
SHARE:
We government and civil society partners meeting in Johannesburg for the Symposium on, Women Peace and Security are committed to consolidate peace, security and development in the SADC region. With this statement we are demonstrating our collective intent to advance the implementation of the women, peace and security agenda and to accelerate momentum for further progress.
We, acknowledge the milestones that were made since the signing of UNSCR 1325 fifteen years ago. SADC member states have adopted gender-sensitive legal and policy frameworks, conducted gender training in the security sector and as a result the representation of women in the security sector has increased.
We recognise that the sub-region’s experiences of conflict and human insecurity have kept the issue of gender inequality on the radar. However, we recognize that in a number of countries the implementation of Article 28 of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development has been limited to participation and protection. We therefore call on all actors to consider an expanded definition of peace and security to one that is human security orientated and therefore encompasses socio-economic development, social justice, environmental protection, democratization and the respect of law. With this expanded definition, we call on all actors to reaffirm their commitment to a comprehensive response to the achievement of gender equality in advancing peace and security.
SADC
We call on SADC as a regional bloc to demonstrate leadership through:
– The development and adoption of a regional strategy and framework for implementing Article 28 of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development. This framework should be accompanied by a regional set of indicators that will provide a basis for assessing progress in the area of gender, peace and security.
– A commitment to strengthen the SADC peace and security architecture by mainstreaming gender. This would include the appointment of women in strategic leadership positions at all other levels of such institutions.
– Ensuring that all peace and security processes such as mediation are gender responsive, that is, they take into account the different roles, priorities and needs of women and men.
Member States
We call on all SADC Member States to demonstrate their leadership through:
– Ensuring that there are national action plans or strategies in place to implement Article 28 of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development and that these strategies have the necessary resources and political support.
– Adopting a multi-sectoral approach to human security by accelerating the mainstreaming of gender across all government departments. Governments will pay particular attention to the mainstreaming of gender in their peace and security sectors such that it is representative, capacitated and has appropriate policies, programmes and resources to effectively fulfill the function of prevention, protection, relief and recovery in the context of human security.
– Reporting on its efforts to advance gender in peace and security, by paying particular attention to Article 28 of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development.
Civil society
We call on all civil society actors to demonstrate their leadership through:
– Localising and leveraging Article 28 of the SADC Gender Protocol and UNSCR1325 to mobilise women’s power to prevent all forms of conflict in our homes, our communities, our countries and our world.
– Collect data on the extent, nature, and drivers of conflict and human security in specific settings, and to disseminate guidance to facilitate the collection and analysis of this information for advocacy and ensuring accountability to the principles expressed in Article 28 of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development.
– Raising awareness on the drivers of conflict and human insecurity informed by the lived experiences of women, girls, men and boys from diverse backgrounds. and mobilising for the development of concrete action by all actors (including religious, traditional leaders and faith-based groups)
Coordination
We call for all stakeholders to adopt a multi-sectoral approach for impact based on the principles of:
– Inclusivity
– Rights based approach
– Broad based participation
– Transparency
– Accountability
We recognize that development is inextricably linked to peace and the respect of human rights. The SADC region has a real opportunity to consolidate peace and security in the region by implementing Article 28 of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development. The lesson that we have learned from 15 years of implementing the WPS agenda is that prevention and addressing of conflict through dialogue is progressive.
📝Read the emotional article by @nokwe_mnomiya, with a personal plea: 🇿🇦Breaking the cycle of violence!https://t.co/6kPcu2Whwm pic.twitter.com/d60tsBqJwx
— Gender Links (@GenderLinks) December 17, 2024
Comment on Statement from the SADC and UN women symposium on gender, peace and security 29 – 30 October 2015