Evaluation of the Southern and Eastern Africa Regional Centre for ...

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30A critical space for influencing policy making obviously concerns the constitutionaland law making processes which determine legislation influencing women’s issues.These spaces for graduate influence appearespecially significant in Zimbabwe and alsoKenya. The example in the box is from thedeputy minister for Women in Zimbabwe.She indicated several areas of influencespecifically related to her training in women’slaw. The course had given her new insight. Ifshe had stayed in private practice law withoutthe Masters, this perspective would not havebeen added, she claimed. As a member of theSelect Committee in Parliament she claimedpersonally to have been central in drawing up30 essential issues which were considered‘musts’ for the new constitution and in whichimpact is identified. Amongst the mostsalient of these (similar to Kenya) is theclause concerning 50% female representationin elected entities (clause 2.9, ‘Genderbalance’). Furthermore, proportionalrepresentation, whereby 60 women will beadded, but which is currently beingcontested; Senate will also have Proportional system; and additional features, such asan equality clause, equal citizenship, the right to security of person; and especially,noteworthy in light of previous obstacles to legal protection – customary law willnow not be subordinate to human rights. In addition, further clauses makeprovisions for social economic and cultural rights, amongst others.These findings have been strengthened by key informants. One includes the umbrellawomen’s organisation, the Zimbabwean Women’s Coalition, which though clearlyregarding these outcomes as collective endeavours identified them also as vigorouslypursued by the graduate(s) in question. Another key informant in the LawCommission suggested that the high calibre of graduates, including at least half adozen in his own department, the Ministry of Justice, had made an importantcontribution across their respective sectors. He cited in particular the DomesticViolence Act 2006 (and in which the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association,ZWLA, and several other graduates were heavily involved). Another good exampleof synergies between graduates involved the SADC Gender Protocol. ZLWAprovided technical advice, but then in terms political processes, the deputy ministerwrote to her then Ministry of Women suggesting she move a motion and whichpaved the way for signing the Protocol by the Government of Zimbabwe.In Kenya, there are also signs of impact inthe political and legal landscape based onfindings from interviews and survey. Thereis also contestation over a genderequilibrium clause (Article 81 (b)) wherebyno more than two-thirds representatives of“The course sharpened my focus and whythings are the way they are. I utiliseknowledge in my political life. One of thereasons to get elected is that so many gapsexist in the law and the legislature to fixthings. Male lawyers are influential inParliament across party lines. Maleparliamentarians make a lot of noise andespecially lawyers hold sway inParliamentary politics. There were nofemale lawyers in Parliament. I was thefirst to be elected. I am encouraging moreto join. Men can be converted. I havemore patience with the counter argumentsmen have. I understand them better,whereas before I had no time for these,and now can get them on side. It is veryimportant to work with them.” JessieMajome, graduate, Deputy Minister forWomen, and member, ParliamentarySelect Committee on the Constitution(COPAC), Zimbabwe.‘The two-thirds rule’ in Kenya (a genderequilibrium clause/ Article 81 (b)):“We want it immediately implemented.On Tuesday we met to discuss oursubmission to Attorney General regardingthe Supreme court deciding on the ‘2thirds rule’ in the constitution”. RuthAura (FIDA).
