These debates we hold year after year continue in importance as they continue to highlight the various aspects of the plight of women and their children, particularly the girl-child, throughout Africa.

It is good that we do so but in so doing it begs the question as to when are we going to start announcing in our debates some meaningful success instead of professed continuing failure in our quest to not only ameliorate but eradicate the scourge of sexual and gender-based violence?

How effective are women in Parliaments and in Governments in addressing this issue?  Are they really making a difference and if so, how and where?

We all know that sexual and gender-based violence is a pandemic that undermines women's rights and girls' rights to – as the conference noted – "autonomy, bodily integrity, human dignity, sexuality, security and tranquillity… and continues to be a major hindrance to rights and justice…"

We all know that many women all over the world, let alone in Africa, "live in perennial fear of violation…" (again a statement from the conference communiqué).

The delegates who attended this conference have made various commitments including holding "our Executives accountable for decisive action against SGBV" and "… the development of a gender violence index to hold governments accountable…" and that "our governments ratify and report on conventions that protect and promote the human rights of women and girls."

They say they will specifically focus at a regional level on domestication and implementation on the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa. An obviously laudable goal.

There now needs to be an in-depth analysis on precisely how this commitment can become a region-by-region reality and if not; why not?

There is a saying that "charity begins at home" and so let us take a good hard look at what we have done here in South Africa to ease the plight of women and girls.

Where is the proliferation of shelters for women as promoted in the Domestic Violence Act many years ago?

How many investigators are spread throughout the country to effectively deal with the many millions who evade and avoid paying child maintenance (in itself a crime of economic violence)?

Why do millions of un-convicted rapists (given the statistics available) still stalk our streets and homes?

Just how effective are our support systems for rape victims – including the rapid provision of ARV's?

How have we focused on the plight of the women and children victims of the recent deplorable xenophobia which shamed us all?

Can all the men in this Parliament tell us what they are doing about the sexist attitudes and behaviour of men in our society?

What we need now is the translation of words such as those espoused at the conference into the kind of action which will provide demonstrable and positive results.