REPORT OF A MEETING TO PROMOTE WOCAN’S COURSE REFRAMING LEADERSHIP FOR GENDER EQUALITY IN AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
HELD IN PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA ON 17 MAY 2012
28 May 2012
Prepared by Sefora T Masia
WOCAN South Africa Coordinator
Pretoria
South Africa
1.0INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
WOCAN’s Mission is to build women’s leadership in agriculture and natural resource management through organizational and individual transformation.
One of the major initiatives towards building Women’s Leadership in agriculture and NRM was the development of the course: Reframing Leadership for Women and Men for Gender Equalityin Agriculture and Natural Resources Management (NRM), intended to empower women and men to support women’s leadership in the agriculture and NRM sectors through leadership skills. WOCAN has trained 22 women and men in Asia and Africa as trainers and facilitators of the course with the view to them training and organizing similar courses for WOCAN in various countries in Africa and Asia.
The WOCAN South Africa Core Team of Trainers (Colletah Chitsike, Sefora Masia, Unathi Kolanisi, and Sikhalazo Dube) met with WOCAN Executive Director during the March Trainers and Facilitators course in Bangkok, Thailand, to decide on the marketing of the course in South Africa, concurrently with marketing WOCAN itself.
Back in South Africa the team organized a meeting to present the WOCAN Leadership course to potential clients in the agriculture, NRM, and related sectors.
1.1PURPOSE OF THE MEETING
The main purpose of the meeting was to introduce WOCAN and to present WOCAN’s course, “Reframing Leadership: Leadership Training for Gender Equality in Agriculture and Natural Resources Management”, to key organizations and stakeholders in the Agriculture, NRM and related sectors who are also potential clients of the course as individuals and in organizations they represent.
2.0MEETING ORGANISATION
Prior to the meeting, research was done to identify organizations to be invited to the meeting and key decision makers and correct contact persons in such organizations to invite to the meeting. This was followed by telephone calls to identified persons to verify their titles and roles in the organization also whether or not they are still in the organization. Individual invitation letters to the meeting were then prepared and emailed to the contact About 50 individuals were invited from organizationssuch as government departmentslike the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Department of Environmental Affairs; Agricultural Research Council; Agricultural Development Programme of the metropolitan municipality and representation by its Council’s office for Gender mainstreaming; Government Communication and Information System; Public Administration Leadership and Management Academy. Present were also non government organizations such as Earth Life Africa working on environment and climate change issues; Food Agriculture and NRM Policy Network. Farmer producer organizations leaders;multilateral organizations such as FAO and UNDP attended (see annex1).
3.0MEETING PROCESS AND RESULTS
The WOCAN South Africa team (Sefora Masia, Colletah Chitsike, and Sikhalazo Dube) led by the WOCAN Executive Director Jeannette Gurung, presented WOCAN to the audience, and used the WOCAN promotional video to present the course: “Reframing Leadership: Leadership Training for Gender Equality Agriculture and Natural Resources Management”.
The course objectives, topics and intended outcomes, as well as the course structure and facilitation processes were described, followed by a questions and answer session. The WOCAN team was available to discuss with participants in the meeting and individually, ways in which organizationscould access and benefit from this course, and other services that WOCAN is able to provide to integrate gender into programs and organizational structures.
There was a high level of interest in the WOCAN course by those present. Discussions also indicated interest. Questions ranged from the costs of the course, whether or not the course was accredited, and how organizations could work with WOCAN to access the other services offered. There was clearly a desire to have the course offered to women and men at farmer level, an area that, while WOCAN is interested in, the WOCAN course is not designed for farmer level training.
WOCAN team responded that the course would be for 6 days at a cost of R25000 per person not including transport and accommodation. WOCAN team explained that the course was currently in the process of accreditation but not necessarily for university credit.
The WOCAN presentation emphasized that the main purpose of the course was to empower women by providing them with leadership skills including skills to become highly effective in their work and life by recognizing the impact of gender dynamics in their organization and community; skills to lead strategically and build and lead teams; ability to examine organizational power dynamics and their impact on their careers and work and skills to build robust networks of influential and powerful women leaders. The course is not intended as a module towards a university degree.
