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Ms Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, South African Minister for Public Service and Administration, at the gender roundtable in Bujumbura, Burundi
07 April 2008
Ministry for Public Service and Administration, Pretoria
"In post conflict countries, the work of government and civil society should coalesce to address development and to empower people, thereby taking issues of gender very seriously. It should be noted that conflict and wars affect men and women differently; therefore there should be a concerted effort to understand these different realities. Policies that are put in place to address specific areas in an attempt to rebuild a nation will impact on men and women differently. It is therefore critical that gender issues are taken into consideration when issues of development are being addressed", said Minister for Public Service and Administration, Ms Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi at a Gender roundtable held in Bujumbura, Burundi on Monday (7 April 2008).
The roundtable was held in preparation for the Pan-African Ministers of Public/Civil Service two day seminar which will be convened at the same location from 8-9 April. Minister Fraser-Moleketi elaborated, “The theme of the Ministers seminar is Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) and its implications for the Public Service, it is therefore critical that the gender roundtable precede the seminar”.
The roundtable consisted of several ministers including the Burundian Minister for Public Service, Labour and Social Security, Ms Clotilde Niragira and Vice-Minister Gender Affairs and Human Rights, Ms Rose Nduwayo. Also in attendance were high level delegations from Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, the Commission for Gender Equity and various gender organisations.
“The challenge for any government that has been through conflict and war, is to establish a public service that is accountable and responsive in order to ensure that there is full transformation and consideration to peace, reconstruction and development. In order to achieve growth in the public service, gender perspectives have to be mainstreamed in every developmental imperative so as to achieve an efficient, economic and effective service that responds to the need of every citizen”, said Minister Fraser-Moleketi.
The roundtable acknowledged the persistence of patriarchy and incidences of gender based violence in post-conflict situations. Minister Fraser-Moleketi honed in on the debate and discourse on PCRD which has largely focused on the two areas of peace and security on the one hand, and economic and fiscal reconstruction on the other hand. “The gender, political and governance dimensions of post conflict reconstruction and development have thus far received scant attention. The Bujumbura roundtable marks the beginning of a convergence of concerted effort towards the development of a framework and action plan for the gender-politico-governance dimensions of post conflict reconstruction and development”, said Minister Fraser-Moleketi.
The roundtable agreed to take a number of issues through to the Pan African Ministers of Public/Civil Services seminar, these include:
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The promotion and protection of the rights of women, and ensuring that action is taken to remove structural and legal barriers, such as inaccessibility to productive resources and employment;
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A concerted effort to make to address gender bias in recruitment, working conditions, occupational segregation and sexual harassment;
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Elimination of discrimination in social protection benefits and promotion of recognition of the social and economic contribution made by unpaid work performed by women, predominantly in the home, and considering programmes to provide them with social security coverage.
Minister Fraser-Moleketi stressed that an understanding of the PCRD context in Africa, and the roundtable on gender would help to strengthen the growing international awareness of the importance of the role of women in the maintenance of peace and security and in peace building.
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