Statement of the Kingdom of Swaziland to the Commission on the Status of Women delivered by Hon. Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Swaziland, Mr Themba Masuku, Senator on Monday, 27 February, 2012 in New York, USA.
CHAIRPERSON
HEADS OF DELEGATION
COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVES
MEMBERS OF THE UNITED NATIONS FAMILY
MEMBERS OF NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIRPERSON,
ALLOW ME FIRST TO CONGRATULATE YOU AND THE BUREAU UPON YOUR ELECTION TO STEER THIS IMPORTANT COMMISSION. YOUR EXTRAORDINARY SKILLS WILL NO DOUBT SEE US THROUGH.
MY DELEGATION ALIGNS ITSELF FULLY WITH THE STATEMENTS DELIVERED BY ALGERIA ON BEHALF OF THE G77 & CHINA, TUNISIA ON BEHALF OF THE AFRICAN GROUP AND ANGOLA ON BEHALF OF SADC.
LET ME DECLARE THAT MY OFFICE, THE OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR GENDER ISSUES IN MY COUNTRY, AND THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF GENDER AND FAMILY ISSUES IS STAFFED BY 100% WOMEN. FURTHER, 75% OF ALL SENIOR MANAGEMENT IN THE DPM’S OFFICE ARE WOMEN. THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT CONSISTS OF 80% WOMEN. WE TAKE WOMEN ISSUES SERIOUSLY.
MADAM CHAIRPERSON,
SWAZILAND IS PLEASED TO ADDRESS THIS HONOURABLE GATHERING AT THE 56TH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN. THE PRIORITY THEME FOR THIS YEAR WHICH IS “THE EMPOWERMENT OF RURAL WOMEN AND THEIR ROLE IN POVERTY AND HUNGER ERADICATION, DEVELOPMENT AND CURRENT CHALLENGES”; IS INDEED CHALLENGING AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF SWAZILAND IS WORKING TIRELESLY TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF RURAL DWELLERS, IN PARTICULAR, RURAL WOMEN. THIS MEETING THEREFORE GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW PROGRESS MADE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BEIJING PLATFORM FOR ACTION AND STRENGTHEN OUR STRATEGIES WHERE THEY ARE FOUND WANTING. IT ALSO ALLOWS US AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE OUR EXPERIENCES AND INTERACT WITH MEMBER STATES REPRESENTED HERE TODAY.
MADAM CHAIRPERSON,
MY COUNTRY HAS A LEADERSHIP THAT PASSIONATELY SUPPORTS RURAL DEVELOPMENT. FOR EXAMPLE, HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN MOTHER WHO IS THE LEADER OF ALL WOMEN IN SWAZILAND, HAS LAUNCHED SEVERAL DEVELOPMENTAL PROJECTS TARGETING WOMEN IN RURAL AREAS. THESE INCLUDE A MUSHROOM PRODUCTION, VASELINE MAKING, AND THE MARULA SKIN PRODUCTS FROM MARURA FRUIT TREES AND FOAT HUSBANDRY TO NAME A FEW. SHE IS CURRENTLY INTRODUCING A WOMEN’S BANK, WHICH WILL BE THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN SWAZILAND. THIS BANK WILL CATER FOR ALL WOMEN BOTH RURAL AND URBAN,
MADAM CHAIRPERSON,
THE GOVERNMENT OF SWAZILAND IS PLEASED TO INFORM OF THE MAJOR STRIDES THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN IN POLICY, LEGISLATION AND PROGRAMMATIC INTERVENTIONS AIMED AT THE EMPOWERMENT OF RURAL WOMEN AND THEIR ROLE IN POVERTY AND HUNGER ERADICATION, AND DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES.
