bits of energy working together to address gender concerns and our purpose would be to link them. We envision a Southern Africa in which women and men are free to realise their full potential in both their private and public lives.” Colleen has strong social roots in issues of justice having been raised by parents who had managed to liberate themselves from a racial South Africa despite being ostracised by their families. She notes that the issue of gender inequality has always been placed on the back burner of the social agenda and celebrates the organisation’s ten years of redressing this.
“Our major footprint has been the campaign for the adoption of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development. Since 2005, about 40 organisations campaigned for this protocol which has 28 points to be achieved by 2015. We produce an annual barometer measuring the progress of the protocol.” Attending to this protocol is one of about 16 Gender Links projects. The organisation has offices in ten Southern African offices with numerous interns and 26 members of staff. In addition, the entity recently set up a 20-room guest house in Observatory Johannesburg that employs a further 10 people.
She concludes by telling us more about the guest house. “The GL Cottages is part of our strategy to diversify. Most of our funding comes from donors but we would also like to generate some of our own income as this will better enable us to further our vision. GL Cottages is also ideal for cost saving as we were spending a lot of money each year on conference facilities. Guests to the Cottages enjoy the warm hospitality of the wonderful staff, and they can leave knowing that their patronage is an investment in social justice.” - KC Rottok