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COMESA COUNCIL OF MINISTERS (CoM) MEETINGS AND DECISIONS ON
GENDER
In an attempt to achieve the COMESA’s goal on Regional Integration, the COMESA
council of Ministers (COM) Meetings takes place bi-annually to endorse decisions made
in the in implementation of COMESA programmes. Below is an outline of the decisions
that have been made on Gender programme since May 2007 to date.
1. 30th Meeting of the COMESA Council of Ministers: 10 -11th October, 2011;
Malawi
Theme: Harnessing Science and Technology for Development
The council received the report of the 5th Meeting of the COMESA Ministers
responsible for Gender and Women’s Affairs held on 22-23 September, 2011 in
Lilongwe, Malawi. The discussions mainly focused on the following activities on
Gender and Women Affairs;
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Climate Change Initiative, Conservation Agriculture and Gender
COMESA Women’s Entrepreneurship Economic Fund
Establishment of COMESA Trading Houses
HIV/AIDS Multi-sectoral programmes
The council noted the need for good preparatory work, such as a feasibility study
covering the viability and operational modalities, leading to the setting up of the
Women’s Entrepreneurship Economic Fund. The Council directed the COMESA
secretariat to observe the African Union Protocol on Gender Parity in the
implementation of all programmes and requested the Gender Division to work out on
the modalities. The council endorsed the decisions of the fifth Meeting of the COMESA
Ministers responsible for Gender and Women’s Affairs but specifically took deliberate
decisions in the following areas;
1.1 Gender Mainstreaming in Agriculture and Climate Change
The council took note of the joint COMESA-EAC-SADC Climate Change Initiative
(CCI) currently being implemented. The Council urged the COMESA secretariat to
undertake some activities aimed at increasing the integration of female farmers as
direct beneficiaries of the existing agriculture and climate change interventions at
secretariat level and Member State level. The council also noted the progress made
so far in developing of a gender sensitive Regional strategy and Action Plan
(RESTRAP) on Climate change and Agriculture. RESTARP is to review existing
strategies and programmes and identify opportunities for adding value by twinning
the gender agenda with other existing programmes.
Under the Climate Change Initiative, the Council made the following decisions;
 The secretariat to provide technical support to Member States in building
capacity for integrating gender issues into agricultural programmes and CCI;
 Member States to include gender experts in the design of Agricultural and
Climate Change Initiatives; research (including collation of sex/gender
disaggregated data) and Monitoring and Evaluation Frameworks ;
 COMESA secretariat to support Member States to enhance the visibility and
participation of youths in Agriculture and climate change related policies and
programmatic actions;
 National Gender Machineries to lobby line Ministries responsible for
agriculture and environment , as well as the Finance Ministries, and
cooperating partners to fully implement the COMESA policy which champions
the view that 80% beneficiaries of agriculture programmes should be women
and female households;
 COMESA secretariat to liaise with Ministries of Agriculture to sensitize
extension workers so that they give civic education on Conservation
Agriculture to the rural communities because it is a low cost activity.
Under RESTRAP, the following decisions were made;
I.
II.
III.
COMESA Secretariat in collaboration with Member States to conduct
sensitization programmes for women on climate change since more women
are working in Agriculture;
COMESA Secretariat in collaboration with Member States to review and
analyze the Agricultural policies and regulations and also the National
Adaptation Programmes of Activities (NAPAs) from a gender perspective;
COMESA Secretariat and Member States should include women in the
design and implementation of the Agriculture and Climate Change
Programmes;
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The Committee noted the executive’s brief on the Regional
Strategy on Gender Mainstreaming in Agriculture and Climate
Change and requested the secretariat to circulate the finalized
document by the second week of October, 2011.
1.2
Establishment of the COMESA Women’s Entreprenuership Economic Fund
(WEEF)
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It was decided that the WEEF be established by the next Council and Summit of
COMESA on the basis of the purposes and structure provided for in Annex II of
the report on the modalities for the establishment of the fund.
Upon the establishment of the fund, an operational manual to be developed that
would contain the following principles:
I.
