WOMEN'S PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS STUDY MISSION TO SOUTH AFRICA MARCH 22-26,1999 REPORT OF THE DELEGATION I i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i WOMEN'S PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS STUDY MISSION TO SOUTH AFRICA MARCH 22-26,1999 REPORT OF THE DELEGATION "The Women's Caucus of the Malawi Parliament was formed in an effort to bring together the lady Members of Parliament on issues of importance to women throughout Malawi. Believing that there is strength in number, the lady MPs have agreed to form this alliance as one avenue to increasing the status of Malawi's women." from the terms of reference of the Malawi Women's Parliamentary Caucus This program was made possible by a grant from the United States Democracy and Human Rights Fund. The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) provided technical assistance. MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION Leader of the Delegation I I I I I Hon. E. E. Chitalo Minister of State and Chairperson of the Women's Parliamentary Caucus • Women's Parliamentary Caucus Hon. L. Chagwamnjira, MP ™ Hon. C. T. Kainja, MP I Hon. L. L. Kapanda Phiri, MP Hon. M. P. Maimba, MP * Hon. L. A. Mpinganjira, MP I Hon. A. Sumani, MP National Democratic Institute for International Affairs SefAshiagbor I Program Officer, Malawi Diane Tausner I Program Officer, Malawi I I 1 1 I I I I f I i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY From March 22 through March 26,1999, Malawi's Women's Parliamentary Caucus participated in a study mission to South Africa funded by the United States government's Democracy and Human Rights Fund (DHRF). Seven of the nine members of the Caucus went on the mission. The mission familiarized the Caucus with governmental, parliamentary and civil institutions, and networks addressing public policy on gender equity, empowerment of women, and participation of women in public affairs in South Africa. Investigation of the so-called "Gender Machinery" in South Africa will inform discussion of programs and activities for the Caucus here in Malawi. Six major themes emerged from the study mission: capacity building for women in government, building links between women in government and women in civil society, building partnerships with male counterparts, changing/creating legislation to protect women's rights, fundraising and encouraging women's participation in local government. At the end of the study mission, delegates made recommendations in each of these areas. This report is presented by the delegation as a record of the observations and findings of the study mission. The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) organized the mission with funding from DHRF. The delegation gratefully acknowledges the assistance of all organizations and persons involved in the study mission and expresses its appreciation to all concerned. INTRODUCTION During the 1994 parliamentary elections in Malawi, ten women were elected to a Parliament consisting of 177 members. Following the elections, one of the women passed away, leaving nine women Members of Parliament (MPs). Shortly after the elections, the women MPs came together to form a Women's Parliamentary Caucus. This body was created to unite women from different parties in promoting the advancement and empowerment of Malawi's women. The Women's Parliamentary Caucus undertook this study mission to investigate collaboration among women in governmental, parliamentary, and civil organizations in South Africa. KEY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE DELEGATION I Capacity Building for Women in Government I I South Africa committed itself to gender advancement following the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing by signing the Beijing Platform for Action. A number I of national initiatives have been established to implement this commitment. These include formation of the Women's Empowerment Unit, the National Commission on | Gender Equality and the Joint Committee on Improvement of Quality of Life and Status of Women. In addition, South Africa benefits from a number of vibrant civil society J organizations that have contributed to the advancement of women. For more information, see the Appendix 1, Terms of Reference for the study mission. | The seven-member delegation represented two of the three political parties in the • National Assembly. The participants were asked to make recommendations upon their " return from the study mission. The recommendations will be used to help plan future • activities of the Women's Parliamentary Caucus. ™ The delegation met with a wide range of women in government, national NGOs and I several political parties in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria. The delegation attended a banquet held in honor of the first women in Parliament in democratic South I Africa. The delegation also observed sittings of the National Assembly and the Gauteng Provincial