The Secretariat of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Madagascar, through the Ministry of Population and Solidarity, hosted a capacity building workshop in Antananarivo, Madagascar from 20 to 22 August 2024. The workshop served to raise awareness and build knowledge on the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda for key stakeholders in Madagascar. The workshop provided a platform for stakeholders to assess progress in advancing the WPS Agenda at national and local levels, while also identifying gaps and challenges. It further created opportunities for building a strong network of key actors and stakeholders involved in advancing the WPS Agenda.
The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, the landmark Resolution on Women, Peace and Security, was developed in the year 2000, addressing the disproportionate and unique impact of armed conflict on women and the pivotal role women should and do play in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Honourable Randriamanantenasoa Landy Mbolatiana, Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of Population and Solidarity of the Republic of Madagascar, delivered the opening remarks and launched the workshop. Honourable Mbolatiana highlighted the commitment of Madagascar to implementing the country’s national action plan. Honourable Mbolatiana also noted that though there was no conflict in Madagascar, but there exist cases of violence against women and girls. The Government will prioritise the consolidation of peace, the protection and participation of women in peace and security.
Delivering a statement on behalf of the SADC Secretariat, Mediation & Peacebuilding Officer, Mr. Fabrice Tunda highlighted that the convening of the workshop was a commendable step towards enhancing the participation of women in peace and security processes, including in peace negotiations and peacebuilding and in the prevention and resolution of conflicts at all levels. The Resident Representative of UNDP in the Republic of Madagascar, Dr. Edward A. Christow, also highlighted that the development of the National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security will enable national stakeholders to identify priorities, determine responsibilities, allocate resources and launch strategic actions to implement policies and programmes that address the needs and priorities of women and girls in terms of peace and security. The capacity-building workshop was attended by a diverse range of participants from the Republic of Madagascar, including representatives from various Government Departments, Security and Justice sectors, civil society organisations, faith-based organisations, as well as participants from the media, among others.
Dr. Martha Mutisi, the Women, Peace and Security expert, and one of the resource persons for the workshop, highlighted that the WPS Agenda seeks to promote a gendered and inclusive perspective and women's equal and meaningful participation in peace processes, peacebuilding and security. Dr. Mutisi further stated that the WPS agenda is about integrating the needs and perspectives of women in all conflict prevention, management, resolution, and transformation processes, including in relief and recovery processes. Programme Officer-Gender Based Violence at the SADC Secretariat, Ms. Kelly Dambuza-Chifani, shared the findings of the SADC Regional Assessment on Implementation of the WPS Agenda, highlighting the recommendation to strengthen multi-stakeholder coordinated approach to the development and implementation of the WPS agenda at national level.
The workshop concluded by identifying opportunities and entry points for strengthening implementation and coordination of this Agenda in the Republic of Madagascar, and ways of its localisation through inclusive community engagement activities.
