The mandate of the SADC Gender Unit is to facilitate, coordinate, monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Revised SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, regional sectoral strategies on gender, the RISDP as well as other regional, continental and global gender instruments that SADC Member States are party to.
The Gender Unit spearheads mainstreaming gender in all regional initiatives to ensure that a gender perspective permeates the entire SADC Regional Integration Agenda. It also monitors, evaluates and ensures reporting on progress made and the achievement of gender targets that Member States have committed to at both the regional and international levels.
Objectives
- Design and elaborate a policy and institutional framework, plans and programmes for gender mainstreaming at national and regional levels;
- Facilitate gender training and capacity building in gender analysis and mainstreaming for all SADC structures and institutions;
- Integrate gender into all SADC regional integration priorities
- Promote and facilitate the Achievement of 50% representation of women in politics and decision-making structures at all levels by the year 2015;
- Facilitate the promotion of women’s equal Access to and control of Productive and Economic resources;
- Coordinate and facilitate the eradication of Gender Based Violence including the combating trafficking in persons and violence against women and children in armed and post-conflict situations; and
- Undertake research, monitor and evaluate progress made by SADC Member States in implementing Gender commitments with a view to document and disseminate best practices.
