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Press Release

The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are uniting for a groundbreaking initiative to strengthen the legal and institutional frameworks around food security and the right to adequate food in Southern Africa.

At the heart of this collaboration is the SADC Parliamentary Alliance on Agrifood Systems, Food Security, and Nutrition, officially launched on 9 December 2024 in Livingstone, Zambia. This Alliance aims to address critical issues such as hunger, malnutrition, and the sustainability of agrifood systems in the region. The initiative is a milestone in enhancing parliamentary leadership, especially as Africa prepares to host the Global Parliamentary Summit against Hunger and Malnutrition in 2026.

This event marks the 20th anniversary of the Right to Food Guidelines. With funding from the German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity, FAO is leading capacity-building efforts under the project GCP/GLO/1287/GER-F: “Legislating for the Right to Adequate Food.” The focus is on equipping parliamentarians with the tools to advocate for and legislate on food security in line with Agenda 2063, CAADP, and Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger.

Programme Highlights

Days 1–2: Right to Food Training for SADC Parliamentarians

  • Southern Africa's food security outlook

  • Legal foundations of the right to food

  • Framework laws and domestication of the Pan-African Parliament Model Law on Food Security and Nutrition

  • Case studies, group strategy sessions, and a focus on traditional/native foods

Day 3: Inaugural Meeting of the Parliamentary Alliance

  • Reflections from training

  • Election of the Executive Committee

  • Adoption of the Alliance Work Plan

  • Launch of the SADC Parliamentary Membership Drive

  • Vision-setting for national alliances and regional collaboration

Key Objectives

  • Establish and operationalize the governance structure of the Alliance

  • Approve a strategic work plan for regional action

  • Equip lawmakers to legislate for the right to food and support sustainable agrifood systems

  • Align SADC regional efforts with Africa-wide goals and the upcoming 2026 Global Parliamentary Summit

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Let’s work together toward a food-secure Southern Africa, with laws and leadership that protect everyone’s right to food.

Namibia’s Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Honourable Dr Emma Kantema, has expressed concern over the declining number of women in the National Assembly and has called for urgent action to safeguard and strengthen gender equality in political leadership.

The Minister made the remarks on Wednesday when she officially opened a capacity-building workshop for women in politics and decision-making in Swakopmund.

An intergovernmental organisation that supports sustainable democracy globally has called for sustained action to dismantle systemic barriers impeding women’s full participation in political life.

Mr Gram Matenga, the Regional Head of Programmes for Africa and West Asia at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), made the call on Wednesday at the official opening of a high-level Roundtable on Women in Politics and Decision-Making Roles in Namibia.

Matenga welcomed Namibia’s historic election of its first female President earlier this year, describing it as “an extraordinary achievement that resonates not only across the African continent but also stands as a powerful symbol of progress on the global stage.”

The Secretary General of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), Ms Boemo Sekgoma, has advised Namibia to establish a National Women’s Parliamentary Caucus.

Speaking at a high-level Roundtable on Women in Politics and Decision-Making Roles held in Swakopmund, Ms Sekgoma cautioned that the journey towards gender parity in politics requires both institutional muscle and sustained commitment.

She applauded Namibia’s gender milestones, including the recent election of Her Excellency Dr Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as the country’s first female President, but stressed that political progress must be made impactful.

“Women make up only 40% of the National Assembly. That is progress, yes, but not parity,” Sekgoma observed.

She added, “Representation without impact is like thunder without rain. Our challenge now is to translate these numerical gains into meaningful power, the kind that shapes policy, holds the executive accountable, and changes lives.”

Sekgoma told women parliamentarians, political party representatives, and civil society actors attending the workshop that the National Assembly would benefit from the formation of a cross-party National Women’s Parliamentary Caucus that can amplify the voices of women and girls across Namibia.

“It can support the President and the Speaker in delivering inclusive governance. Further, it can become an engine for legislative activism, public outreach, policy development, and strategic oversight that is unapologetically gender-responsive,” she said.

Sekgoma pledged the full support of the SADC PF in helping to build the capacity of women MPs to drive legislative change and strengthen oversight. She stressed that women empowerment must be rooted in sustainable structures, backed by resources, and supported by political will.

“The movement to empower women must be sustainable in the long term. Without sustainability, gains made may be quickly and suddenly lost,” she cautioned.

She urged Namibia to domesticate all gender-related regional and international conventions and treaties it has ratified, saying these instruments must be treated not as optional, but as obligations.

