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STATEMENT FROM THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE SADC-PF ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY Featured

International Women's Day International Women's Day SADC Parliamentary Forum

Dear Colleagues and partners, it is with undivided pleasure that I release this statement to the Forum’s august Member Parliaments and partners in view of celebrating International Women’s Day this 8th March 2022 under the theme of “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”.  

Today, I wish to reminisce the longstanding efforts of the Forum to promote gender equality, women empowerment, and sexual and reproductive health rights, which are vital for women’s socio-economic development and integration in society, as well as for giving them a voice to defend climate action and sustainable development. In addition, gender mainstreaming, gender-based budgeting and the Model Law on GBV, and Gender Responsive Oversight Model (GROM) are pivotal initiatives of the Forum which aim to advance gender equality from a holistic perspective that includes giving both men and women equal chances to participate in key decision-making regarding climate change responses. Furthermore, the Forum has consistently underscored that an effective response to climate change can only exist in a world where men and women have equal rights and are treated equally under the law.

In addition, the Forum wishes to seize the opportunity of this celebration to reiterate the importance of gender equality in the Southern African region which is still influenced by the deep-seated inequalities that affect women, especially when faced with patriarchy, male chauvinism or traditional beliefs that promote women repression and inculcate bias towards women and young girls. In line with its Strategic Plan (2019-2023), the SADC-PF is committed to ensuring gender equality and women empowerment through consistent parliamentary initiatives which advance Sustainable Development Goal 5 relating to gender as well as international and regional instruments such as the Maputo Protocol which are relevant to women advancement. The empowerment of women through parliamentary action will have a direct effect in readying the world to promptly address climate change and disaster risk reduction.

In the context of Southern Africa, the Forum also wishes to pay special tribute to Hon Speakers/Presiding Officers of its Member Parliaments who are women as they stand as proud examples that women can aspire to the highest positions of responsibility within organisations that are at the helm of the State. They demonstrate that women can efficiently lead Parliaments which respond to multiple governance issues, including climate change. For the years to come, the Forum pledges to continue to act for Parliaments to be monuments of female leadership, empowerment and climate action.    

Happy International Women’s Day 2022 !

Ms B. Sekgoma, Secretary General

 

International Women's Day 2022

Last modified on mardi, 08 mars 2022 11:08
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Le Forum parlementaire de la Communauté de développement de l'Afrique australe (SADC PF) a été créé en 1997 conformément à l'article 9 (2) du Traité de la SADC en tant qu'institution autonome de la SADC. Il s'agit d'un organe interparlementaire régional composé de treize (14) parlements représentant plus de 3500 parlementaires dans la région de la SADC.

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