Anushka Virahsawmy - Sheistah Bundhoo - Intern Country Manager

Country Mauritius Board Member Francophone offices Loga Virahsawmy Staff Anushka Virahsawmy and Sheistah Bundhoo When registered September 2008 Alliance focal network Media Watch Organisation Government COEs 83 Media COEs 4 Key partners National Empowerment Foundation, Ministry of Women's Rights, Child Development and Family Welfare, Equal Opportunity Commission, Small and Medium Development Authority (SMEDA), National Women Entrepreneur Council, National Women Council, Ministry of Health and Quality of Life, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Ministry of Local Government, Prime Minister's office, Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation, La Sentinelle Group, Le `defi Media group, Dis Moi Organiation, Media Watch Organisation, Women in Networking (WIN), Collectif Arc En Ciel (LGBT), European Union, Australian High Commission and United States Embassy.

to witness women's determination especially when they Protocol@Work Summit facts realised that they have rights and the power to determine • 42 participants; 30 women and 12 men. their futures. • 12 women and four men winners; three men and six women runner ups. Background • 27 organisations were represented including two rural and four urban councils; two media houses The office was established in September 2008 with specific and two government entities. focus on three main areas of work: gender and governance; • The summit was attended by a total of 70 partici- gender and the media and gender justice. The main partner pants (entrants, judges, chairpersons, government of GL Mauritius is Media Watch Organisation, which is entities and civil society organisations including also the focal network of the SADC Protocol Alliance. The partners); 61 females and 9 males. office has signed a memorandum of understanding with • 82 people were present for the opening ceremony. the National Empowerment Foundation but gets support from different stakeholders including ministries and embassies for workshops and events. The year 2014 was a great success. During Sixteen Days of Activism, the European Union, the United States Embassy, Key Achievements P and P Links, Dragon Printing and Dis Moi were approached to help with the campaign. Within a space of • Government and media Centres of Excellence: three weeks GL Mauritius raised enough money and in- GL Mauritius planned to work with 21 villages across kind support to host a bus campaign, print t-shirts, postcards three councils but instead worked with 31 villages. Many and produce a song that went on air across the country. drivers of change stories were gathered at various It was heart-warming to see people coming together and workshops and 31 gender action plans were developed.

ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015 PAGE 105 The in-kind support from COEs exceeded expectations and the media showed incredible commitment by covering all GL events. • Sixteen Days of Activism: As part of the Sixteen Days campaign, the Australian and UK High Commissioners to the Seychelles partnered with Gender Links Mauritius, the Seychelles Ministry of Social Affairs & Gender, and the University of Seychelles, to hold a workshop from 2-3 December 2014 on measuring gender based violence in the country. GL and partners organised a vibrant bus, radio and social media campaign to raise awareness, stimulate debate and revitalise national responses to GBV. Back in July 2014, the Australian High Commission and the Mauritian Ministry of Gender Visit of Australian High Commission at GL Office in Mauritius. Photo: Gender Links Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare partnered to support the visit of Senior Sergeant-Melinda • Launch of SADC Gender Protocol Barometer: Edwards from Alice Springs Police Prosecutions Section. On 21 August at the District Council of Grand Port, GL During her visit, Edwards conducted a series of workshops Mauritius and the Chief Executive of the District Council and training sessions that were focused on addressing launched the 2014 Barometer. The event focussed on GBV in Mauritius. GL also partnered up with the only the post 2015 agenda and the launch got wide media LGBTI organisation in Mauritius to advance the rights coverage or attention. of all people; and support equality and diversity. • 50/50 Symposium: • Gender Summits: GL Mauritius organised a symposium with leaders of The Mauritius National 2014 Summit took place on the major political parties on 22 October at the Municipal 22 and 23 April 2014 at Gold Crest Hotel. The summit Town Hall of Quatre Bornes to discuss women in politics, was recognised by the minister of Local Government party manifestos and gender responsive governance. GL and Outer Islands as a great learning platform for sharing is also working closely as an advisory committee to the good practices on gender mainstreaming. It was a great Ministry of Gender, to ensure legislation is revisited. success with a wide range attendants from the Prime Minister's Office, ministries, the private sector and other • Inception meeting with the British High Commission: NGOs. The office met with the BHC to discuss GBV prevention strategies, with special focus on psycho-social support • Study visits and workshops with 12 councils: for survivors of GBV; gender mainstreaming in local The main objective was to share best practice and government; gender responsive media reporting; and strategise around issues such as gender and climate the need to engage faith-based organisations and the change, GBV, women in politics, media and the post police in addressing GBV in Mauritius. 2015 gender agenda. Key challenges • Entrepreneurship training: During 2014, the entrepreneurship programme was • Although the office garners small scale funds and in- completed in all ten councils. One of the challenges kind support from partners, it has not been able to was the relatively high rate of drop-outs in Mauritius. get larger funds locally from within Mauritius. Two entrepreneurs represented Mauritius at the Regional • Central Government has taken over lots of work from Summit in Johannesburg in 2014. local government. The Ministry of Social Integration, the Ministry of Gender Equality and the National Women Entrepreneur Council are working in localities on GBV and helping vulnerable women. This means that local action plans need to be revised. • The media enterprises with whom GL has signed MOUs are reporting on gender and HIV and AIDS; GBV; gender and economic justice; and gender in education meaning that journalists need further training.