An organo-gram in order to illustrate the relationship between
different levels of management and the Fund structures;
II. The size of the fund to be determined after the feasibility study and
that the COMESA secretariat should organize a forum of women
entrepreneurs at country level to collect information and
recommendations on the size of the Fund;
III. The Apex level of the Fund to establish mechanisms for
collaboration with cooperating partners and NGOs for the
implementation of the Fund in a transparent manner;
IV. Apex level Fund in collaboration with the intermediary financial
institutions should establish reasonable tenure, interest rates, grace
period to create an enabling environment for women to benefit from
the Fund;
V. National Gender Machineries in collaboration with the COMESA
Secretariat should intensify civic education to demystify the cultural
perceptions that discredit women entrepreneurs;
VI. Efforts be made to ensure equality in treatment of all beneficiaries
without regard to the type of business which they do and socioeconomic status;
VII. Member countries in collaboration with COMESA secretariat should
compile directories or compendium and conduct a social audit of
what is available;
VIII.
A monitoring and Evaluation mechanism to be developed by the
Fund Manager to ensure equity in terms of Member States
benefiting from the Fund;
IX.
Management at Apex Level in conjunction with the Fund Manager
should negotiate with partner financial intermediaries on issues
regarding the interest rates to be charged and other fees; and
X.
The Apex Fund level should negotiate favourable interest rates with
intermediary financial institutions
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1.3
Proposal on the establishment of the COMESA Trading Houses Project
Regarding the COMESA Trading House Project, the Ministers decided that;
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IV.
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VI.
VII.
1.4
The structure of the Trading House be as provided in the relevant Annex 3 to the
report of the Meeting of Gender Ministers
Trading House project to be implemented by Member States by 2014.
The secretariat to undertake appraisal on the functionality of Trading Houses in
Member States
Member States that are ready to establish Trading Houses could proceed with
the activity
Policy formulation should take place simultaneously with the establishment of a
Trading House
The implementation of the Trading House project should involve other partners
such as the International Labour Organizations, Ministry of Finance, International
Organizations and NGOs as implementing partners; and
COMESA Secretariat should engage the Government of Japan and other
partners through their Embassies and share their experiences on how trading
houses operate in Japan with a view to securing their support and where
possible arrange a study visit for the ministers to Trading Houses in Japan.
Framework for the HIV/AIDS Multi- Sectoral Programme
On the HIV/AIDS program, the Gender Ministers decided that;
I.
II.
COMESA Secretariat should mobilize resources in order to implement the
strategies and provide progress report on the implementation of the HIV and
AIDS programme to Member States; and
The secretariat to circulate the finalized document by the second week of
Octoberr,2011
Presentation of the COMESA Gender Mainstreaming Manuals
The Council noted the eight manuals that have been prepared covering the following
COMESA programs, namely: trade, infrastructure, investment promotion, peace and
conflict resolution, health and HIV and AIDS, environment, Information and
Communication and Climate Change. Further, the council noted the Secretariat had
been directed to distribute the COMESA Gender mainstreaming guidelines/manuals to
all COMESA Member States.
29th Meeting of the COMESA Council of Ministers: 6 -7th December, 2010; LusakaZambia
Theme: Harnessing Science and Technology for Development
Gender related issued during this meeting mainly focused on FEMCOM, a COMESA
institution that aims at promoting the full and equal participation of women
entrepreneurs. FEMCOM Secretariat continues with the implementation of some of the
activities contained in its 2009-2014 Medium Term Strategic Plan, Council and Authority
decisions. Some of the achievements made so far include;
 Technical advisory services provided in Burundi on WISE credit model.
 PTA Bank’s credit guarantee schemes successfully provided to facilitate
access of credit loans to women entrepreneurs and youth in business.
 Two workshops facilitated in Zambia and Swaziland for women entrepreneurs
on market and export management skills ( FEMCOM in partnership with ITC)
 FEMCOM Secretariat strengthened through upgrading of the FEMCOM
website, development of the communication strategy for FEMCOM’s visibility.
The year 2011 is to focus on the implementation of business incubators and
electronic Trading Houses
 FEMCOM’s appointment to the Private Sector Steering Committee of the 4 th
UN conference on LDCs.