Legislature. The itinerary for the study mission is attached as Appendix 2. I 1 South African organizations that met with the delegation described a variety of activities they have implemented to build the capacity of women in government. When apartheid I ended in South Africa, many people, including women, who had participated in the struggle found themselves catapulted into the seats of power. As is often the case in I emerging democracies, many people in government lacked the skills necessary to do their jobs effectively. As one of its start up activities, the Women's Empowerment Unit I (WEU) assessed the needs of women parliamentarians. WEU also organized a media luncheon designed to strengthen the relationship between women and people who • disseminate information to the public. After the 1999 elections in South Africa WEU will offer comprehensive training to women MPs and Members of Provincial Legislatures • (MPLs). I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 1 I The South African Local Government Association (SALGA), through its Gender Working Group, established gender working groups within each of the nine provincial associations of local governments, and promulgated policies on maternity/paternity leave, sexual harassment and child-care facilities. Although SALGA does not offer training specifically for women councilors, women councilors participate in the Association's general training programs. These include sessions on gender issues and analysis. In addition to discussing training needs, participants in the study mission shared ways of addressing practical constraints to active participation by women in government. SALGA, staff and local councilors pointed out that meetings are often scheduled without regard for the domestic roles that women play. As a result, women councilors were effectively excluded from some meetings until SALGA implemented a strategy for making local councils more accommodating for women (e.g. introducing child care facilities, changing the times of meetings). Delegates emphasized that they need training in order to better fulfill their role as MPs. The challenge will be to prioritize skills needed by women MPs in the second multi-party Parliament and the most effective way to impart those skills. NDI Observation: In the lead up to Malawi's parliamentary elections in 1999, NDI and two local NGOs provided training to women candidates. Based on their participation in these programs, ideas generated during the study mission and consultations among themselves the Women's Caucus may want to identify specific areas where they would benefit from training. One woman candidate in NDI's program noted that a session on project planning would have been helpful. Women MPs may find this useful for planning activities in their constituencies or programs to be implemented by the Caucus. II Building Links Between Women in Government and Women in Civil Society South Africans hosts spoke about different ways in which NGOs have worked with women in government. NGOs like the Gender Advocacy Program (GAP) and the Women's Development Foundation (WDF) offer women MPs and MPLs training in a variety of areas. These sessions give women in government opportunities to network and enhance their skills. GAP also has a program in which women MPs host rural women at Parliament. Rural women spend the day at Parliament to gain an understanding of how it functions and how laws are created. They also spend time with women MPs. This program gives women MPs opportunities for outreach to constituents, and also serves as civic education for rural women. I GAP, WEU and AWEPA organized a conference at which women MPs and MPLs and — women in civil society discussed the effectiveness of parliamentary and provincial • representation and strategies to strengthen relationships between women in civil society _ and women in Parliament. I The Women's National Coalition (WNC) is an umbrella organization with more than • sixty members and serves as a model for networking among NGOs. Members of the WNC described the process which led to drafting of the Women's Charter for Effective • Equality and inclusion of its principles in the new South African Constitution. Many women who participated in this lobbying and networking effort became MPs and MPLs I and have maintained their links with WNC and other NGOs with which they worked. The South African NGOs also shared information about programs they have implemented I in support of women citizens. These include civic education efforts and activities to support victims of rape and domestic abuse. Delegates were particularly impressed by I "Breaking Our Silence," a WNC publication. The pamphlet tells the story of a young woman who leams about her rights from other women. It has been translated into several J of South Africa's indigenous languages. Delegates recommended establishing a committee consisting of a representative from the " Caucus and representatives from NGOs who would advise