SADC Ministers Rally to Accelerate Gender Equality and End GBV
Ministers responsible for Gender and Women’s Affairs across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have called for intensified efforts to accelerate gender equality, empower women, and eliminate Gender-Based Violence (GBV), during a high-level meeting convened in Harare.
The gathering, chaired by Zimbabwe’s Honourable Senator Monica Mutsvangwa, brought together key regional leaders to assess progress and chart strategic actions aligned with the Revised SADC Protocol on Gender and Development.
Ministers agreed that while significant strides have been made in advancing women’s rights, the region must confront lingering challenges, including persistent GBV, economic inequality, underrepresentation of women in leadership, and vulnerabilities faced by adolescent girls.
“No African country has fully achieved its gender equality targets,” Minister Mutsvangwa stated, urging Member States to commit greater resources, energy, and policy innovation.
She also called for ratification of the African Union Convention on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls and for the effective implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda at national levels.
Dr. Judith Kateera, SADC Deputy Executive Secretary for Corporate Affairs, reaffirmed the region’s commitment to gender equality as enshrined in SADC Vision 2050 and the Revised RISDP 2020–2030.
She emphasized the importance of turning gender equality into a lived reality through strengthened implementation and financing of GBV prevention, promotion of women’s entrepreneurship, and integration of economic empowerment policies into national frameworks.
The Ministers approved key documents including the new SADC Framework on Achieving Gender Parity in Politics and Decision-Making (2025–2035) and the Mid-Term Review Report of the SADC Strategy and Framework of Action for Addressing GBV (2018–2030).
They pledged enhanced regional cooperation to promote gender parity in leadership, support women’s economic resilience, improve data and monitoring mechanisms, and involve men and boys in the fight against GBV. The Ministerial session followed a preparatory meeting by SADC Senior Officials from June 24 to 25.
Also present were representatives from the United Nations, Civil Society Organizations, development partners, the diplomatic community, and Zimbabwean lawmakers, demonstrating wide support for a gender-equal SADC region.
