Gender issues hurting trade in EAC

By Patrick Jaramogi

East African partner states are not doing enough to address gender issues as enshrined in the East African Customs and Common Market Protocol thus hurting cross border trade and regional integration, experts have observed.

The women drawn from government, academia and civil society from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda Burundi and Tanzania made the observation during the validation workshop of the EAC Gender Barometer held at the Eastern African Sub-regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI) training center in Kisaasi on Thursday.

The goal of the East African Community Gender Barometer is to promote women’s rights and gender equality in the economic, political social and cultural aspects through increased awareness among the citizenry.

“Many women traders especially the cross border women traders still don’t know their rights. This barometer will help such women demand for their rights from the duty bearers,” said Marren Akatsa-Bukachi the executive director EASSI.

She noted that the Barometer is a lobbying and advocacy tool to different targeted groups at local, national and international levels.

“People say women issues are over discussed but women issues still remain unsolved. Issues to do with low access to credit, high poverty among women and early marriages still remain unresolved within the EAC region,” said Bukachi.

Florence Alarango the principle Gender officer in the ministry of East African Community Affairs (MEACA) called for need for regional harmonization of data collection. “We are developing a gender policy to incorporate women in development issues. But we need research and consultancy to be generated basing on real issues on ground and not secondary issues,” she said.

Mary Kakinda a consultant who carried out the Gender Barometer survey noted that many lope holes still exist in trying to solve the gender based issues in the region.

“Women need a lot of support to carry out trade and other related activities in the region. The EAC partner states need to harmonize their gender laws to achieve this,” she said.

Lilian Liundi the Tanzanian Gender Network Program and Information officer noted that Tanzania was far from addressing issues of gender.

“Though we have gender desks in all police posts across the country few women are in decision making positions. This only accounts for 36 percent. EAC should combine efforts to achieve much more,” she said.
Sarah Otieno the program officer Kenyan Women Caucus group said the issues of harassment of women doing cross border trade was affecting regional trade and integration.

“Up to now we still get reports of Kenyan women raped, robbed and killed while conducting their trade at the border. Access to free trade is a challenge to women in the region. This must be addressed,” she said.

According to the study, Rwanda tops the region with 50 percent of the women living below the poverty line followed by Uganda with 46 percent, while Burundi, Kenya and Tanzania lie at 33 percent.

“Because women have no legal title to land and property, they are not able to access credit from financial institutions, a prerequisite for moving out of poverty,” said Kakinda.