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Women in Decision-Making
Significant progress has been achieved towards representation of women in political leader-
ship and decision-making positions at various levels of governance in the public sector, al-
though some countries are regressing, and the private sector is very slow to catch up. Most
Member States have made notable progress towards achieving 30 percent representation
and participation of women in politics and decision-making positions.
Mozambique, South Africa and the United Republic of Tanzania reached 34.8
percent, 32.8 percent and 30.4 percent respectively by 2005. After the target was revised
in 2015 to equal representation at 50:50, Namibia, South Africa and Mozambique came
close to achieving the target by 2020 with 46.1 percent, 45.9 percent and 41.2 percent, re-
spectively.
It should be noted here that the gender targets set out in the SADC Protocol on
Gender and Development have resulted in positive changes, legal amendments and quotas
in some Member States, particularly notable in changes to electoral systems that encourage
more women to participate. Almost all SADC Member States have Ministries responsible
for Gender or Women Affairs. Table 4.8 shows the progression of women in parliament
in SADC Member States from 1995–2020.

Women in Parliament in SADC Member States 1995­2020 Table 4.8

Country Women Women Women Women Women Women Women Women Total Seats in
128 MPs % MPs % MPs % MPs % MPs % MPs% MPs % MPs % Parliament
1997 2000 2006 2009 2012 2015 2018 2020 2020
Angola 9.7 15.4 12.3 38.2 34.1 36.8 30.5 30 220
Botswana 9.0 18.2 11.3 7.9 9.5 9.5 9.5 10.5 65
DRC — — 12 8.4 (L)4.6 (U) 10.4 (L)4.6 (U) 8.9 (L)4.6 (U) 8.9 (L)4.6 (U) 12.8 (L)21.1 (U) 500 (L)109 (U)
Eswatini 19.0 7.3 19.0 13.6 13.6 (L)40.0 (U) 6.2 (L)33.3 (U) 14 (L)40 (U) 9.6 (L)33.3 ( U) 73 (L)30 (U)
Lesotho 12.0 10.3 14.0 25.0 25.8 (L)27.3 (U) 25.0 (L)24.2 (U) 22.1 (L)25.0 (U) 23.3 (L)21.9 (U) 120 (L)32 (U)
Madagascar — — 24.0 7.87 — 20.5 (L)19.0 (U) 19.2 (L)20.6 (U) 15.9 (L)19.4 (U 151 (L)62 (U)
Malawi 5.2 8.3 15.0 26.0 22.3 16.7 16.7 22.9 192
Mauritius 7.6 7.6 17.1 17.1 18.6 11.6 11.6 20 70
Mozambique 28.4 28.6 32.8 39.2 39.2 39.6 39.6 41.2 250
Namibia 24 23 31.0 24.4 26.9 (L)33.3 (U) 26.9 (L)25.6(U) 46.2 (L)23.8 (U) 42.7(L)19 (U) 104 (L)42 (U)
Seychelles 27.3 24.0 29.4 23.5 43.8 43.8 21.2 21.2 33
South Africa 27.8 29.8 32.8 42.3 42.3 (L)32.1 (U) 42.4(L)35.2 (U) 41.8 (L)35.2 (U) 46.4 (L)37.7 (U) 395 (L)53 (U)
Tanzania 16.3 21.2 30.4 30.4 36.0 36.6 37.2 36.9 393
Zambia 18.1 10.0 12.0 14.0 11.5 12.7 18.0 18 167
Zimbabwe 14.0 10.7 16.0 15.2 15.0 (L)24.7 (U) 31.5(L)47.5 (U) 31.4 (L)44 (U) 31.9 (L)43.8 ( U) 270 (L)80 (U)

Source SADC Gender and Development Monitor 2018, and Inter­Parliamentary Union 2020
(L) Lower House (U) Upper House ­­no data
Madagascar joined SADC in 2005. Union of Comoros became a SADC Member State in 2018.
Half of the SADC Member States use a unicameral parliamentary system without an Upper House.

For ministerial positions in Cabinet, there has also been a steady and consistent up-
ward trend in the proportion of women. South Africa became the first Member State to
reach the 50:50 target in cabinet followed by Seychelles in 2019. Both member states have
50 percent representation of women and men in their 28-member and 10-member cabi-
nets, respectively. In addition, some influential ministerial portfolios such as Foreign Affairs,
Defence, and Finance are held by women in some Member States.

Gender Mainstreaming Capacity
Due to the limited capacity in integrating gender issues into developmental plans, the
SADC Secretariat developed a Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit in 2009 to assist all sectors