SADC Ministers Meeting: resolutions to promote women’s rights
On June 2, the meeting of SADC ministers in charge of gender and the status of women was held in Kinshasa. This meeting, which mobilized several personalities, was an opportunity for the ministers to adopt new resolutions to promote women’s rights.
One of the highlights of this meeting was an official opening ceremony, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Lihau, representative of the Head of Government of the DRC. The work held behind closed doors also marked this meeting. During this meeting, the Congolese Minister for Gender, Mireille Masangu, chaired a closing ceremony.
During this meeting, the ministers addressed the challenges of resolution 1325 and encouraged SADC member states to integrate and institutionalize articles 5, 12 and 13 of the SADC protocol on gender and development. This measure will promote adherence to the principles of equality between men and women.
For Joseph Nourrice, deputy executive secretary in charge of institutional affairs within the SADC, this decision is of great importance, because it augurs the end of the lack of political will and commitment of the member states.
Beyond this resolution, it is essential to move from an era of commitments to an era of implementation. This measure translates into a coherent political will for the allocation of resources to strengthen gender equality in the region.
To foster this implementation, Mireille Masangu Bibi Muloko, Chairperson of the Ministers’ Meeting, highlighted the importance of budgeting for the implementation of gender equality in SADC member countries. She also called on ministers to bridge the gap between political intention and policy implementation.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Service and Public Administration Innovation, Jean-Pierre Lihau, pinpointed some achievements of the DRC in the defense and promotion of gender. According to him, the constitution of the DRC clearly expresses the principle of equality between men and women. This measure is enforced through organic laws such as the law on parity and the family code, etc. The DRC has also developed the disarmament, demobilization and community and social recovery program to respond to armed conflicts.
In sum, this SADC meeting allowed Ministers to take important steps to strengthen gender equality in the region. However, it is essential to work to implement these resolutions and to ensure that the resources allocated to the objectives set are adequate.