TO ADDRESS THE DISPARITIES BETWEEN THE RURAL AND URBAN AREAS GOVERNMENT HAS COMMITTED THROUGH SECTION 59(2) (D) OF THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION TO, ‘UNDERTAKING EVEN AND BALANCED DEVELOPMENT OF ALL REGIONS AND IN PARTICULAR IMPROVING THE CONDITIONS OF LIFE IN THE RURAL AREAS, AND GENERALLY, REDRESSING ANY IMBALANCE IN DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN THE RURAL AND URBAN AREAS’ . GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO CREATED AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT THROUGH ITS DECENTRALISATION POLICY ADOPTED IN 2005. THIS POLICY ENSURES THAT DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICES ARE PROVIDED AT ALL LEVELS. IT IS ENVISAGED THAT IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS POLICY, THE SITUATION OF WOMEN IN THE RURAL AREAS WILL GRADUALLY IMPROVE. THE DECENTRALIZATION POLICY ENVISAGES A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT, THAT OF ENSURING THAT NEEDS EMANATE FROM THE “BOTTOM UP” AND GOVERNMENT IS IN THE PROCESS OF ENSURING THAT LOCAL AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEES COMPRISED OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE ESTABLISHED AND SUPPORTED.
MADAM CHAIRPERSON,
MY COUNTRY HAS CREATED WOMEN EMPOWERMENT FORUMS TO ENSURE WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENDA. AN EXAMPLE IS THE WOMAN FARMER OF THE YEAR AWARD COORDINATED BY THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE WHICH REVEALS THAT WOMEN’S ROLE IN THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR IS NOT ONLY PROVIDING LABOUR BUT THEY CAN ALSO FARM AND REAP THE BENEFITS. THERE ARE ALSO PROMOTIONAL COMPETITIONS SUCH AS THE NATIONAL MAIZE COMPETITION, NATIONAL VEGETABLE COMPETITION AND THE ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARDS WHERE WOMEN ARE ENCOURAGED TO STRONGLY PARTICIPATE.
WOMEN IN THE RURAL AREAS ARE MAINLY INVOLVED IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, WHETHER FOR BASIC HOUSEHOLD SUSTENANCE OR FOR SMALL SCALE INCOME GENERATION. HOWEVER, CHALLENGES EXIST WITH RESPECT TO BEING ABLE TO AFFORD THE NECESSARY INPUTS TO IMPROVE AND ENHANCE THEIR PRODUCTIVITY.
MADAM CHAIRPERSON,
THE SWAZILAND GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF EQUAL PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN AND MEN IN AGRICULTURE AND IS IMPLEMENTING A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE. THIS IS IN LINE WITH OUR CONSTITUTION WHICH ENTRENCHES WOMEN’S EQUAL RIGHTS AND COMMITS GOVERNMENT TO DEVELOP THE RURAL AREAS. SPECIFICALLY IN RELATION TO LAND OWNERSHIP, SECTION 211(2) OF OUR CONSTITUTION STATES, ‘SAVE AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY THE EXIGENCIES OF ANY PARTICULAR SITUATION, A CITIZEN OF SWAZILAND, WITHOUT REGARD TO GENDER, SHALL HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO LAND FOR NORMAL DOMESTIC PURPOSES.’
NONETHELESS, GOVERNMENT’S POLICY AND PROGRAMMATIC EFFORTS IN REGARDS TO RURAL WOMEN IS FURTHER ENHANCED BY THE RATIFICATION OF CEDAW. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS HOWEVER, THE ABILITY OF GOVERNMENT TO DELIVER DEVELOPMENT AND EQUITY AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS DESIRED TO RURAL WOMEN MAY BE CONSTRAINED BY THE AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES. THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC DOWNTURN IS AFFECTING US TOO.
CHAIRPERSON, AS I CONCLUDE, I WISH TO REITERATE THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF SWAZILAND RECOGNISES WOMEN AS EQUAL CITIZENS AND HAS COMMITTED HERSELF TO THE PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF THEIR RIGHTS. APART FROM CEDAW WHICH HAS RURAL WOMEN AS ONE OF ITS THEMES, SWAZILAND IS ALSO PARTY TO SEVERAL CRITICAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTRUMENTS, ALL OF WHICH PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY AND RESPECT FOR THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN.
FINALLY, MADAM CHAIRPERSON, LET ME POINT OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF SWAZILAND WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNISE THE IMMENSE CONTRIBUTIONS OF ALL OUR DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS WORKING ON GENDER EQUALITY AND THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN ENSURING THE FULL RECOGNITION AND PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN SWAZILAND.
WE REMAIN COMMITTED AND CONFIDENT THAT MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER, WE CAN IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND ACHIEVE GENDER EQUALITY AND THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN AT ALL LEVELS OF SOCIETY.
I THANK YOU!