Page 36 - OSISA Report 2021

2019 Women’s Rights Programme Report
In line with the the the OSISA-wide goal to deepen the the the focus on “empowering and building the the the capacity of citizens to demand their rights” the the the Women’s Rights unit focused on empowering and and and building the the the agency and and and voice of the the most marginalised least least heard and least least visible women in in in southern Africa Key target groups include rural women women women women farmers women women women women domestic workers women women women women informal traders and young women women women women across these communities The following are some of the the key highlights for the the year:
Promoting Women’s Economic Justice and Empowerment Women’s movements
demand economic justice
Women continue to to organise into formidable movements
that are constantly demanding economic justice
in the the region In the the domestic worker’s space the the unit has seen the the development of domestic worker chapters in Zimbabwe Lesotho Zambia and Zimbabwe The International Domestic Workers Federation is is also in in the process of registering an east and southern Africa office office based in Tanzania The office office will roll out capacity-building initiatives and provide technical support to domestic workers’ organisations in the the region to ensure they are operational and further enhance the the domestic worker’s movement Organised domestic workers are demanding better pay and and working conditions at at national regional and and continental levels Some wins include the increase in in in in in the minimum wage for domestic workers in in Botswana In Zambia Botswana Lesotho and Zimbabwe domestic workers’ unions have been recognised by stakeholders such as trade unions governments and other labour institutions as as well as as international organisations such as ILO At a a a a a a a regional and continental level through the International Domestic Workers Federation domestic worker country-level chapters submitted a a a a a position paper and declaration which was signed and submitted to the various heads of state The result was the tabling of Convention 189 on decent work work for domestic workers at the SADC summit The Rural Women movement is also taking off in in a a a a remarkable manner At the the regional level the the Rural Women Assembly in collaboration with country chapters including Lesotho and and Swaziland are organising and connecting women across the region Through local-level and regional engagement in policy and decision-making processes they aim to influence policy through participation at at the AU and SADC summit (Southern African Peoples Solidarity Network (SAPSN) Summit) 30
OPEN SOCiETY iNiTiATiVE FOR SOUTHERN AFRiCA ANNUAL REPORT 2019