the Cabinet and sectoral • committees of Ministers on gender issues. Delegates also recommended holding a ™ meeting at which members of the Caucus brief Malawian NGOs on the study mission and • share ideas about ways in which MPs can work more closely with NGOs. Both activities * would strengthen networking between MPs and civil society and keep lines of • communication open, thereby creating opportunities for mutual support. NDI Observation: One activity on which MPs could collaborate with NGOs would be I for women MPs to host rural women and/or members of women's NGOs at Parliament. This would be a good follow-up to meetings women MPs held with rural women in I January 1999. At those meetings, women MPs provided general information on what MPs do and on recent legislation affecting women. Providing rural women with the I opportunity to visit and observe parliamentary proceedings would reinforce these previous civic education activities. I I I I I 1 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 1 I I III Building Partnerships With Male Counterparts Hon. Suzanne Vos, Inkatha Freedom Party, described her experiences as a feminist activist. As a Caucasian member of a predominantly black and conservative party, she is often assigned the role of the spokesperson for women within her party. Although she speaks for several women within the party, her female colleagues prefer to have her raise their issues in public forums, particularly issues perceived as radical. They feel that she can safely raise issues which they cannot raise without risk to themselves. Hon. Vos also explained that points raised by women are often ignored or dismissed while the same points raised by men are applauded. She pointed out that when women raise gender issues, they are often labeled as radicals who are not willing to listen to reason. When men raise the same issues, they are listened to and discussions are fruitful. She emphasized that women need to form strategic partnerships with male counterparts who will help advance the interests of women. Hon. Vos also differentiated between MPs who simply happen to be women and women MPs who see it as their duty to promote women's empowerment. Delegates heard arguments in favor of and against the use of quota systems to increase the participation of women. ANC MPLs and MPs explained how their party's quota system works. They stressed that in the proportional representation electoral system, ensuring placement of women on party lists is not enough. Activists must also ensure that women are placed strategically on lists or in positions balanced with those assigned to men. If, for example, all women are on the bottom half of a party's list, they have lesser chances of making it into Parliament than would be the case if their names were placed higher on the list. One formula proposed by ANC women is ensuring that at least every third person on their party list is a woman. On the other hand, Hon. Sheila Camerer and other members of the New National Party (NNP), explained that their party does not believe a quota system is an effective way of promoting women's participation. The NNP believes that the emphasis should be on the caliber of women representing the party and not the number. NNP also argues that once the quota is filled, there may be no more interest in increasing the number of women in government. They believe that quotas impose glass ceilings on women's participation. All participants in the study mission agreed that the party list system, particularly where there are quotas, makes it much easier for women to get elected to Parliament. For a I I woman to succeed, all she needs is the support of her party. In the first-past-the-post- system, women need support from constituents as well as the backing of their parties. I Most often they campaign as individuals using their own funds. In some cases, women can only get their parties' support to stand in constituencies where the parties have few I supporters and little chance of winning. Based on the meeting with Hon. Vos, delegates recommended that after the elections, the I new Women's Parliamentary Caucus meet to discuss strategies for lobbying fellow MPs • and male counterparts within their political parties. • IV Changing/Creating Legislation to Protect Women's Rights I South African MPs and NGOs described some of the amendments/laws for which they _ have successfully advocated in Parliament. As mentioned above, the WNC coordinated a I massive effort to incorporate equality for women in the new governmental framework for « South Africa. The outcome was the Women's Charter for Effective Equality. This • comprehensive document outlines measures to address women's equality in all areas m including law and administration of justice; the economy; education and training; • development, infrastructure and the environment; social services; political and civic life; • family life and partnerships; custom, culture and religion; violence against