The Secretariat of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Mauritius, through the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, hosted a four-day capacity-building workshop on the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, from 27 to 30 August 2024, in Port Louis, Mauritius. The workshop was held in response to the initiative of the Republic of Mauritius to commence the development of a National Action Plan to implement the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda. This National Plan is intended to promote implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 and other supporting resolutions on Women, Peace and Security in Mauritius. The workshop was convened with the technical support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Regional Service Centre for Africa (RSCA).
The primary objective of the workshop was to raise awareness and strengthen knowledge on the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda for stakeholders in Mauritius. Additionally, the workshop provided national stakeholders with practical steps and guidance on the process of developing and implementing a National Action Plan on WPS. The WPS Agenda recognises women’s contribution and leadership in conflict resolution, peace-making, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding, and therefore calls for their meaningful participation at all levels of peace and security processes.
In launching the Workshop, Honourable Mrs Kalpana Devi KOONJOO-SHAH, Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare of the Republic of Mauritius, pointed out that to build a safer society for all, particularly for women and girls, the National Action Plan will be anchored on four (4) pivotal pillars of the WPS Agenda namely Prevention, Participation, Protection, and Relief and Recovery. Honourable Minister Koonjoo-Shah reiterated the Government of Mauritius’s commitment to consolidating the family unit and family values as fundamental pillars of society and to fighting against all forms of violence, including domestic violence through initiatives such as the high-level committee on the elimination of gender-based violence (GBV), chaired by His Excellency Mr. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister of Mauritius. Honourable Koonjoo-Shah called for the collaboration of Government, civil society, and international partners in creating a more inclusive and equitable environment for women in the Republic of Mauritius.
Ms. Kealeboga Kelly Dambuza-Chifani, Programme Officer-Gender Based Violence at the SADC Secretariat, congratulated the Republic of Mauritius for taking a step to develop a National Plan that will facilitate the country to implement the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. Ms. Dambuza-Chifani highlighted that SADC has developed a Regional Strategy on Women, Peace and Security, 2018-2030 that calls upon Member States to put in place measures to enhance 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. She further reflected that development and effective implementation of the WPS Agenda requires establishment of multi-stakeholder coordination mechanisms to ensure inclusive and coordinated national action.
A representative of UNDP, Ms. Fatuma Hassan Musa, indicated the support provided by UNDP to Mauritius in advancing gender equality and addressing GBV. The SADC Mediation Officer, Mr. Fabrice Kitenge Tunda, highlighted some of the SADC’s Mediation, Conflict Prevention and Preventative Diplomacy structures, including the recently adopted Network of Women Mediators in Southern Africa that aims to increase the participation of women in peace processes.
The capacity-building workshop was attended by a range of stakeholders from the Republic of Mauritius, including representatives from various Government Departments (including Gender, Police and Justice sectors, Environment, Disaster Management, Social Services, etc) as well as participants from civil society organisations, faith-based organisations, and the media among others. These stakeholders discussed the relevance of the WPS Agenda in Mauritius, noting that the Agenda will facilitate action to maintain peace as well as to address other human insecurity issues such as poverty, GBV and climate change. The key outcome of the workshop was a Draft National Roadmap that lays out key steps for the development of a National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, including establishment of the necessary coordination structures.
