South Africa’s governance perspective on the Indian Ocean Rim Association’s (IORA) focus area on women’s economic empowerment

abstract

The Indian Ocean Rim Association’s (IORA) focus area on women’s economic empowerment in the development of ocean economies in the region favours the evolution of the status of women. This is to say that the IORA has committed itself to gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in pursuing its ocean development objectives. For those African states that are members of the IORA, the latter’s agenda reinforces the African Union’s (AU) position on advancing gender parity in its development objectives (AU Agenda 2063, 2015), which includes utilising its adjacent ocean spaces to contribute to the continent’s transformation and growth. In this regard, as a member state to the above organisations, and as far as developing an ocean economy is concerned, South Africa has made some strides in aligning with, among others, the IORA. This article, following an analysis and discussion of the global, continental, regional and domestic development instruments relevant to women’s economic empowerment, sheds light on South Africa’s governance perspective on the IORA’s focus area on women’s economic empowerment.

The article recommends that in further developing its ocean economy policy framework, which currently positions skills and capacity building as one of its enablers, South Africa expressly prioritise women. This can include involving its Ministry for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, which is housed in South Africa’s Presidency, to facilitate the inclusion of women’s perspectives. The Ministry’s framework of thinking demonstrates cognisance of those elements that undermine the substantive equality of women, thus aptly placing it in a position to inspire the converse. In so doing, it is submitted, South Africa will be giving effect to those governance instruments that broadly provide for the economic empowerment of women, as well as operating within the ambit of its constitutional jurisprudence.

keywords:

• IORA
• women’s economic empowerment
• goal 5 SDG
• goal 14 SDG
• Operation Phakisa (oceans economy)

Notes

1 Elements of this declaration were subsequently echoed in the 2017 Jakarta Concord on the Indian Ocean Rim Association: Promoting Regional Cooperation for a Peaceful, Stable and Prosperous Indian Ocean.

2 Although key, the LOSC is not the only global legal instrument pertaining to ocean governance. Others which have been ratified by South Africa and pertain to specific activities include, among others, the 1969 Oil Pollution Casualties Convention (970 UNTS 211), the 1973 Pollution other than Oil Protocol, the 1974(1313 UNTS 3), International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (1184 UNTS 2), the 1978 Protocol to the 1973 International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) (1340 UNTS 61) and 1997 MARPOL Amendment Protocol (2057 UNTS 68).

3 In terms of section 251(4) of the South African Interim Constitution, “This Constitution provides a historic bridge between the past of a deeply divided society characterised by strife, conflict untold suffering and injustice, and a future founded on the recognition of human rights, democracy and peaceful co-existence and development opportunities for all South African, irrespective of colour, race, class belief or sex”.

 

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Siqhamo Yamkela Ntola

SIQHAMO YAMKELA NTOLA is a senior lecturer in the Department of Public, Constitutional and International Law at the University of South Africa’s College of Law. Yamkela is an Assistant Editor for the Comparative and International Law Journal of Southern Africa (CILSA) and an Editorial Assistant for the Journal of Ocean Governance in Africa (JOGA). His research focuses on international law of the sea and the relationship of African States with this branch of law. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Master of Laws (LLM) degree from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Currently, Yamkela is completing a Master of Philosophy degree, specializing in Sustainable Mineral Resource Development at the University of Cape and has commenced a Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree at the University of Pretoria. Email address: [email protected]