women; • health; and the media. After adoption of the Charter by the WNC National Convention in • February 1994, the document was presented to President Mandela, provincial premiers • and the chairperson of the Constitutional Assembly. South Africa's Constitution is hailed • as one of the most egalitarian in the world, and the Women's Charter played a major role ™ in this achievement. • Other successes in South Africa include new or revised laws on taxation, abortion, marriage and labor. A woman's income now has the same tax status as her husband's. I (Previously, married women's incomes were taxed at a higher rate based on the assumption that their incomes were primarily for luxuries.) Abortion is now legal and I available upon demand. Customary marriages are legally recognized. Rural women have equal powers in marriages, and maternity leave is mandatory. I In addition to lobbying for specific legislation, the women's movement in South Africa has put in place various procedures to ensure that a wide range of legislation is reviewed | through a gender lens before enactment. SALGA trains councilors and senior officials on _ gender issues, including gender-related review during the budget planning process. A m I I r i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i Gender and Development Handbook for Councilors and Officials was produced for this program. At the national level, NGOs work with Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Finance to produce a "Women's Budget". This involves examining each section of the budget to determine how it impacts women and men. Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on the Improvement of the Quality of Life and the Status of Women also provides oversight for gender-sensitivity in lawmaking. While issues in Malawi are different, the strategies employed by women in South Africa serve as good models for increasing women's protection under the law. V Fundraising Funding was a recurrent theme throughout the study mission. Many NGOs who hosted the delegation appeared to have more funds at their disposal than the average Malawian NGO. South Africa has the advantage of a higher GDP than Malawi and the end of apartheid sparked worldwide interest in the democratic process in South Africa. Despite its transition to multi-party democracy, Malawi has attracted far less attention. Nevertheless, organizations like WNC noted that initial donor interest in South Africa has waned somewhat. As a result, they have had to scale down their programs. Delegates noted that limited funding was partly responsible for the fact that they have not received from Malawian NGOs the kind of support that South African NGOs have been able to offer to women in government in their country. At the Association of European Parliamentarians for Africa, delegates were informed that they could apply for funding from that organization through Malawi's Minister for Women, Youth and Community Services. Delegates suggested organizing dinner dances and other social events to raise funds enabling the Women's Caucus to carry out activities benefiting women. During an informal dinner, delegates discussed how lack of campaign funds often affects women candidates' ability to campaign successfully. As a partial solution to this problem, delegates proposed establishing a non-partisan campaign fund to support women candidates. NDI Observation: Additional thought needs to be given to issues such as sources for such a campaign fund, criteria for obtaining assistance from the fund, and how the fund would be managed. I I VI Encouraging Women's Participation in Local Government I Women in government in South Africa and staff at S ALGA shared information about provincial and local government structures. These discussions helped delegates think • through some of the issues that Malawi will face when local government elections are held. These include how local government is funded and the interaction between • different levels of government. Women MPLs and councilors pointed out that women who participate in provincial or local government may find it easier than those in national • government to balance their domestic responsibilities with their careers since they are based closer to home. Participants in the study mission also noted that participation in I local government is often a good starting point for women who want to stand for Parliament. I Delegates noted that women are good candidates for local government since they understand the problems in the villages. NDI Observation: Before the study mission, the Women's Parliamentary Caucus held • regional meetings with rural women in Malawi. Members of the Caucus encouraged women to participate in politics at all levels. Due to the proximity of the parliamentary I elections, women MPs emphasized women's participation in the National Assembly. They did, however, also encourage women to stand for local government. I I I I I I i I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I