Decisions
The council noted the following FEMCOM Board and General Assembly
recommendations:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
That annual subscription fees for membership should be set at USD500;
That the issue of confirmation of the Acting FEMCOM Director be
addressed without delay in order to manage the adverse impact on the
institution’s credibility;
That institutional capacity of the Secretariat is addressed for strengthening
of FEMCOM’s programmes;
That additional fund should be allocated to FEMCOM to effectively
implement the secretariats Mid- Term Strategic Plan.
28th Meeting of the COMESA Council of Ministers
Theme: Harnessing Science and Technology for Development: 25 -27th August,
2010; Swaziland
The council endorsed the report of the fourth Meeting of the Ministers responsible for
Gender and Women Affairs reference CS/GEN/M/4 of 6-7th May 2010 and the
decisions made in the report and noted with great concern the marginalization of
women in the regional integration agenda of COMESA. The Council decided;
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
To ensure that women’s economic empowerment is mainstreamed in
all COMESA programmes of industry, trade, agriculture and
infrastructure and not relegated to specialized institutions;
To ensure equitable establishment of Trading Houses in all Member
States for the benefit of women traders;
To widely publicize the Simplified Trade Regimes (STR) to the benefit
of women entrepreneur;
To mainstream ICT in women’s business initiatives in line with the
theme of this year’s Summit on “ harnessing science and technology
for development”, and
To ensure the implementation of the decisions contained in the matrix
(Documentation reference CS/GNE/M/VI/5) on the following
programmes
 NEPAD/SPANISH
business incubator for African women
entrepreneurs (EURO 500,000);
 Food security programme with EU 30 million EURO grant;
 Conservation Agriculture targeting 80% of the beneficiaries as
women
27th Meeting of the COMESA Council of Ministers
Theme: Consolidating Regional Integration through Value addition, Trade and
Food security: 7th December, 2009; Lusaka, Zambia
Discussions on Gender mainly dwelt on the COMESA Gender Policy as a catalyst of the
COMESA Gender Agenda which the COMESA heads of State and Government
adopted in 2002. The COMESA Gender Policy has since been translated into a
COMESA Gender Mainstreaming Strategy and Action Plan. The Action Plan hence,
presents a framework to begin integrating social development issues into the COMESA
programme.
During the meeting, the council took note of the following progress;
 Development of a COMESA Gender mainstreaming toolkit
 Production of manuals/guidelines on gender mainstreaming in the areas of trade,
investment, private sector development and infrastructure development
 A ministerial mission comprising Ministers of Gender and Women Affairs to
Chirundu Border posts on Zambia/Zimbabwe border. This was to raise
awareness to the plight of women in informal Cross Border trade through the
media.
 The fifth COMESA first ladies round table discussion that took place alongside
the thirteenth summit of the COMESA Authority of Heads of State and
Governance.
 Development of a concept paper on the COMESA HIV/AIDS Multi-sectoral
program. Currently, a draft framework of the HIV/AIDS Multi-sectoral program
has been developed pending further consideration and adoption by all
stakeholders in the COMESA region.
 Development of a COMESA Social Charter in order to promote gender equity
and Social Development in the COMESA region.
Decisions:
- Council noted progress made
1. 26th Meeting of the COMSA Council of Ministers: 2-4 June, 2009; Victoria Falls,
Zimbabwe.
Theme: Consolidating Regional Integration through Value addition, Trade and
Food Security
During this meeting, the council noted that preparations were underway to facilitate
the Ministerial Missions to selected border posts commencing from July 2009.
 Council recalled that the Director for the Gender and Social Affairs Division
was appointed by Council in December, 2008 and started work on 1
February, 2009.
 Council observed that the Member States can include representatives of the
Gender Ministries in their delegations to the Policy Organs’ meeting.
 Council noted that the Secretariat commenced preparations for the
development of the COMESA Gender Mainstreaming toolkit whose main
objectives are; to provide a detailed guide for gender mainstreaming in
COMESA programmes and also to present a comprehensive understanding
of what gender mainstreaming is.
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Council noted that the toolkit will target all levels of regional integration. In
particular, it will pay special attention to the needs of professionals who are
not experts in gender issues. It was noted that the toolkit is tailor-made to the
needs of the organization and as such focuses on mainstreaming gender
perspectives in COMESA regional integration agenda with special attention to
trade, Infrastructure and Investment and Private Sector Development.
