The Southern African Gender Protocol Aliance Eleven of the 13 governments that signed the SGP (more than two thirds) have ratified the sub-regional instrument, making the SGP one of the few SADC Protocols to go into force in record time, as a result of lobbying and advocacy by the SGPA coordinated by GL. In a video address to the SADC Protocol@Work Regional Summit , Malawi President Joyce Banda, committed to ensuring that Malawi ratifies the SGP before the August Heads of State Summit to be hosted by Malawi. During the SADC Protocol@Work summit, high level delegations from Botswana and Mauritius, the only two countries that have not signed the Protocol, pledged to make a concerted effort to do so. The Alliance has lobbying strategies for both countries.  

The SGDI, a measure of progress by the 15 countries against 23 indicators in six sectors (education, political participation, the economy, health, HIV and AIDS, and the media) for which empirical data is available moved from 66% to 67% (1% lower than target). Major achievements include the adoption of a quota for women in local government in Mauritius (see Outcome 3); the new Constitution in Zimbabwe that incorporates 75% of women’s demands ; reductions in maternal mortality and access to PMTCT. There is progress towards giving women greater voice in the media (see Outcome 2) but the region is still far from achieving its goals of gender parity in politics, the media and the economy; and of halving GBV by 2015. 

However, one of the most significant contributions of the SGP has been to provide a tool for citizens to demand accountability. Through the SGPA, all three GL programmes working together, the energy and muscle of the 300 media and local government COE’s coming together in 12 national and a regional summit in the first quarter of 2013, GL has managed to gather substantially more case studies of the SADC Protocol@Work than target. 

An analysis of the 672 case studies gathered in 2012/2013  shows that the provisions of the Protocol most referred to correlate closely to GL’s programmes – media, GBV, productive resources and governance.  This affirms GL’s efforts to move from paper provisions to changing lives in its own work. The constitutional and legal rights provisions also feature strongly, thanks to strong SGPA networks in this area. However, the SGPA needs to work harder in the education, HIV and AIDS, health and peace building sectors, as well as building advocacy networks in countries like Angola and Seychelles, that did not host summits or submit entries.  

GL has strengthened the SGPA network through identifying country focal networks in all countries, including the five countries where GL does not have offices . The fact that three of these – DRC, Tanzania and Malawi- hosted successful summits in March 2013 is an indicator of country network’s taking greater ownership. VSO Regional Aids Initiative Southern Africa (VSO RAISA) has not formally signed an MOU due to internal processes to lead on care work but has been an active member of the network. GL has made headway on MOU’s with the men’s sector and FBOs (see additional information). 

The campaign for an Addendum on Gender and Climate Change gained momentum with an online petition signed by 1027 citizens (55% men; 45% women) , and gender ministers formally backing this proposal. The SGPA is now preparing to take advantage of the HOS in Malawi, hosted by the region’s only woman leader to make the case for reopening the SGP.  The campaign is an example of gender activists pushing the envelope through their insistence that the SGP be a responsive, “living” instrument.  ;