AFTERWORD FROM NDI FACILITATORS FOR THE STUDY MISSION Parliamentary and presidential elections were held in Malawi on June 15th, 1999. Seventeen women were elected to Parliament. Four of the nine previous women MPs were re-elected. Three of the four participated in the study mission. The findings presented here, and any additional observations by delegates in the study mission will inform the new Women's Parliamentary Caucus as it takes shape and outlines its agenda for the next five years. During that process, NDI facilitators believe that the Women's Parliamentary Caucus will continue to serve as an example of cooperation across party lines on issues of importance to MPs and their constituents. Sef Ashiagbor, NDI/Malawi Program Officer, prepared this report on behalf of the delegation. i WOMEN'S CAUCUS STUDY MISSION TO SOUTH AFRICA TERMS OF REFERENCE | Objective: The study mission will familiarize the Caucus with governmental, parliamentary and civil institutions that address public policy on gender equity, I empowerment of women, and participation of women in public affairs. The Caucus will learn how these institutions interact in South Africa and identify model programs and _ activities that seem likely to be suitable for adaptation and replication in Malawi. • Immediately following the study mission, the Caucus will meet to develop a strategy for implementing the ideas generated by the study mission. _ Background: South Africa committed itself to gender advancement following the Fourth I World Conference on Women in Beijing, 1995, signing the Beijing Platform for Action. A number of national initiatives have been established to implement this commitment. • • Office on the Status of Women (OSW) - Situated in the Deputy President's office, the OSW is responsible for coordinating integration of gender into all government bodies g and programs at a ministerial and provincial level, and allocating resources to I government departments based on women's contribution to the economy. Each province is responsible for appointing Provincial Gender Offices or Desks, with • responsibility for "mainstreaming" gender. J • National Commission on Gender Equality (CGE) — This constitutionally-mandated Commission is an independent research and advisory body, accountable to I Parliament. It is responsible for promoting gender equality through public education, ™ carrying out research, engaging in advocacy, reviewing legislation and investigating violations of equality. The Women's Budget was produced with the assistance of this I body. The Women's Budget examined the impact on women of key aspects of the • South African budget. It scrutinized gender advancement by line item in each sector of the budget and raised flags in areas still requiring attention to the plight of women. I • Women's Empowerment Unit (WEU) - The WEU is accountable to the Speakers Forum (made up of the Speakers of the national Parliament and nine Provincial • Legislatures), and targets women MPs and women Members of Provincial | Legislatures (MPLs). The WEU's objective is to identify and address the factors that hinder women from participating fully in the lawmaking process. It is planning to • engage in comprehensive skills training programs for new MPs and MPLs after the | 1999 elections. • Joint Committee on Improvement of Quality of Life and Status of Women - This I Committee is charged with monitoring and overseeing progress with regard to the government's commitments made in Beijing, as well as with regard to the provisions ^ in the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women I (CEDAW). The Committee has the power to take evidence and call for papers. • Parliamentary Women's Group (PWG) - This multi-party informal caucus was • established in 1995 to ensure that the principle of gender equality enshrined in the I Constitution be upheld by Parliament. This initiative has had little success due to partisanship and lack of infrastructure. • • South African Local Government Association (SALGA) - S ALGA is the national association of local governments. SALGA's Gender Working Group is charged with • dealing with gender issues in all aspects of local government policy and practice. J 10 I I • Women's National Coalition (WNC) - The WNC coordinates a network of civil society organizations in order to promote effective gender equality in South Africa. The WNC engages in advocacy, monitoring, education and training activities. In addition to the institutions listed above, Caucus members may meet with representatives of women's branches of political parties in South Africa, such as the ANC Women's League and the IFF Women's Brigade. Note: Unfortunately, busy schedules (partly a result of the upcoming South African elections) prevented the delegation from meeting with the ANC Women's League, the IFF Women's Brigade, the Office on the Status of Women and the Commission on Gender Equality. The delegation did, however, meet with a number of organizations not