GENDER SECTION 

Mrs. Nonhlanhla Dlamini - Gender Co-ordinator

GENDER UNIT:

Gender is one of the portfolio responsibility of the Ministry of Home Affairs in terms of legal notice No. 194 of 1996.  The Government of Swaziland was sensitized to the importance of Gender issues and subsequently incorporated them as priority in the National Development Strategy (NDS) and the Economic and Social Reform Agenda (ESRA).  At the level of ESRA, a task force was established, and it prepared a position paper which is presently being used as a guide for the formulation of the unit's activities.

In 1994, Government launched the Swaziland Committee on Gender and Women's Affairs (SCOGWA) as the main technical co-ordinating body for the development of the Gender programme.  SCOGWA consisted of relevant Government Ministries, Non Governmental Organization, Private Sector, Traditional Groups, Church Groups, Professional Groups and the Youth.  SCOGWA was given the mandate to ensure the mainstreaming of Gender through:-

· National Development Programme
· Formulation of a gender policy and creation of a structure and mechanism for the co-ordination of Gender and development activities.
· The development of a long-term strategy for implementation.

The Gender Unit within the Ministry of Home Affairs was formed in 1997,
following the Beijing Declaration of 1995, where the issues of Equality,
Development and Peace were addressed by the whole world.

OBJECTIVES:

The objectives of the Gender Unit are:-

· To mainstream issues of gender throughout all sectors of national development
· To direct and coordinate all gender and development activities .
· To facilitate the development of gender based analysis in policy development, planning and programming.
· To continuously monitor and evaluate the implementation of gender and development interventions and strategies nationally.
· To foster development of gender networks locally and internationally for advocacy on all gender related issues.

The gender unit has the following functions:-

· To sensitize the populace on gender issues.
· To research into specific gender issues in the various sectors of development programmes and policies.
· To ensure the provision and analysis of gender desegregated data in all sectors of development.
· To liaise with national, regional and international organizations including Government and NGOs on issues of gender.

Contact Person:

1. Mrs. Nonhlanhla  Dlamini - Gender Co-ordinator
2. Ms. Jane Mkhonta-Simelane - Senior Gender Analyst

P. O. Box 432
MBABANE

Direct Line: 5514133
Tel : 4045880
 Fax : 5514060