Council noted that the development of the COMESA Gender Mainstreaming
Toolkit had commenced.
Council noted that Gender Sensitization and training for Programme/ Project
Officers both at regional and national levels have been moved to a later date
pending the development of the COMESA Gender Mainstreaming toolkit.
Council noted that the secretariat has developed Monitoring and reporting
tools for use by the National Gender Machineries (NGMs) to facilitate the
implementation of the COMESA Gender Mainstreaming Strategic Action Plan.
The tools have since been disseminated to Member States.
Council noted also that the Secretariat is in the process of developing a
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system. The Gender Division will work with
the M&E unit to facilitate the mainstreaming of gender in the system.
Council noted that the Monitoring tools developed by the secretariat already
contain some guidelines on the need to formulate gender mainstreaming
strategies by the Member States that do not have any. The guidelines also
require all the Member States to adapt the COMESA the COMESA Gender
Mainstreaming Strategy and Action Plan to their national strategies and
Action plan on gender mainstreaming.
Council noted that the Terms of Reference for the Consultancy on
development of the COMESA Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit include a
requirement to review all COMESA programmes, policies and budgets. The
findings and recommendations of the review will be documented and
disseminated to the stakeholders.
Council noted that in December 2008, the COMESA Council of Ministers
endorsed the offer by the Government of Malawi to host the COMESAFEMCOM Secretariat, made at the 12th Summit of the Heads of State and
Government, in 2007, Nairobi, Kenya.
Council noted that the Government of Malawi has graciously allocated offices
to the FEMCOM secretariat in Lilongwe. The COMESA secretariat has
seconded an offer to Malawi to facilitate the establishment of FEMCOM
Secretariat where the bulk of women in business activities will be dealt with
by the FEMCOM Secretariat with effect from 2009.
Council observed the need to strengthen Gender Management systems at
national and regional levels.
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Council noted that the findings of the Free Trade Area (FTA) study revealed
among other things that women traders did not benefit much on the FTA due
to non-tariff barriers in COMESA region.
Council noted the reports by Member States on the progress made to
implement the COMESA Gender Mainstreaming Strategic Action Plan
according to the six priority areas outlined in the COMESA Gender Strategic
Action Plan. Reports were received from the following countries: DR Congo,
Egypt, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Sudan and Zambia.
Decision
Council decided that the secretariat should;
 Continue to engage the COMESA Gender Technical Officers from Member
States in the development of Gender Monitoring Toolkit to ensure ownership;
 Invite Directors of Gender from National Gender Ministries and Gender Focal
Points during the initial conceptual stages for their technical inputs before the
Framework for Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit would be considered by the
next Policy Organs Meetings;
 Ensure that the Monitoring and Evaluation tools be adopted for use by
Member States;
 Adopt the findings of the FTA study to produce pamphlets that should inform
traders in COMESA about the trade regime and how they can maximize the
benefits from it;
 Mobilize resources in order to implement the Gender Mainstreaming Strategic
Action Plan; taking into account that Member States expect technical support
from COMESA secretariat.
Council decided that Member States should;
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Share best practices and existing national institutional frameworks as a way
of strengthening regional integration;
Promote economic empowerment of women through trade and private sector
participation;
Institutionalize the exchange visits and study tours in order to share best
practices.
25th Meeting of the COMESA Council of Ministers:
Lusaka-Zambia.
4-5th December, 2008;
3.1 Theme: Consolidating Regional Integration through Value addition, Trade
and Food Security
During this meeting, discussions were mainly based on the report of the third
meeting of Ministers of Gender and Women Affairs. Mainly the Council noted on
the report and surveys undertaken on Women Cross Border Traders and
stressed the need for practical approaches in addressing the problems faced by
Small Scale Cross Border Traders especially Small Scale business Women.
3.2. Decisions
 Council directed the secretariat to facilitate Ministerial Missions comprising
Ministers of Gender Ministers of Trade to visit selected border posts in
Member States
 Council in accordance with articles 7.3 of the COMESA treaty adopted the
report and endorsed the decisions as contained in document No.
CS/WIB/M/115 reports by Member States on implementation of COMESA
projects and programmes (Agenda 16).
