inter-linkages between gender, climate change and environment at a Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Gender Protocol Alliance meeting held in Johannesburg, South Africa on the 30th of March 2011.

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Mozambique is particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change in the form of floods and droughts which are experienced regularly. Regular flooding experienced in the country can be directly related to climate change which results in heavier than normal rainfall levels being experienced in a number of southern Africa countries. Mozambique is particularly vulnerable to flooding due to poor infrastructure and inadequate strategies to deal with rising water levels in shared water sources (rivers and lakes) when countries further south open their flood gates in order to avoid flooding. Ironically, following floods, Mozambique is also often affected by droughts which are caused in part by inadequate number of dams to allow for the storage of sufficient water during and following the floods, with negative consequences for agricultural production and livelihoods, especially among rural populations. Women, who form 80% of the rural population, are acutely affected by climate change as they are in the fore of ensuring food security for their families and in providing care for family and community members.

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There is thus a good case for the integration of climate change into discussions and advocacy around gender equality and women s empowerment, as well as ensuring that women are consulted, and form part of delegations to high level climate change, water and environment meetings.

Loss of human life.

Destruction of crops and livestock, leading to food insecurity and heightened poverty among rural communities. Women in Mozambique s rural communities are largely still culturally expected to undertake the bulk of agricultural activities to produce food for household consumption. In the event of their inability to provide food, culturally supported beliefs and attitudes support the beating and abuse of these women; heightening women s susceptibility to physical violence.

During periods of drought, girls have to travel very long distances in order to fetch water. Some girls are forced to give up school in order to supply the home with water (homes with people living with HIV have increased water needs). Girls then miss out on getting an education, compromising their ability to become economically empowered and to break out of the cycle of poverty.

Increased poverty levels; which rural inhabitants try to alleviate by moving to urban areas in order to improve employment prospects. Poorly educated women who have limited skills often find themselves forced to take up sex work in order to provide for themselves and their families. Lack of awareness of prevention methods, as well as extreme poverty may compromise women s ability to insist on condom use and thus increase their risk of contracting HIV. Women involved in sex work are also more vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse during their work.

Sanitation is affected, meaning that ability to care for family and community members who may be HIV positive is compromised. Further, the ability of the carer, who is normally a woman or

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girl, to provide care while protecting themselves from accidentally contracting HIV due to compromised hygiene practices is reduced due to inadequate water and sanitation facilities.

Destruction of homes and property means that many families are left homeless and more vulnerable to illness. Women and children too are at heightened risk of experiencing sexual and physical abuse, especially in the event that families are fragmented and have to be accommodated in camps for some time.

Spread of water borne diseases which affect children, pregnant women, the elderly and people living with HIV more easily; all of which compromise the health of communities and further increase the burden of care of the ill on women and girls.

In the event of a flood and the drought that follows, the following are some gender specific challenges experienced by inhabitants of both rural and high density areas that are affected:

Encouragingly, the Government of Mozambique has in place some policies to address climate change and its impact on the country. Government has adopted and implemented policies, strategies and development programmes that include provisions on climate change; among them the Plan of management for Natural Disaster (Plano Director de Gestão de Calamidades Naturais) and the National Action Plan for Adapting to Climate Change (Plano de Acção Nacional para Adaptação às Mudanças Climáticas). Although in place, these strategies have not been implemented or popularised so that communities are aware of the efforts in place to minimise the negative impacts of climate change. Given the various ways in which women are negatively by affected climate change, it makes sense that women at various levels should be involved in the development of policies and strategies to address climate change. Women s voices too should be heard in high level meetings and events that deal with climate change and water resources management. This is however not the case. In order to address climate change sufficiently in Mozambique, Ms Mucavele recommended that the following, among others, should be done:

Government and civil society should work together to increase civic education on climate change.

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Educate communities on the effects of climate change, with particular focus on the women whose job it is to ensure food security in rural areas.

Be ready to prevent and mitigate the negative impacts of climate change through the development and implementation of contextspecific strategies which are informed by the needs of the people who are most affected.

Involve strong women in fora where climate change is being discussed as women have a key role to play in the management of natural resources.

Build the capacities of those whose responsibilities it is to provide services to victims of floods and droughts to be gender sensitive in their engagement with communities around disaster management and relief efforts.

