Johannesburg, South Africa – The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Gender Unit held a workshop from February 19-21, 2025, in Johannesburg, focusing on incorporating gender perspectives into the region’s peace and security framework. The event brought together staff from the Directorate of the Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Affairs.
The workshop, based on SADC’s Gender Instruments and the Gender Mainstreaming Sector Specific Resource Kit launched in 2023, aimed to equip participants with the skills to address gender issues within peace and security policies. It was supported by the SADC-European Union (EU) program “Enhancing the Capability and Effectiveness of SADC’s Peace and Security Architecture” (ECESPA), a program running from 2024 to 2028.
The training aimed to strengthen participants’ abilities to create gender-responsive policies, provide practical tools for mainstreaming gender in politics, defence, and security, and support the development of gender-sensitive platforms involving both state and non-state actors.
