50-50 campaign - Making the Post-2015 agenda work for gender equality in Southern Africa

Back in 2008, after many years of lobbying and negotiations by the Southern Africa women’s movement, the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development was adopted by Heads of States and Government. Civil society alongside Ministries of Gender/Women affairs had fought long and hard to get SADC leaders to agree to the Protocol – transforming a non-binding Declaration into a more robust Protocol agreement. Civil society fought to include the protocol target that at least 50 per cent of decision-making positions in the public and private sectors are held by women. (Since the Protocol’s revision in 2016/17, this target has been revised to be met by 2030). Adoption of the Protocol was a significant achievement, but civil society recognised that the Protocol’s adoption was just one step in a long journey to implementation. In Emma’s words: ‘We were not going to sit quietly! We know there are tricks!’ Pushing for implementation required tracking progress, and this would be done using the SADC Gender Barometer. This campaign holds those in power accountable in working towards this goal, so it is not an empty promise.