State institutions are often blamed for despondence and non-implementation
of commitments, where political interests are not at stake. This observation has
been severally attested to in situations where international agreements are left
to member states for implementation. This article holds that partnerships of actors
from the private and civil society sectors have often served as catalysts that
nudge state institutions towards effective implementation of international protocols.
The article studies the activities of the Gender Links, a Non-Governmental
Organisation (NGO), in order to establish their effects on Botswana Government’s
implementation of the South African Development Community (SADC) Gender
Protocol. With such interventions, the article concludes that the implementation
of international instruments is done in line with principles governing non-profit sectors,
thereby allowing for variable ways of participation of multiple actors in the
development processes. Furthermore, the article asserts that Gender Links and
other NGOs have contributed towards the implementation of the SADC Gender
Protocol as well as ensuring authentic reporting of all activities, thereby narrowing
the gap created by government and the private sector. The modes of implementation
of the SADC Gender Protocol, which Gender Links has successfully used
include gender mainstreaming and seeking buy-in or lobbying. The article finds
that gender mainstreaming was used to integrate gender into government systems
and in development as a whole, whereas buy-in or lobbying was employed
for successful execution of the SADC agreements in Botswana. This article concludes
that these methods that Gender Links used for the implementation of SADC
Gender Protocol in Botswana were effective and are recommendable for adoption
for other international instruments, notwithstanding government resistance.

Keywords: Gender Mainstreaming, International Relations, Non-Governmental
Organisations, Public Institutions, SADC Protocols

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