An issue that generated debate was also that of involving men for gender equality. The WOCAN team explained thatthe objective for involving men in promoting gender equality is not a call to take away already scarce resources from women and programs aimed at women's empowerment, but it is a call to address the role of men as advocate and active supporters for transformation in gender relations. The role of men and their participation in the course allows for attitude change which will lead to recognition of women’s skills and values they bring to organizations. Men therefore need to be passionate about gender equality and women’s leadership for the well being and success of families, communities, and organizations.
4.0CONCLUSION
The WOCAN team concluded that there will be follow up appointments with interested organizations for detailed discussions that could lead to training agreements and contracts. Follow up discussions will also be arranged with organizations and individuals that were interested, such as the Department of Agriculture at the national and the local government levels, leadership of the farmer organizations and producer organizations, the Department of Environmental Affairs, FAO. Follow up will also be made with organizations that were interested but were not able to attend the meeting, such as UN Women, Commission for Gender Equality, Food Security and Forestry Development sections of the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries.
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BREAKFAST MEETING ON WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP
IN AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
17 May 2012
Organisation / Name / Designation / Telephone / Email / Gender / Confirmed / Attended1 / Department of Environmental Affairs / Ms Mapula Tshangela / Director: Sustainable Development & Greening Programme / 012 310 3508 / / F / No response
2 / Department of Environmental Affairs / Mr Thomas Mothiba / Director: Sector Education Development / 012 310 3653 / / M / /
3 / Department of Environmental Affairs / Ms Skumsa Mancotywa / Chief Director:Transfrontier Conservation of Protected Areas / 012 310 3014 / / F / No response
4 / Department of Environmental Affairs / Mr Tlou Ramaru / Senior Policy Advisor: Sustainable Development / 012 310 3201 / / M / No response
5 / Department of Environmental Affairs / Dr Patricia Gwaze / Specialist Support: Atmospheric Quality Information / 012 395 1846 / F / No response
6 / Department of Environmental Affairs / Ms Sibusisiwe Hlela / Director: Environmental Impact Management Capacity and Support / 012 310 3045 / F / No response
7 / Department of Environmental Affairs / Ms Nolwasi Cobbinah / Chief Director: Pollution and Waste Management / 012 310 3356 / F / No response
8 / Department of Environmental Affairs / Ms Isa Qaqane / Director: Employee Development (Gender Mainstreaming) / 012 310 3044 / / F /
9 / Department of Environmental Affairs / Ms Phuthi Setati / Director: Gender Mainstreaming / 012 336 7441 / / F /
10 / Council For Scientific and Industrial Research / Dr Constance Musvoto / Researcher: Natural Resources and Environment / / F /
11 / Agricultural Research Council / Dr Yolisa Pakela / Senior Manager:Training and Advisory Services / 012 427 9740 / / F /
12 / Agricultural Research Council / Ms Makgomo Umlaw / Senior Management: Human Resources / 012 427 9700 / / F / No response
13 / Agricultural Research Council / Ms Yvunne Mashilela / Animal Production Institute: Divisional Manager Human Resources / 012 427 9746 / / F / No response
14 / Agricultural Research Council / Dr Florence Nherera-Chokuda / Senior Researcher / 012 672 9036 / / F / /
15 / Agricultural Research Council / Ms Unati Canca / Executive Director: Technology Transfer / 012 427 9700 / / F / No response
16 / Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries / Ms Lungile Lucenga / Director: Sector Transformation and Gender Mainstreaming / / F / /
17 / Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries / Ms Lebogang botsheleng / Director: National Extension Support / / F / /
