Page 94 - 41st Summit Brochure

in identification of GBV indicators to be LOOKING AHEAD
amended and recommendations on additional
indicators. In addition, Member States The Gender Unit plans to prioritize the
identified strategic GBV indicators to be following actions in the year 2021/2022, in line
reported on an annual basis in order to update with the RISDP 2020-2030:
SADC leadership on the status of GBV and to v Strengthen gender mainstreaming efforts
inform regional advocacy against GBV. The through capacity building on the Gender
proposed annual indicators are to be presented Equality Seal (GES) as a tool for gender
to the Gender Ministers Meeting in June 2021 mainstreaming assessment within SADC
for endorsement. institutions and structures, and through
support to Member States in the
Engaging Member States on effective development of national women, peace
response to GBV during COVID-19 and security plans;
The SADC Secretariat engaged with the 16 v Conduct research on the status of women
Member States through a virtual workshop in politics and decision-making positions
to provide guidance on effective response to in the SADC region;
GBV, particularly during the COVID-19 v Implement the Project on Industrialization
pandemic. In addition, Botswana was and Women Economic Empowerment;
supported to conduct a national level v Strengthen reporting on GBV by Member
workshop on the Role of Law Enforcement States;
in addressing GBV during COVID-19. The v Engage regional GBV partners to ensure
workshop brought together GBV focal alignment of regional support actions on
persons from all Police districts in Botswana GBV with the SADC Strategy and
and other supporting actors such as civil Framework of Action for Addressing GBV;
society organisations, Social Services sector, v Support development of the SADC GBV
and the Gender department, to evaluate the Model Law, in collaboration with the
Police response to GBV during COVID-19 SADC Parliamentary Forum.
and identify key actions towards improving
92 the Police response and strengthening
coordination among stakeholders in
Botswana. DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

Promoting implementation of the SADC
Regional Strategy for addressing GBV Disasters such as drought, tropical cyclones,
The Strategy was disseminated through torrential rain, flooding and wildfires struck
regional meetings as well as social media the region during the period of the ongoing
platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. The COVID-19 pandemic, leading to further loss
SADC commitment to addressing GBV was of lives, disruption of services, and
further reflected through the commemoration destruction of infrastructure, and depriving
of the 16 Days of Activism against the GBV the region of opportunities to fully recover
Campaign during which the SADC Secretariat while building the needed resilience against
Executive Secretary, Dr Stergomena Lawrence vulnerabilities.
Tax presented a regional statement Tropical Storm Chalane made landfall on
highlighting the GBV response priorities for 30 December 2020 in north-eastern
SADC. Madagascar, bringing thunderstorms and
torrential rains. The Storm gained strength in
the Mozambique Channel and made a
CHALLENGES landfall later in Sofala province in central
Mozambique, resulting in widespread
v National initiatives by Member States destruction and loss of lives. The Cyclone
that required physical engagement with dissipated over Zimbabwe resulting in
stakeholders and Parliamentarians were numerous storms that affected the region
postponed due to COVID-19. with significant impacts.
v Failure to effectively support Tropical Cyclone Eloise made a landfall
stakeholders in gender mainstreaming on 23 January 2021 south of Beira city, in
owing to the delay in recruitment of the Sofala province of Mozambique. The storm
Gender Mainstreaming Program Officer. affected areas that were still recovering from