listed above. Brief descriptions of these organizations follow. • Association of European Parliamentarians for Africa (A WEPA) - AWEPA started as a European lobbying organization for justice and development in Southern Africa. It is now involved in election monitoring, conflict prevention and resolution, women in decision-making and good governance programs. AWEPA conducts conferences for European and S ADC parliamentarians and publishes occasional papers on its program areas. • Gender Advocacy Program (GAP) - GAP's mission is to bridge the gap between decision making structures/processes and women. GAP influences public policy and legislation in five focus areas: domestic violence; social policy; reproductive health; local government; and gender and women and governance. GAP also raises women's awareness and strengthens their advocacy and lobbying skills so they can take up issues themselves. • Women's Development Foundation (WDF) - WDF is a gender training and research organization that focuses on leadership training of women in the political sector. WDF has trained voter education trainers and community educators and conducted voter education. Through gender sensitization programs, WDF highlights policy issues which are central to women's lives. WDF's first policy forum discussed women and land and opened dialogue between rural women and policy makers. 11 Malawi Gender Study Mission to South Africa 22-26 March 1999 Monday. 22 March 2:15 PM Depart Lilongwe Airport: SA flight #171 4:45 PM Arrive Johannesburg International Airport met by officer from Malawi High Commission and Diane Tausner 6:00 PM Check-in, Courtyard Hotel Rosebank Comer Oxford/Tyrwhitt Avenues Tel: (011)880-2989 Fax: (011)880-8425 6:30 PM Distribution of briefing materials and per diem in Rands 7:30 PM Welcome Dinner at lyavaya Restaurant Mutual Square, Oxford Road Rosebank Tel: (011)327-1312 Fax: (011)327-1411 Tuesday. 23 March 8:30 AM Depart Courtyard Hotel 9:30 AM Meeting: Women's Empowerment Unit Gauteng Provincial Legislature Tel: (011)498-5693 Fax: (011)498-5694 12:30 PM Lunch: Gauteng Provincial Legislature 2:00 PM Return to Courtyard Hotel Rosebank Wednesday, 24 March 8:30 AM Check-out, Courtyard Hotel Rosebank 10:00 AM Depart for Pretoria 12 fl I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 1 1 I I I p 1 11:00 AM Meeting: South African Local Government Association (SALGA) 1 Joanne Murphy, Director Human Resource Development Alice Coetzee, Chairperson, Gender Working Group SALGA Offices 1 321 Bosnian Street, Electro House Pretoria Tel: (012) 325-4338 1 Fax: (012) 323-7832 12:00 PM Lunch at SALGA 1 12:30 PM Return to Johannesburg 1 1:30 PM Meeting: Women's National Coalition 36th Floor, Room 3617, Carlton Towers Johannesburg CBD 1 Tel: (011)331-5958 Fax: (011)331-5957 1 2:30 PM Depart for Johannesburg International Airport 4:00 PM Depart for Cape Town: BA flight #6427 1 6:15 PM Arrive Cape Town International Airport 1 7:00 PM Check-in, Townhouse Hotel Corporation Street Cape Town 1 Tel: (021)465-7050 Fax: (021)465-3891 1 8:00 PM Dinner: Banquet in Honor of the First Women in Parliament in the Democratic South Africa 1 Thursday, 25 March 7:45 AM Check-out, Townhouse Hotel 1 8:15 AM Depart for Parliament 1 8:30 AM Meeting: Hon. Suzanne Vos, MP (Inkatha Freedom Party) Good Hope Building, Parliament Cape Town 1 9:30 AM Depart for Plein Park Building 1 1 1 1 13 10:45 AM Depart for Ruskin House 9:00 PM Check-in, Courtyard Hotel Rosebank Corner Oxford/Tyrwhitt Avenues Tel: (011)880-2989 Fax: (011)880-8425 14 ^**^m I 9:45 AM Meeting: Association of European Parliamentarians for Africa (AWEPA) • 16th Floor, Plein Park Building | Plein Street Cape Town Tel: (021)462-1767 Fax: (021)462-2918 I I 11:00 AM Meeting: Gender Advocacy Program • 7th Floor, Ruskin House I 2 Roeland Street Cape Town • Tel: (021)465-0197/8 I Fax: (021) 465-0089 12:15 PM Depart for Parliament • 12:30 PM Lunch: Joint Standing Committee on the Improvement of the Quality of I Life and Status of Women • Hon. Pregs Govender, Chair Palm Court, Marks Building I Parliament • Cape Town Tel: (021)403-2561 I Fax: (021)403-3597 • note: there will be a delegation ofMPsfrom Tanzania attending the lunch as well I 3:00 PM Meeting: Hon. Sheila Camerer, MP (New National Party) Room 106, NP Offices I Parliament. Cape Town _ Tel: (021) 403-2344 I Fax: (021)461-9687 * 4:30 PM Depart for Cape Town International Airport I 6:30 PM Depart for Johannesburg: SA flight #346 _ 8:25 PM Arrive Johannesburg International Airport I I I I I I Friday, 26 March • 8:00 AM Check-out, Courtyard Hotel Rosebank • 8:30 AM Depart Courtyard Hotel Rosebank 9:00 AM Meeting: Women's Development Foundation (WDF) I Barbara Watson, Executive Director City House, 9th Floor Corner Melle/Jorissen Streets I Tel: (011)339-1895/6 Fax: (011)339-6533 I 12:30 PM Lunch: on your own _ 3: 00PM Depart for Johannesburg International Airport • 4:45 PM Depart for Lilongwe: QM flight #204 I 7:05 PM Arrive Lilongwe Airport I I I I I I I I I I 15 I