18 / Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries / Mr. R.D Msomi / Chief Director: Food Security / / M / Interested but out of town
19 / Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries / Ms Sebueng Chipeta / Chief Director: Forestry Development / 012 309 5702 / / F / Sick
20 / Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries / Mr. Jerry Madiba / CEO: Agriculture Training and Education Sector Authority (AgriSETA) / 012 301 5605 / / M / /
21 / Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries / Ms Alice Baxter / Acting Chief Director: Plant Production / 012 319 6529 / / F / No response
22 / Tshwane Municipality / Ms Ouma Ramatlhodi / Executive Director: Gender Mainstreaming / / F /
23 / Tshwane Municipality / Dr Murunwa Makwarela / Executive Director: Agriculture and Environment / 012 358 1351 / / M / /
24 / Tshwane Municipality / Dr Ntsikane Maine / Director: Agricultural Development Progammes / 012 358 1393 / / F / /
25 / Tshwane Municipality
Progressive Women’s Movement South Africa (PWMSA) / Cllr Alphina Ndlovana / Councilor: Women’s Progressive Movement / / F / /
26 / Winterfeldt Agricultural Forum / Ms Tshepo Maimane / Chairperson / 082 390 7146 / / F / /
27 / PALAMA / Ms Bunny Subedar / Trainer / 012 441 6201 / / F / Other meeting
28 / PALAMA / Ms Soria Arendt / Chief Director / 012 441 6131 / / F / /
29 / UNDP / Ms Tonni Brodber
Represented by
Ms Yoliswa Macoba / Gender Specialist
Programme Associate / 012 354 8032
012 3548032 /
/ F
F / /
30 / UNFPA / Mr. Sipho Guvi / 011 603 5342 / / M / No response
31 / Ministry of Women Children and People with Disabilities / Ms Mary Mononela / Chief Director: Gender Advocacy and Mainstreaming / 012 359 0214 / / F / Another Meeting
32 / World Bank / Ms S Naidoo / World Bank / 012 348 8895 / / F /
33 / National Emerging Red Meat Producers Organization / Dr Langalihle Simela / CEO:NERPO / 012 361 9127 / / F / /
34 / South African Forestry Company Limited / Ms Linda Moffat-Russow / Senior Executive:Corparate Services / 012 481 3523 / / F / No response
35 / Food Agriculture and NRM Policy Network / Dr Lindiwe M Sibana
Represented by
MR Ian Mashingaidze / CEO
Programme Manager /
/ F
M / /
36 / Development Bank of Southern Africa / Dr Julie Clark / Manager:Drylands Funds / 011 313 3911 / / F / No response
37 / Department of Local government and Traditional Affairs / Ms Nomvula S Makgotlho / Chief Director: Institution and Capacity Building / 082 854 7365 / / F / /
38 / Women in Agriculture and Rural Development / Ms Selina Hlabedi / Chairperson / 011 355 1634 / / F /
39 / Food and Agriculture Organization / Ms Rosebud Violet Kurwijila / Representative / 012 354 8540 / / F / /
40 / Food and Agriculture Organization / Ms Koleka Mbane / Director: Special Projects / / F /
41 / Norwegian Embassy / Ms Ingrid SkØlass / Programme Officer:Gender / 012 364 3700 / / F / No response
42 / USAID / Ms Olga Mashea / Health and Gender / 012 452 2000 / / F / Interested but other meeting
43 / USAID / Ms Cecilia Khupe / Agriculture and Gender / 012 452 2000 / / F / Interested but out of the country on the day
44 / Government Communication and Information System / Ms Nebo Legoabe
Represented by
Ms Tebatso Bogopa / Deputy Director General Provincial and Local Liaison
Deputy Director: Social Cluster / 012 314 2426
012 314 2227 / / F
F / /
45 / Swedish Embassy / Ms Ria Schoeman / 012 426 6400 / / F / No response
46 / LM Agric Solutions / Dr Lipalesa Motjope / Managing Director / 071 6378535 / / F /
47 / African Farmers Association of South Africa / Ms Bubbi Aphane / Women’s Business Wing / 0798333695 / / F / /
48 / African Farmers Association of South Africa / Ms Lydia Ikaneng / National Executive Committee member / 0828702744 / F / Interested but had prior meeting
49 / Commission for Gender Equality / MR Victor khunong / Gender Equality: Agric and NRM / 011 403 7182 / / M /
50 / Earthlife Africa Johannesburg / Ms Makoma Lekalakala / Program Officer / 011 339 3662 / / F / /
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