Addressing entrenched obstacles to gender equality in politics, Sekgoma did not mince her words: “Patriarchy is still alive and well. It lurks in parliamentary corridors, in social media spaces, and even in the drafting of laws. But this can be overcome - not by silence, but by solidarity. Not by retreat, but by relentless engagement.”

She warned against tokenism in women’s leadership, and invoked the example of Britain’s Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May.

“We must ensure that women leadership does not become an isolated occurrence in the timeline of history,” she said, and called for enabling frameworks to ensure continuity and institutional support for women in leadership.

Sekgoma further called for cross-party collaboration, noting that gender equality is a cause that transcends political affiliations. She proposed that parliaments develop their own internal policies that favour dialogue on shared priorities such as climate action, youth development, and the fight against gender-based violence.

“Gender-based violence must cease. Authorities must act robustly to prosecute perpetrators. There should be no half-measures,” she declared, referencing the SADC Model Law on GBV which prescribes both criminal penalties and civil remedies.

Sekgoma called for relentlessness in pursuit of gender equality.

“This Roundtable is not the end. It is a beginning. Use this space to build alliances, to learn from each other, and to prepare, not just to sit in Parliament, but to shape it,” she said.

She challenged Parliament to ensure gender-sensitive laws are implemented.

“Unless those laws are enforced, they remain promissory notes - beautiful words without a bankable future,” she said.

She reiterated SADC PF’s commitment to supporting national parliaments in advancing gender equality, democratic governance, and inclusive development across the SADC region.

SWAKOPMUND, NAMIBIA - A roundtable aimed at strengthening the leadership and decision-making capacities of women parliamentarians in Namibia officially opened on Tuesday in the Namibian coastal town of Swakopmund.

The three-day event, themed “Women in Politics and Decision-Making Roles as Members of the National Assembly,” brings together female Members of the National Assembly for peer learning, mentorship, and strategic planning on gender-responsive governance.

Notable among the delegates is the Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. Dr. Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, Hon. Sanet Steenkamp, the Minister Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture (MEIYSAC), the Secretary General of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, Ms Boemo Sekgoma, cabinet ministers and members of parliament.

WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA - The Southern African Development Community (SADC) continues to grapple with the impact of unsafe abortions, particularly among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), despite progress in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

Regional advocates are now rallying for the adoption of a SADC Model Law on Safe Abortion. They argue that harmonised, rights-based legal frameworks are urgently needed to stem preventable deaths, improve health outcomes, and protect bodily autonomy.

LUANDA, ANGOLA - Members of Parliament from Angola joined a special broadcast on Rádio Kairós on Tuesday morning, delving into pressing issues around working women’s rights and sexual and reproductive health, according to a report from the National Assembly of Angola.

The radio program, aired at 7:30 AM as part of the SADC Parliamentary Forum’s broader public engagement strategy, reached over 7,000 listeners, marking a significant milestone in regional efforts to transform gender norms through accessible media.

The Prime Minister of India, His Excellency Narendra Modi, on Wednesday addressed the Parliament of Namibia, becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to do so in 27 years.

The Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia, Hon. Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, welcomed Modi and described the moment as one “of historical significance and a powerful reaffirmation of the enduring friendship between Namibia and India.”

She paid tribute to India’s early support for Namibia’s independence struggle.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Researchers serving on the Sweden-funded SRHR, HIV and AIDS Governance Project of the SADC Parliamentary Forum have called for urgent, integrated, and child-responsive climate action across Southern Africa.

The researchers spoke at the end of a SADC Regional Seminar on Children’s Rights and Climate Change which took place at the School of Public Health of the University of the Western Cape last week under the auspices of the African Children’s Charter Project. The seminar ran under the theme, ‘Championing Collective Child-Responsive Climate Action.’

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

A SADC regional seminar on the impacts of climate change on children began on 2 July 2025 in Cape Town, with Professor Benyam Dawit Mezmur, Deputy Dean of Postgraduate Studies and Head of the Children’s Rights Project at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), urging participants to confront the deep inequities and blind spots in climate action — and to imagine a continent “fit for children.”

Sobre nós

O Fórum Parlamentar da Comunidade para o Desenvolvimento da África Austral (SADC PF) foi criado em 1997, em conformidade com o Artigo 9 (2) do Tratado da SADC como uma instituição autônoma da SADC. É um órgão interparlamentar regional composto por Treze (14) parlamentos representando mais de 3500 parlamentares na região da SADC. Consulte Mais informação

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