Page 94 - 40th Summit Brochure 2020

prevention interventions that have proved
ef ective were shared with participants to
strengthen the regional GBV prevention ef-
forts. T e conference provided a platform
for dissemination of the SADC GBV Strat-
egy to partners and other stakeholders. Ef-
fective practices from Botswana, the
Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho
and Zimbabwe on prevention and response
to GBV were presented.

(iii) Mapping of Regional GBV Partners
Regional partners’ support and commit-
ment to the GBV response in the SADC re-
gion was mapped through a regional
consultative meeting with strategic partners
such as UN Women, UNAIDS, UNESCO,
UNFPA, UNODC, GIZ, EU, Sonke Gender T e Director of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Af airs at the
Justice, OHCHR, SAfAIDS, SADC-PF and SADC Secretariat Mr Jorge Cardoso(right), with the Head of Delegation of
Gender Links. T is platform served to pop- the European Union to Botswana and SADC, His Excellency Ambassador
Jan Sadek (lef ) during the launch of the Support to Peace and Security in
ularize the Regional GBV Strategy to pro- the SADC Region (SPSS) Programme.
mote its coordinated and ef ective
implementation across the region and the
alignment of the partners’ actions to the (v) Women, Peace and Security Strategy
strategy. T e mapping exercise showed that Resources have been mobilised from the
partners are active in response to GBV in European Union under its SPSS Pro-
the SADC region and that all Member States gramme to support implementation of the
have a number of partners actively provid- SADC Regional Strategy on GBV. Member
ing technical and f nancial support for GBV States will be supported in the develop- 91
programmes and projects. T rough this en- ment of national action plans on women,
gagement, the partners further committed peace and security. tion and for supporting
to working with the SADC Secretariat and rural livelihoods.
to supporting Member States in line with
the Regional GBV Strategy.
SADC @ 40 – GENDER HIGHLIGHTS
(iv) European Union support for GBV
Programming SADC has made signif cant progress to-
Implementation of the SADC Regional wards the achievement of gender equality
GBV Strategy continued with the support of and empowerment of women and girls, in-
the European Union, through the Pro- cluding key achievements as follows.
gramme for Support to Peace and Security ❖ T e SADC Gender Policy was adopted
in the SADC Region (SPSS). Various GBV by the Council of Ministers in 2007.
tools are being developed to guide national ❖ T e SADC Protocol on Gender and De-
ef orts, including the Regional Sexual and velopment was signed in 2008, and 14
Gender Based Violence Training Guidelines Member States are party to this Proto-
to strengthen the capacity of frontline of - col. T e Protocol was revised in 2016 to
cers (especially law enforcement of cers); align it to the latest gender instruments,
the regional guideline for GBV Standard including the 2030 Sustainable Devel-
Operating Procedures and referral mecha- opment Agenda. Only 12 Member
nisms to support operationalization of a States have so far signed the Agreement
multi-sectoral coordination of the GBV re- Amending the SADC Protocol on Gen-
sponse at national level; and a Regional In- der and Development.
ventory of GBV legislation that will assess ❖ All Member States are parties to the UN
laws and policies to identify areas for Convention on the Elimination of all
strengthening by Member States. Forms of Discrimination against
Women (CEDAW), and to the United