Windhoek, Namibia, 18th August 2018: During the last day of the 38th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government, Seychelles President Danny Faure signed the Agreement Amending the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development.
The revised SADC Protocol on Gender and Development is aligned with the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals and targets, African Union Agenda 2063 and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
It mainstreams gender and contributes to gender equality and equity in the SADC overarching documents, namely: the Revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) and Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap.
Gender inequality remains one of the biggest challenges in the SADC region. Access to and ownership of resources, the high prevalence of gender-based violence, including trafficking in persons especially of women and children, inadequate investment in social protection, and the limited financing for women’s empowerment and gender equality are some of the key challenges. Our region also bears nearly 40% of the world’s HIV infections with the most affected being women and girls.
The President said that the signing of the Revised Protocol on Gender and Development demonstrates Seychelles’ further commitment towards the advancement of women’s empowerment and gender equality in the region and the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.