The causal factors of the high HIV prevalence in young women and girls in Africa will be investigated this week.

Civil society organisations, United Nations agencies and other partners are working with the SADC Parliamentary Forum to hold the first ever Women's Parliament in Mahe, Seychelles this week 5 and 6 July.

The organisers say the parliament will bring together SADC female MPs and their counterparts from other parts of the world to critically discuss and sustain the engagement of parliaments to implement Resolution 60/2 of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) which focuses on women, the girl-child and HIV and Aids. Through Resolution 60/2, the UNCSW calls for full attention to the high levels of new HIV infections among young women and adolescent girls, and their root causes. As the Report of the United Nations' Global Commission on HIV and the Law noted almost exactly five years ago, such root causes include a country's body of laws concerning HIV and Aids.

The evidence indicates that an enabling legal environment, including one that ensures both the legal and practical equality of women and girls, is much more likely to result in lower rates of HIV infection than a punitive one that enshrines historical inequalities. Consideration of women and girls in the HIV discourse is a response to the high burden of disease among women and girls in the region and globally. United Nations statistics indicate that 51% of all adults living with HIV globally as of 2015 were women aged 15 years and older. In east and southern Africa, women account for more than half of the total number of people living with HIV.

AT RAINBOW HOTEL,

HARARE,

ZIMBABWE:

I am deeply gratified to be conveying this message of support on behalf of my sisters in the Regional Women's Parliamentary Caucus to this illustrious occasion - the SADC Parliamentary Forum's 40^th Plenary Assembly. The Theme this year is: Statelessness in the SADC Region.

For us, this is an important theme as statelessness cannot be discussed without looking at its direct impact on women and girl-children. Gender discrimination, the subordination and marginalisation of women, and feminised poverty are some of the crucial factors in creating and perpetuating statelessness and non-recognition of citizenship rights. Many countries still do not have gender-neutral citizenship laws. In the worst cases, women lose their citizenship upon marriage to foreigners, and are unable to pass on their citizenship to their children. In Africa over 20 countries, including some SADC Member States, still deny women the right to pass on nationality to a foreign spouse.

Windhoek - Civil Society Organisations, United Nations agencies and other partners are working with the SADC Parliamentary Forum to hold the first ever Women's Parliament in Mahe, Seychelles next week from Wednesday to Thursday.

The organisers say the Women's Parliament will bring together SADC women members of parliament, and their counterparts from other parts of the world, to critically discuss and sustain the engagement of parliaments to implement Resolution 60/2 of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW).

The resolution focuses on women, the girl-child and HIV and Aids, which is still a major grim reaper claiming countless lives.

Through Resolution 60/2, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) calls on governments, international partners and civil society to give full attention to the high levels of new HIV infections among young women and adolescent girls, and their root causes.

As the Report of the United Nations' Global Commission on HIV and the Law noted almost exactly five years ago, such root causes include a country's body of laws concerning HIV and Aids.

The evidence indicates that an enabling legal environment, including one that ensures both the legal and practical equality of women and girls, is much more likely to result in lower rates of HIV infection than a punitive one that enshrines historical inequalities.

The SADC Parliamentary Forum is the deliberative body that brings together 14 National Parliaments in the SADC Region to discuss common issues affecting the SADC region as well as to support the regional integration agenda.

It is widely accepted that women’s empowerment and gender equality is one of the major challenges facing the SADC region and the world in the 21st century.

These Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures in Southern Africa fall within the context of the strategic objective of the SADC Parliamentary Forum relating to Strengthening Institutions for Democratic Governance. .

The Benchmarks for Assessing Democratic Elections in Southern Africa come at a time when democracy has assumed universality and elections are regarded as an indispensable root of democracy.

The Sentinel 01 edition - Towards SADC Model Law on child marriage

DELIVERED BY

HONOURABLE DITHAPELO KEORAPETSE,

MISSION LEADER AND MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC BOTSWANA AS WELL AS A MEMBER OF THE SADC PF STANDING COMMITTEE ON DEMOCRATISATION, GOVERNANCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS  

ON 5 JUNE 2017 

AT AVANI LESOTHO HOTEL IN MASERU, LESOTHO

SALUTATIONS

• The Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of Lesotho, Hon. Justice Mahapela Lehohla and IEC Commissioners;
• His Excellency Joaquim Chissano , former President of the Republic of Mozambique and Head of the African Union Mission;
• His Excellency Rupiah Banda, former President of the Republic of Zambia and Head of the EISA Mission;
• Honourable Dr Augustine P. Mahiga, Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania and Head of the SADC Election Observer Mission;
• Esteemed Members of various Election Observation Missions;
• Fellow Honourable Members of the SADC PF Mission;
• Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
• Esteemed Leaders of Political Parties;
• Members of Civil Society Organisations;
• Media Representatives;
• Distinguished Guests;
• Ladies and Gentlemen

I am honoured to present the SADC Parliamentary Forum Election Observation Mission's Interim Statement on the 2017 Lesotho National Assembly Elections in my capacity as the Mission Leader.