4 6 S O U T H E R N A F R I C A N D E V E L O P M E N T C O M M U N I T Y due to the cross-cutting nature of gender. They are study proposed a number of concrete, sector-specific intended to address some of the gender gaps that were gender mainstreaming interventions. These should be earlier identified, and are generally relevant to SADC's used as a starting point to design gender mainstreaming overall objectives of poverty reduction and eradication. strategies and programmes for the directorates, as well A number of regional interventions focused on as develop concrete monitoring and evaluation tools to gender sensitisation and awareness, coordination of the track progress towards gender equality. In addition to women in politics and decision-making programme, and the mainstreaming strategy, empowerment pro- facilitating exchange of best practices have been grammes, especially in the economic and education undertaken. sectors will need to be identified, with a view to fast- The regional programme of action for women in tracking progress towards gender equality. politics and decision-making in particular has had a major A second gap at regional level is the fact that the impact in bringing attention to the minimum target of 30 Gender and Development Declaration and its Addendum percent of women in politics and decision-making by the do not have the same legally binding effect as Protocols, year 2005. The regional level activities have produced which are SADC's primary documents of cooperation and resource materials, created a pool of gender trainers in integration. Related to this is the failure by Member the region, and enhanced networking among women MPs. The monitoring by the SADC Gender Unit of the implementation by Member States of the GAD Declaration States to incorporate the provisions of regional instruments into domestic laws and policies, which undermines regional efforts at policy harmonization. There is therefore need for a regional policy to address and Addendum through annual reporting mechanisms, and the facilitation of information exchange between Member States can also be seen as achievements. Moreover, a certain level of awareness of the critical importance of integrating gender perspectives into policies, strategies and programmes has been achieved. these weaknesses, which should provide a framework for cooperation and integration in this field, identify concrete strategies, set time-bound targets to be achieved, and indicators of progress. This policy should also provide pointers for the development of sector-specific interventions to mainstream gender into the programmes and activities of the four clusters at the Secretariat, as well 3.6.1.4 Challenges in the Policies and Strategies There is no doubt that in many SADC Member States, the increased participation of women in all sectors has contributed to improvements in the economy. In spite of the progress made towards gender equality however, there are a number of weaknesses at national and regional levels, which have resulted in slowing down progress towards the achievement of the commitments made in the policy instruments referred to earlier. as sectoral ministries in Member States. Weaknesses at national level include limited human and financial capacity of gender coordination machineries, and poor linkages between these and sectoral ministries. This results in a piecemeal and uncoordinated approach, and delays efforts to mainstream gender into all policies, programmes and activities at national level. At both national and regional level, there are very few agreed benchmarks and concrete targets, as well as At regional level, the interventions have not as yet limited monitoring and evaluation tools to track begun to tackle some of the core areas of regional progress on the achievement of gender equality. This integration, as reflected in the organisation's strategic further underlines the need for a regional gender policy priorities. This is especially the case with regard to as earlier proposed, which identifies the areas of mainstreaming gender into sectoral policies, strategies cooperation, sets targets to be achieved, indicators of and programmes. progress, strategies and activities to be implemented by Due to capacity constraints, little progress was made in this regard, except for the conducting of a gender audit study into some of the former SCUs. This Member States, with support and coordination by the Secretariat.