SADC Launches Network of Women Mediators in Southern Africa
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has officially launched the Network of Women Mediators in Southern Africa, a significant step towards enhancing women’s participation in mediation and conflict prevention across the region.
The launch took place at the Capital on the Park Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa, and was attended by senior government officials, civil society representatives, and development partners.
The initiative is backed by the European Union (EU), Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) under the joint SADC-EU programme titled Enhancing the Capability and Effectiveness of SADC’s Peace and Security Architecture (ECESPA).
The official launch was conducted by Her Excellency Dr. Joyce Banda, former President of the Republic of Malawi and a member of the SADC Panel of Elders. Dr. Banda emphasized the importance of the network in strengthening mediation and peace-making processes in the region.
She highlighted that while Southern Africa remains relatively stable, sporadic conflicts necessitate proactive strategies for conflict prevention and resolution.
Dr. Banda underscored the need for greater women’s involvement in peace processes, citing the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, and the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 as key instruments promoting gender equality in peace and security efforts.
Representing the SADC Chairperson, Ms. Lillian Matsika Takaendisa, Chief Director of Gender Policy Planning and Programme Management in Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Women Affairs, stated that the launch of the network is a transformational step towards fostering sustainable conflict resolution.
She stressed that including women in mediation ensures more comprehensive and lasting peace solutions and strengthens SADC’s peace and security architecture.
The network will serve as a platform for experience sharing, capacity building, and regional collaboration. Ms. Takaendisa highlighted its alignment with FemWise-Africa, a continental network under the African Union’s African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), to further integrate women’s perspectives in peace efforts.
Speaking at the event, Professor Kula Ishmael Theletsane, Director of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Affairs, reaffirmed SADC’s commitment to gender mainstreaming in peace and security mechanisms.
He referenced the SADC Regional Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security (2018–2030) as a guiding framework to ensure equal representation of women and men in conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and peacekeeping.
“The Network of Women Mediators in Southern Africa will play a critical role in consolidating peace and security efforts at both national and regional levels. It will also strengthen coordination with FemWise-Africa and other regional and international networks,” he noted.
The network is coordinated by the SADC Secretariat and will work closely with regional and continental bodies to promote women’s leadership in conflict prevention, resolution, and peacebuilding.
The establishment of the Network of Women Mediators in Southern Africa marks a milestone in the region’s efforts to ensure women’s active participation in peace processes. As conflicts continue to pose challenges to stability, SADC’s commitment to fostering inclusive mediation efforts is expected to contribute significantly to sustainable peace and security in Southern Africa.
