SADC Launches Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions

October 23, 2024

a group of people posing for a photo — Group photo at the launch of the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions, Gaborone, Botswana, October 2024 –

SADC

Gaborone, Botswana, October 2024 – UNDP, in collaboration with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat and the African Union, successfully launched the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions. The launch was held following a 3-day training from 14 to 16 October in Gaborone, Botswana, bringing together 39 members of the SADC Gender Equality Committee and Gender Focal Points. The aim was to strengthen their capacity and knowledge on the implementation of the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions, and integrate gender equality standards across organizational policies, structures and practices.

The Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions is a certification programme that supports and acknowledges the efforts of public institutions towards achieving equality between women and men within the framework of Agenda 2030. The Seal is based on a comprehensive process of improving and transforming key internal and external aspects of the institutional architecture. As such, the training provided participants with practical skills and knowledge essential to champion and implement the Seal within the SADC Secretariat. In addition, the training gave participants a comprehensive understanding of the Seal’s benchmarks across key dimensions which are critical to achieving gender equality.

The UNDP is supporting SADC in fostering a more inclusive working environment and ensuring that public sector policies are increasingly gender responsive. As part of this initiative, the training introduced participants to the GES-PI self-assessment methodology, enabling them to establish a baseline for SADC’s gender equality practices and move towards implementing the Gender SEAL.

Reflecting on the importance of gender, H.E Elias M. Magosi, Executive Secretary of SADC, highlighted that, “Gender is a crosscutting issue. We cannot have anything under any of our programmes without incorporating gender, and I believe the Gender Seal will be key in cementing this.”

We cannot have anything under any of our programmes without incorporating gender, and I believe the Gender Seal will be key in cementing this.

H.E Elias M. Magosi, Executive Secretary of SADC

Reinforcing this sentiment, Ms. Prudence Ngwenya, Director of Women, Gender and Youth Directorate at the African Union Commission, reiterated that the launch and training is not only about meeting certification requirements, but about creating lasting, meaningful change in the lives of women and girls, men and boys in the SADC region. She further emphasized, “The African Union Commission, through the Women, Gender and Youth Directorate, remains committed to supporting SADC and its Member States in achieving these goals.”

Noni Maabune, Director of Operations at the UNDP Regional Service Centre, speaking on behalf of Director Matthias Z. Naab, emphasized the Gender Equality Seal's transformative impact. She noted that UNDP is, “confident that the Seal will enable SADC and its member states to address institutional challenges and inequalities, including gender disparities in the workplace, sexual harassment, gender-blind policies, and limited investment in gender equality.” By implementing the Seal, she reiterated that “by strengthening accountability and driving systemic change within the SADC Secretariat, this initiative sets the foundation for achieving meaningful gender results across the region.’”

This initiative is expected to enhance SADC’s capacity to meet both regional and international gender equality commitments, as Tsitsi Fungurani, Senior Development Officer of the Government of Canada, acknowledged. She stressed that the Gender Seal “can aid us in making progress towards the achievement of SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all) and the AU Agenda 2063 in tangible and measurable ways.”

Following this training and launch, SADC will embark on conducting a comprehensive assessment and implementing Action Plan for improvement, setting the groundwork for GES-PI certification process.