any elective body, whether - Parliament, various commissions, Supreme court, etc.,can be of the same gender. The implications are that women should be at least onethird,whereas currently only 10 per cent, i.e. 22 out of 224 seats in Parliament, forexample, are women. The Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA, involvinggraduates), has held a number of activities, including a court case, whose verdict isbeing awaited. FIDA also held a one day workshop to sensitise all political parties togender legislative and policy framework. Centre graduates, such as Ruth Aura andothers, have been integral to the process.Case Two: Legal actionAnother area of impact concerns the deliberations involved in court judgements, andlegal assistance in Zimbabwe. Again, analysing responses from the survey andinterviews makes apparent what was identified earlier as the ‘gaps’ in current legalpractice, and the need for a ‘gender lens’. An experienced labour court judge sharedsome insights into the impact of the course in her work (see box below). When oneconsiders that the judge makes up to 20 judgements on average by the month’s ends–albeit on a diverse range of issues not always gender related- the impact is apparentfor gender sensitive deliberations.‘The impact of the course has been massive. I can now [she was a judge before and after theMaster’s] link my work to the course and come up with a proper judgement in which a womanspeaks up. It helps to understand the background and context of clients. A legal mind would notnormally see the link between the offence and the complaint. My observation is that the hierarchyare all men. One case involved a women who was a security guard. There was a work policy thatwoman do not do night shifts. But she was told to do so and she said that due to advances of aman, which she refused, she was charged with misconduct. But I saw that there were shadows[over this appearance of misconduct] of sexual harassment.’Mrs. Betty Chidziva (Labour Court Judge).A former magistrate who had many years’ experience and had since become a DPhilstudent following her Master’s degree at the Centre, confirmed the shift in approachthat underpins such examples. When a magistrate, she would do things repetitivelyand in a mechanical fashion, and never asked why a women did a certain thing. Shegenerally did not go into factors that had shaped women’s experiences and preferredbefore the course to merely apply sentencing options. These ‘gaps’ were revealedfollowing the course.Lawyers in civil society legal aid provision also expressed the shift in approach andhow issues were being framed before andafter the Masters. Some reflected uponwomen’s perceptions of courts and thelegal process as in itself ‘terrifying’. Sincethe course she claimed it is easier to relateto women’s issues, to understand theircontext, cultural factors and relationshipsand how option may influence each. Anexample of how this had improvedinterpretation of the law is seen in the boxadjacent.‘A client came to see me. She was in apolygamous marriage. The husband hadsold their house, without consulting her,or, giving her anything from sale. He puther out in another house. He then wantedto sell that one as well- but she had notbenefited previously and he had not beenthe care-giver for their children. Shespoke with him and he agreed to give hermoney from sale. Getting women’sexperiences and exploring this and theirconcerns and fears, was what I got fromthis course. The women didn’t want adivorce but just wanted a fair share. It isoften not about law but experiences. Shegot fair compensation’.Portia Mabasa (Legal Officer, WLSA)31
Page 1: Norad Report 5/2013 DiscussionEvalu
Page 6 and 7: 4AcknowledgementsThe Norwegian Inst
Page 8 and 9: 6Executive SummaryBackgroundThe pur
Page 10 and 11: 8Kenya and Zimbabwe. Another area o
Page 12 and 13: 10with and in a manner more pro-act
Page 14 and 15: 121 Introduction1.1 Background and
Page 16 and 17: 14−−−at the Centre and cooper
Page 18 and 19: 16evaluation is how the 2010 MTR id
Page 20 and 21: 18and also any strategic planning d
Page 22 and 23: 20An important factor for impact al
Page 24 and 25: 223 Findings: Impact of the SEARCWL
Page 26 and 27: 24percent in 2008, 18 percent in 20
Page 28 and 29: 263.3 Women’s law as a discipline
Page 30 and 31: 283.4.2 Career impactOne of the mos
Page 34 and 35: 32A male senior law officer in the
Page 36 and 37: 34“massive knowledge. It has real
Page 38 and 39: 36group to do lectures, training, a
Page 40 and 41: 383.6.1 Sufficiently harnessed?Desp
Page 42 and 43: 40like with the lack of discussion
Page 44 and 45: 42to RNE for 2012 the centre ‘now
Page 46 and 47: 44• Regional Masters programmes 6
Page 48 and 49: 46of the Women’s Law Series entit
Page 50 and 51: 48development of new methods and ev
Page 52 and 53: 50There is clearly a major threat i
Page 54 and 55: 52to reconsider those less popular)
Page 56 and 57: 542008 Centre- end of phase report2
Page 58 and 59: 56SEARCWLProf. StewartProf. A. Tsan
Page 60 and 61: 58Annex 2:SWOT analysisName Positio
Page 62 and 63: 60Annex 3:Zambia Field WorkOne of t
Page 64 and 65: 62Annex 4:Survey Responses1. Are yo
Page 66 and 67: 645. Age of respondents50%45%40%35%
Page 68 and 69: 6670%67%60%50%40%30%32%20%10%0%1% 0
Page 70 and 71: 6818. Assess the quality of various
Page 72 and 73: 70543211%1%5%29%64%0% 10% 20% 30% 4
Page 74 and 75: 7224. Which components of the cours
Page 76 and 77: 74Thank you for answering this ques
Page 78 and 79: 76can share with you as they were a
Page 80 and 81: 78office as a Consultant namely (a)
Page 82 and 83:
80objective of the program was to e
Page 84 and 85:
82Results of Assessments of Women
Page 86:
NoradNorwegian Agency for Developme
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