It seems that while we cannot escape our history, prescient politicians are thinking quickly. For if they continue with their commitment to balance the halls of power — 50-50 gender parity by 2014 — South Africa’s second decade of freedom will be herstory.
At 30%, South Africa, Mozambique and Seychelles are top of the charts for representation of women in Parliament in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). And as nine of these countries prepare for the polls over the next two years, the average female regional representation of 19,4% puts Southern Africa higher than the global average (15,4%).
This means that the region ranks only second after the Nordic countries (39,7% female representation).
These statistics come from Ringing up the Changes, a book published by Gender Links, a Southern African NGO, at the end of last year. Edited by Gender Links founder and executive director Colleen Lowe Morna, the book says that where women are represented in politics in significant numbers and work in enabling environments ”they make a marked difference to government [in terms of] accountability, transparency and responsiveness”.
The book is based on interviews with 172 politicians in six Southern African countries, and provides a barometer for the Gender and Development Declaration signed in 1997 by the heads of state of 14 SADC countries. The declaration pledged to achieve 30% representation of women in decision-making by 2004.
The main campaign now for gender organisations is 50-50 female representation at parliamentary level, the book says. While this hasn’t featured as a priority in any of the political manifestos for the upcoming elections, if the past is anything to judge by, parties are likely to remain under pressure to achieve greater gender equity among those who rule us.