THE SADC GENDER PROTOCOL SUMMIT 2014 INSTITUTIONAL COE

THE SADC GENDER PROTOCOL SUMMIT 2014 INSTITUTIONAL COE RURAL COUNCIL OF ANDRAMASINA MADAGASCAR Presented by: RAVAOZANANY Blandine

SYNOPSIS BEFORE: q Women’s role in the society was not given much importance q Women were considered as weak and fragile human beings, needing care, their place is at home. q Achieving gender equality was like impossible. NOW: q Gender equality has become achievable, the perception of gender has improved and people begin to understand its objectives q Women is beginning to take responsibilities. q Collaboration between women and men is strengthened. EVIDENCE: → Statistics of women candidates → Stele proving the engagement of the council towards gender

OBJECTIVES q. Increase the rate of children going to school, especially girls q. Promote the participation of women through: üParticipation in different events organized üExpress their opinions in public üIntegrate and become leaders of associations q. Reduce gender violence to 50% q. To strengthen women’s capacity in income-generating activities and reduce the number of people rolling around without any activity so that men and women contribute together to economic development. 50/50 AMIN’NY TAONA 2015: LAMINASA MATY PAIKA AORIAN’NY TAONA 2015

Promote women and children health : ü Help mothers cope with their children’s health problems in the best way ü Increases the number of vaccinated children and follow pregnant women’s health as closely as possible q Promote gender equality in service delivery at the council level: to give priority to both women’s and men’s interests in all council programmes. q PLANTATION OF GERANIUM

BACKGROUND §The council is convinced of the importance of mainstreaming gender because: women are more numerous than men in the council (55, 79%) §The women are the ones who are mainly in charge of production activities §Collaboration between men and women is more beneficial (in the household, in the society and in the governance Testimony : RAKOTOMANGA Ralaiary Andrianarisaina, mayor of the rural council of Andramasina

KEY ACTIVITIES (1) Give support to FRAM teachers (whose salary is to be paid by pupils’ parents) who have not been paid yet. Celebration of 16 days of activism against violence ü ü Parade along the Council streets Inauguration of a stele in front of the Council office sensitizing people to fight against violence Celebration of March 8: various activities to recall women’s Rights Improvement of the market place to lessen the difficulties encountered by women in looking for and transporting the equipment they need to present the products for sale (most of the sellers are women). ü to help women have a better presentation of goods (all the goods are presented on stalls not on the ground anymore) ü

KEY ACTIVITIES (2) Construction of a Primary Health Center. Construction of 8 secondary health centers Partnership with the PROSPERER for training and capacity building related to income-generating activities Extraction of essential oil (Women: 21 Men: 39) Management Floriculture (Women: 20 Men: 10) Improved free-range chicken farming( Women: 20) Sewing (Women: 10) Carpentry (Men: 10)

Sensitization sessions on gender issues : during every public meeting (16 days, 8 March, civil wedding ceremonies)

RESOURCE ALLOCATIONS Amount in (Ar) Gender allocation specific Gender in mainstream projects (please specify) Amount contributed in cash or in kind by partner organisations (please specify) TOTAL Amount Rand 750 000 3 310 1 000 4 414 150 000(50 000 Ar were given by donors; cement, bricks and gravel) 1 900 000 Ar 662 8 386 in

CHALLENGES ü Lack of (human, financial and material)resources ü Lack of communication: The Council villages are far from each other. Even if mobile phones are available, their owners have to pay the communication expenses on their own, which they can’t always afford; besides, there are connection problems. v The Council doesn’t have a website v v ü People don’t have the same way of thinking : it’s sometimes difficult to sensitize people who still stick to stereotypes: v v v Women’s place is at home Some men do not let their wives take part in activities which do not generate income for the family Women are underestimated

RESULTS § THE CHANGES REFLECTED IN SERVICE DELIVERY The Council supports and encourages women’s participation in all the events they organize Decision-makers take women’s opinions into account (improvement of the market, the use of toilets, the construction of Primary Health Care Center I) Land ownership processes are the same for men and women: they are equally treated There is an introduction of gender issues during civil wedding ceremonies : Joint property regime should be adopted, husbands and wives should help each other All council programmes about infrastructure building are gendersentitive: both men and women can benefit from them. The Council carries out an annual work evaluation

WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT (capacity building and training) v Training on: ü ü ü ü Management Production of essential oils Improved free-range chicken farming Horticulture and nursery gardening Sewing Production of economical stoves Family planning

MEN FOR CHANGE After the training on Gender has been given, men’s support was substantial: For the celebration of March 8, they helped in fund collecting, negotiations with donors, implementation and animation of the event (sound, transport equipment, volleyball playing) During the preparation of 16 days, Council male employees painted the stele, wrote the sensitizing slogan and actively took part in the parade

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Introduction raising on: and awareness � Gender � The importance of collaboration between men and women � Encouraging men to let their wives take responsibilities � Gender Based Violence � Encouraging women to denounce violence � Explaining GBV and women’s Rights

CHANGES AT THE WORK PLACE üA space for pregnant and breastfeeding women created. üThe gardening work done by women employees has made the environment surrounding the council office more pleasant. üThe üA work place is clean social service structure which is beneficial for both Council’s male and female employees set up.

OUTREACH THROUGH THE MEDIA Collaboration with the national radio (RNM) Ø Project to create a newsletter on gender Ø

CHANGES AT HOUSEHOLD LEVEL Husbands and wives work together in the household Husbands and wives give more interest to their children’s upbringing There is much more discussion between husbands and wives and they make decisions together Women are given more freedom to attend various events outside the home and their husbands come with them Husbands and wives treat each other’s relatives the same way

WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION (training and capacity building) More and more women are interested in entrepreneurship Women participate actively in events organized Women gain experience is leadership, public speaking and advocacy

CHANGES IN ATTITUDE Priority was given to pregnant women, women with babies and old people ü Gender stereotypes are noticed in work place ü Women employees are no more considered as weak human beings ü There’s no discrimination among the council’s employees ü

CHANGES AT A POLICY LEVEL THAT HAVE COME ABOUT AS A RESULT OF THE COE WORK q. Gender sensitive policy: infrastructure, training, reduction of violence cases, promotion of women’s participation Evidence: The stele in front of the office OTHER CHANGES q. Women are more and more interested to politics (last election)

LESSONS LEARNED Collaboration between men and women is the key to successful activities. In order to achieve goals, we need: üSelf-commitment: taking initiatives but not always waiting for other to motivate üUnity, solidarity, capacity to listen to each other üCommunication

LEARNING AND SHARING WITH OTHER COUNCILS The stele built in front of the council office raised discussion among other councils. It is an opporunity for us to share the council’s engagement towards gender equality

SUSTAINABILITY AND REPLICATION Evaluation of work done q Identification of the gaps to be addressed q Continue and improve the good practices q Improvement of efforts done q Monitoring q The work done by Andramasina Council can be replicated in other Councils if : q. Awareness raising and training about gender are done q. The councils’ decision-makers are willing to implement gender approach in their work.

KEY PRIORITIES FOR 2014 Reduction of gender violence Increase the number of women in decision-making positions in: � Governance � Entrepreneurship � Leadership Improve and increase the number of infrastructure that take into account gender specificity Protection of environment Increase the rate of schooled children through encouraging parents to send their children to school, especially girls

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION