Gender Equality and Traditional Leadership

Gender Equality and
Traditional Leadership :
Champions of Change

Rouzeh Eghtessadi (MPH)
SAfAIDS Regional Office
479 Sappers Contour
Lynnwood, Pretoria, South Africa

Tel: +27763812425
Email: rouzeh@gmail.com
Website: www.safaids.net

HIV/AIDS INFORMATION : the power to make a difference
SAfAIDS - P O Box O Box A509,Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe, Tel: 263 336193/4, Fax: 263 4 336195, E-mail: info@safaids.org.zw, Website: www.safaids.org.zw
SAfAIDS - P A509,Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe, Tel: 263 4 4 336193/4, Fax: 4 336195, E-mail: info@safaids.org.zw, Website: www.safaids.org.zw Southern Africa
HIV/AIDS Information
Dissemination Service

“ For to be free is not merely to cast
off one's chains, but to live in a way
that respects and enhances the
freedom of others.”
- Nelson Mandela

SAfAIDS - P O Box A509,Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe, Tel: 263 4 336193/4, Fax: 263 4 336195, E-mail: info@safaids.org.zw, Website: www.safaids.org.zw Southern Africa

Critical Links: Gender & HIV
Founded on violation of rights based on one’s gender (often
female, but also men!)
•Gender-based violence e.g. rape, sexual coercion; economic
violence; etc

•Stigma & discrimination e.g blame, ostracisation, rejection, poor
service provision if adolescent or if a female pregnant PLHIV, etc

•Unequal access and control e.g of resources e.g. money, shelter,
food, land; and for services e.g. information, health, legal

•Harmful practices, some cultural, some religious. Mismatch
between MCPs and polygamy

•Inability to negotiate safe sex

Why is this important for Traditional
Leadership Systems
• Powerful and influential – influence behaviour, including
stigmatising, discriminatory, and violating behaviour

• Strong role models – “walk the talk”

• Conversant in cultural practices –
– Identify/reinforce protective practices that promote gender equality
– Identify/address harmful practices that perpetuate gender inequality

• Key knowledge channels – “champion the gender agenda”
– keep self informed regularly
– promote dialogue & share during traditional meetings/ceremonies

• Map gender inequalities within respective constituencies

What could be the Gender issues that
Traditional Leaders (TLs) can address
• Property inheritance for…..
• Traditional courts vs civil courts and justice
• Widow cleansing
• Myths and misconceptions
• Traditional healers
• Wife inheritance
• Multiple concurrent partnerships (unsafe sexual networks)
• Girl-pledging (child marriages)
• Coerced sex, marital rape and sexual abuse of children
• Intergenerational sex (economic, social security)
• Virginity inspection for girls – what about boys?
• Keeping girls in school

“Be the change that you wish to see
in the world.”
– Mahatma Ghandi


Change is possible: Success
•
Stories promoting protective
SAfAIDS “Rock” Programme - by
practices, reducing risky/harmful practices TLs create
dynamic & supportive environment to reduce GBV & HIV

• Combined Intervention Methodology:
– Materials - knowledge and skills building
– Community culture dialogue model- create safe spaces owned by
the community and TLs for open identification, consultation and
solution finding by the community (women, men, youth, TLs)
– Integration with CBOs and CBVs
– Purely participatory processes – African solutions for African
issues owned by Community Cadres

• Document and share good practice for replication

Hosi Nwamitwa II of the Baloyi
(Limpopo)
– 1st constitutionally appointed Queen
in South Africa
– MP: influences national policy
– Promotes women and girls rights
through job-and-life-skills trainings
– Facilitates HIV testing service availability and access
by subjects
– Intervenes in domestic violence cases
– Facilitates initiation of PLHIV subjects on ART
– Mobilises local resources (convinces local business
persons to contribute building schools, centres etc)


• King Ukongo Petrus of Namibia
– Allocated communal land for subsistence and
commercial purposes to households, preference to
female headed households
– Brought back the practice of sex education for girls and
boys by elders, which had eroded with urbanisation and
“westernisation”
– Restarted “values” lessons for children in households,
which had been disrupted during colonial rule
– Regularly visits schools to encourage girl children to
aspire to complete education, and enter leadership
roles in the country, not to be distracted by substance
abuse, early sex, etc


Chief Mdluli of Swaziland got circumcised,
openly states he wears a condom during
sex, and went for HIV counselling. He
motivates men/boys to go for MMC

Chief Rangwani of Zimbabwe,
tested HIV positive, overcame his
self-stigma & disclosed. Negotiated
with hospital accept PLHIV clients
who cant pay, and offered his time to
the hospital OI unit

Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini KaBhekizulu
"A number of amakhosi have died after taking the oath
to lead their clans, hardly having spent 5 years in office“.

He announced that the Ingonyama Trust Board had
taken the issue upon itself to assist amakhosi cope with
HIV.

"The board has introduced an HIV programme aimed at
assisting infected amakhosi. And those who are HIV
positive must come forward for help"

He revived male circumcision in 2010

Does it end there?
• We need to hear what happened after these
statements and efforts?

• We need to hear what have others done to build on
these examples?

• We need to hear what are others?

SHARE INSPIRE PEERS
PERSEVERE TAKE THE LEAD

Others recognising Key Role of
TLs
• UNFPA in Malawi (also working with religious leaders)

• UNAIDS southern Africa (operational plan addressing women, girls,
gender equality & HIV)

• USAID/Ubuntu/Population Council in Kwa-zulu Natal and
Limpopo (strengthen prevention and response to child sexual assault,
address prevention of and access to SGBV services, and expand access to
comprehensive post-rape services)


What does this mean for us?
SKILLS + PERSONAL QUALITIES = ABILITY TO TAKE
ACTION

Compassion
TLs seek Facilitate transformation of
knowledge & cultural practices – promote
Leadership
skills! protective and remove harmful
Courage/
Civil society , Influence provincial and
Determination
service national policies and legislation
providers, ICPs
Integration/
provide support Build local capacity
consultation


WHERE DO WE GO FROM
• Make a personal plan HERE?
– Map networks in the community
– Identify own strengths and gaps
– Determine where to go to close the gaps
– Set targets – however small – with timelines

• Build local capacity by working with government, NGOs, etc to develop
strategies, to not only prevent, but learn how to live with it and its consequences

• Mobilise support - like-minded committed community members/groups
• Build peer support system with other TLs
• Create dialogue and keep it going – every opportunity/space
• Work towards effecting one change at a time it’s a process!
• Share experiences and efforts with other TLs and in platforms
• Stay positive !

Thank you …..


Gender Equality and Traditional Leadership

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