24th Meeting of the Council of Ministers
Theme: Deepening Regional Integration for Diversification and Value Addition: 2627th November, 2007; Lusaka, Zambia.
During this meeting, the council focused on the following areas in promoting Gender
and Women in Business Programmes;
Establishment of Trading Houses in the COMESA region
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The council of Ministers noted that the secretariat organized the second
regional meeting of the Federation of National Associations of Women in
Business in COMESA (FEMCOM) in April, 2007 in Cairo, Egypt, to review the
status of implementation of the Trading House Programme by Member
States.
The Council was informed that Member countries presented reports and
noted that three countries mainly Egypt, Sudan and Swaziland already had
Trading Houses for Women in Business.
The council noted that FEMCOM chapters in Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda,
Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe had started the process of establishing
Trading Houses whilst in Malawi, Uganda and Zambia, possible sites for the
Trading Houses had been identified.
FEMCOM Activities
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The Council noted that Djibouti, Egypt, Malawi and Rwanda had offered to
host the FEMCOM secretariat and that the FEMCOM Board decided that a
consultant be engaged to carry a situational analysis in each of the four
countries to establish the prevailing support infrastructure and mechanisms for
effective operation of FEMCOM Secretariat.
The council was informed that His Excellency Dr. Bingu Wa Mutharika,
president of Malawi , informed the Twelfth Summit of Heads of State and
Government held in Nairobi, Kenya in May, 2007 that Malawi was offering to
host the FEMCOM Secretariat
The council was also informed that the summit welcomed with appreciation the
offer by Malawi to host the FEMCOM Secretariat
The Council noted that the FEMCOM Regional Meeting held in Cairo, Egypt
focused on the need to enhance the role of women in Business through
FEMCOM and the need to carry out a baseline survey on FEMCOM’S
business capacities, building requirements including development of product
profiles and business directories.
Creation of a Gender Division within COMESA secretariat
Council noted that, pursuant to the decision of the twenty Second Meeting of the
Council of Ministers that a Gender Division be created within the COMESA secretariat
in line with section 6.1.4 of the COMESA Gender policy, the Secretariat engaged
consultants, Deloitte and Touch, in July 2007, to undertake a study for the creation of a
Gender Division and to upgrade the Gender unit into a Division. It was further noted that
the study was completed in September, 2007 and that the secretariat, through the
Administration division, would preset the report for consideration to the November, 2007
COMESA Policy Organs Meetings.
Promotion of Gender and Agro-processing Development Project
The Council noted that the Consultant had submitted the AfDB report on the MultiNational project on the promotion of Female farmers in Agro processing and Market
Development in Zambia, Malawi and Uganda. The report was discussed with the AfDB
in September, 2007 and it was agreed that, apart from capacity building activities, the
new project would focus on real investments by providing infrastructure such as
processing plants, storage facilities and trading centers. It was also agreed that the
project activities would, to the extent possible, promote ownership at national level. The
bank proposed to finalize report by 30 November, 2007.
Gender Mainstreaming
With regard to this, it was noted that the secretariat had carried out the following
activities:
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Development of instruments for collecting sex disaggregated data;
Development of the Draft framework for the COMESA Gender Mainstreaming
Strategy;
Recruitment of National Consultants for all Member States;
Organization of a Pre-study Workshop for National Gender Experts and Regional
Gender Experts /Consultants;
Commencement of research to collect sex disaggregated data for the Gender
Mainstreaming Strategy at the Secretariat.
Capacity Building/Awareness Programme
The council noted that the COMESA Secretariat in collaboration with UNFIEM
conducted Training of Trainers Workshops in EXPORT Management for FEMCOM,
Women in Business Associations in Malawi, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
23rd Meeting of the Council of Ministers : 17th - 19th May , 2007; Nairobi, Kenya.
Theme: Deepening Regional Integration for Diversification and Value addition
During this meeting, Gender issues specifically focused on the following areas
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FEMCOM Regional Meeting, hosting of FEMCOM Secretariat and also launching
of FEMCOM Chapter in Djibouti.
PTA Bank’s support for Women in Business
Gender mainstreaming in COMESA programme
Creation of the Gender Division
1.2 Decision
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Council’s decision(s) not stipulated in the report