Lessons learnt

• GL Mauritius must continue to encourage and gather in-kind support, but must also fundraise for bigger and more sustainable monetary donations in country. • GL programme initiatives are not one size fits all thus the Mauritius office must adapt programmes Regional Barometer 2014 Launch, Grand-Port, Mauritius. Photo: Ghirish Abdhoosee accordingly to suit the specific needs of the country.

PAGE 106 ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015 • Leveraging and collaboration is crucial - GL must • Hold a district and national summit. continue to work with and partner up with other • Conduct GBV research in the Grand Port District Council civil society organisations. in Mauritius as well as Seychelles. Keep up with a 365 days campaign to combat GBV. Key priorities for 2015 • Continue to working with the LGBTI organisation, in order to advance equality for people of diverse sexual • Roll out COE and entrepreneurship workshops in more orientations and gender identities. villages across the country.

Elections leave women reeling By Loga Virahsawmy - former Gender Links Francophone Director and now sits on the GL Board. This article is part of the Gender Links News Service, offering fresh views on everyday news.

Port Louis, 15 December2014: The will nevertheless be remembered as the first woman in election results came like a gust of wind Mauritius who broke stereotype and accepted the male in Mauritius' opposition coalition - dominated position of Minister of Health and Quality of Alliance Lepep led by ex-president Life. As Minister she worked with the people for the people winning the majority and visited every single hospital to put systems in place to vote. While the winds of change have ensure efficient and effective healthcare. roused celebration for the first ever woman President of the Republic of Mauritius - Article 12 of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development Professor Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, the winds also blew away requires that "States Parties shall endeavour that, by 2015, any chances of more gender parity in Parliament. Lepep at least 50% of decision-making positions in the public and won 47 seats, PTr/MMM Alliance lost all seats in 11 private sectors are held by women including the use of constituencies including the constituency of former Prime affirmative action measures as provided for in Article 5." Minister, Dr. , Triolet-Pamplemousses. Mauritius did not sign the Protocol because of the clause They won only 13 seats on a total of 60 in the other nine on affirmative action. constituencies. Thus all the 12 women candidates fielded by the PTr/MMM Alliance hold no place in Parliament. But, where there is a will there is a way. Following the Eight of the nine female candidates fielded by Lepep Alliance implementation of the gender neutral approach in the new were elected. Local Government Act, in just one election, Mauritius saw a fourfold increase from 6% to 24% women councillors. Out of 15 SADC countries, Mauritius has regressed in its Women's hopes were high after the White Paper on electoral ranking for the percentage of women in parliament. The reform was drafted. This paper borrows from the Local country was at 10th place with 19% women Government Act, aiming to legislate a gender quota at the parliamentarians, but has now dropped to 12th position national level. Unfortunately this did not go to Parliament with a mere 13% women in parliament (eight women out before the general elections. Had the act been passed, of 60 parliamentarians). However, on Saturday 13 December Mauritius would have jumped to at least 33% women in the percentage worsened when the seven best losers were Parliament. announced. Women make up only 12% women in parliament (eight women out of 69 National Assembly seats). Women offer important perspectives and interests in the Mauritius is now among the five Southern African countries decision-making process which are often overlooked due with the lowest percentage of women in parliament-Malawi, to their lacking representation in politics. The 13 SADC Zambia, DRC and Botswana. states signatory to the SADC Gender Protocol are proactively working towards achieving equal representation of men It is unfortunate that apart from Sheila Bappoo-former and women in all decision-making positions. The regional Minister of Social Security and National Solidarity; Kalynee and international election observers from SADC, the African Juggoo-Secretary General of the Labour; and Nita Union and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Deerpalsing-Leader of the Youth Wing, all female candidates Africa (COMESA) among others, spoke with one voice to of the PTr/MMM Alliance were fielded in constituencies criticise Mauritius for the low percentage of women after that they have never worked in. This is a shame since at these elections and called for prompt redress. least one or two could have been nominated as best losers. Among the women who lost seats from PTr/MMM were We can only hope that the newly elected government under four former Ministers of women's rights and gender equality Prime Minister Aneerood Jugnauth and Deputy Prime namely Arianne Navarre Marie, Sheila Bappoo, Indranee Minister Xavier Duval, will make a greater space for women. Seebun and Mireille Martin. One way of doing it is to give Maya Hanoomanjee the position of Speaker of the Legislative Assembly as well as Maya Hanoomajee, former Minister of Health and Quality increasing the number of women in Cabinet. Women made of Life, was the only female candidate of Lepep Alliance up only 8% of the previous Cabinet - the lowest cabinet who did not make it. She was in the one and only consti- percentage of women in SADC. tuency that PTr/MMM won all the three seats. Hanoomanjee Loga Virahsawmy, GL Board member - former Gender Links Francophone Director

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