Chapter three: Democracy and good political governance National Assembly were women after the 1998 elections (the last time the FPTP system was used), 11 per cent of the National Assembly was female after the 2002 national elections (the first time the MMP system was used), rising to 22 per cent in 2007. However, Lesotho still falls short of the SADC 30 per cent requirement and the AU/SADC 50 per cent standard. Several reasons for the discrepancy between female representation at local and national level were put forward during stakeholders’ discussions, the most important of which was that there was no legal obligation on political parties to use quota systems for drawing up party lists for the elections of 2002 and 2007 (as opposed to the situation that pertained under the 2005 amended legislation governing local government elections). Furthermore, the effects of customary law and traditional practices, as well as socialisation processes that relegate women to an inferior position in society, were also cited by some stakeholders as reasons for the failure of the country to reach the 2005 SADC target of 30 per cent female representation in political decision making at the national level. There were also reports that women constituted a ‘silent minority’ within the National Assembly and that little if any effort was being made by political parties to select or appoint women to senior party structures. 88 297. The government has made a concerted effort to appoint women in senior decision-making positions. In so doing, it is leading the way in attaining the benchmarks set by the SADC Declaration on Gender and Development. Although only 32 per cent of Cabinet ministers are women, 50 per cent of assistant ministers and 42 per cent of judges are female. Within the civil service, there are relatively few women principal secretaries, though the commissioner of police is female, as is the permanent secretary for defence and national security, something that is exceptional within the Southern African and broader African governance context. 298. Gender focal points have been introduced in all government departments, and district gender officers in each of Lesotho’s 10 districts. In response to the CSAR finding that these officers were often too junior and unable to mainstream gender within their respective departments, stakeholders pointed out that skills training and regular workshops were being conducted to empower these officers and that attention should be paid to the coordination of their work. It was suggested that such coordination should be the responsibility of the Department of Gender and Youth, Sport and Recreation. Gender officers within government departments and district administrations reported directly to their national departments and there was a lack of coordination, both of which undermined the efficiency of their work. 299. The second PRS has been thoroughly ‘engendered’ and gender mainstreamed. 300. However, stakeholders pointed out that, although government seemed committed to promoting gender equality, it was also necessary to change basic attitudes to women, and to their participation in political life, and that such change would, in the long run, depend on changes in societal norms, attitudes and behaviour transmitted through various socialisation agents such as the family, the church, schools and the community at large. In order to address patterns of socialisation, largescale awareness programmes are required, as well as the availability of information in Sesotho. Concerted efforts to train women and to increase their skills and knowledge base, especially those who participate as elected local councillors and members of the National Assembly, are needed to sustain the momentum of including women in the political arena.