The focus on Mozambique and on floods and droughts does not indicate that this is the only country in the region, or the only effects of climate change that are experienced by SADC member states. The small island country of Mauritius also experiences the effects of climate change. In 2007 the organisation Friends of the Earth Mauritius/MAUDESCO undertook research on the island of Rodrigues where inhabitants reported experiencing less rainfall, with winters becoming colder and summers becoming hotter. Soil fertility was reportedly decreasing, and livestock growth and food crop production had been negatively affected. Further, fishing, in which women actively participate, was also impacted as respondents reported rougher seas and

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rising sea levels, which hampered fishing, cooler waters, and more energy and money expended on smaller catches. Mauritius has in place a comprehensive Climate Change Strategy which emphasises that small island developing States (SIDS) are located among the most vulnerable regions in the world in relation to the intensity and frequency of natural and environmental disasters and their increasing impact. To support the implementation of the strategy Mauritius has in place a Natural Disaster Committee which is in the Prime Minister s Office. Sadly however, there are no women represented there, an important issue to address as it is only through the equitable and meaningful involvement of women that women s concerns in relation to climate change and its impacts can be heard and adequately addressed. Mozambique is making strides in the right direction. In February 2011, civil society, with the support of Government launched a Gender and Climate Change (GCC) Committee; a positive and welcome step in the right direction for the country s efforts to ensure equal and meaningful participation of women in addressing a problem that disproportionately affects them. Studies indicate that women and men experience climate change differently in terms of their adaptability, responsibility, vulnerability and aptitude for mitigation. Therefore it is imperative that discussions and processes around climate change mainstream gender and gender equity principals at all levels, including in the design and implementation of mitigation and adaptation strategies.

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SADC Gender and Development Protocol One country away from coming into force one more country s ratification needed The SADC Protocol on Gender and Development needs one more country to ratify it before it can come into force. Who will come through first, South Africa or Zambia? The priorities of the SADC Gender Protocol Alliance remain the intensification of campaigns for the ratification of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development at government level in all SADC Member States to ensure that the Protocol comes into force well in time for countries to begin to make some real progress in achieving the various targets in the Protocol before the 2015 deadline. This is proving to be quite a challenge as the Gender Protocol only comes into effect after it has been ratified by a minimum of nine countries. This is a requirement under SADC Article 41 which requires that a two thirds majority of Member States should ratify and deposit Instruments of Ratification with the SADC Secretariat before the Protocol can come into force. Ratification is a formal act through which a Member State agrees to be legally bound by the terms of the Protocol. Ratification has important implications for holding governments accountable for commitments made, as well as for tracking of progress, for instance by civil society working groups in each country which would work to support governments in implementing and reporting on the Protocol s targets. Ratification involves a two-step process. Firstly, the State must sign the Protocol, and then it must undertake a national process based on its constitutional requirements, national laws, procedures and structures

to domesticate the provisions of the Protocol. In some countries, the Protocol has legal force once the president has signed the document, whereas others require parliamentary approval before the Head of State or Government can pass an international agreement as ratified. This may explain why the process of ratification has taken longer in some countries than in others. Following ratification the State must deposit its Instrument of Ratification with the SADC Secretariat.

Current status of the SADC Gender Protocol

13 countries have signed the Protocol (Botswana and Mauritius have not). Eight out of the 13 have ratified (Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Five out of the eight have deposited their Instruments of R atification (Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe) Two countries are poised to ratify the Protocol (South Africa and Zambia), then it will come into force.

In preparation to step up efforts to support governments to meet targets in the Gender Protocol by 2015, Gender Links, the coordinating organisation of the SADC Gender Protocol Alliance Steering Committee has added two new thematic clusters. The Alliance's activities are arranged around thematic 'clusters', in which lead organisations and cluster members work to popularise the Protocol, and to ensure the implementation and achievement of various focus areas and targets. SAfAIDS leads on the thematic cluster on health, HIV and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRH).

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The new clusters are: 1. Care Work headed by the Voluntary Service Overseas - Regional AIDS Initiative of Southern Africa (VSO RAISA) 2. Education and Training headed by Botswana Council of NGOs (BOCONGO)

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The Alliance has also recently brought on one new interest group around men, which is being led by Malawian men s organisation Men for Gender Equality Now (MEGEN) in order to achieve a multi-sectoral representation working to popularise the provisions of the Protocol and its implementation at national level. Efforts are underway to achieve representation of faith based organisations.

Southern Africa civil society activism around Gender Protocol has ripple effects In East Africa THE Eastern Africa Sub-regional Support Initiative for Advancement of Women (EASSI) in collaboration with East Africa Declaration on Gender Equality (EADGE) has prepared a draft East African Protocol on Gender Equality which is awaiting to be ratified by five member states. The development of an East African Protocol has been influenced by the southern African process of tabling, adopting, signing and ratification of the SADC Protocol by Member States in 2008 as well as