Make Every Woman Count
7.2. Women’s Rights Mechanisms (Treaties, Laws, Policies, Strategies, Campaigns) The Agreement Establishing IGAD does not include specific provisions on women and girls’ rights or gender equality. Since its establishment, however, IGAD has adopted several policies and strategies on gender and implemented institutional reforms. Some of these frameworks address aspects women and girls’ rights and gender equality in broader terms, such as the Gender Strategy 2016–2020. Others focus on specific areas such as women, peace and security (Regional Action Plan for Implementation of UNSCRs 1325 and 1820), employment (IGAD Workplace Gender Policy) and women’s political participation (Strategy for Higher Representation of Women in Decision-Making Positions.) In 2004, IGAD adopted the Gender Policy and Strategy; this was revised in 2012. The revised Gender Policy and Strategy Framework 2012–2020 has eight thematic areas. These include peace and security related to women and girls’ involvement in conflict prevention, management and resolution; and gender and health. Concerning gender and health, the strategic objectives focus on SRHR, HIV/AIDS, maternal mortality, harmful practices and GBV. Moreover, the Framework recognises gender inequality as a cross-cutting development challenge in all IGAD priority areas of intervention.434 Finally, the Framework aims to facilitate “the mainstreaming of gender perspectives into IGAD’s policies, strategies, programmes, projects and activities to make them gender-responsive, and to contribute to achieving sustainable socio-economic development in the region.”435 The gender framework is complemented by the IGAD Regional Strategic Framework and Implementation Plan 2016– 2020. This includes strategic priorities and programmes that are relevant to women’s rights and gender equality. It seeks to establish a mechanism for monitoring the implementation of UNSCRs 1325 and 1820 and related instruments on gender, peace and security and to advocate the adoption of these frameworks at the national level.436 Additionally, it aims to advocate “for a Transformative Women Empowerment through politically led gender policy and implementation mechanism including allocation of percentage in national parliaments, more allocation of the national budget for gender-related work, higher participation women in the political economy, and cultural transformation in education.”437 Among its values and principles, the Regional Strategic Framework includes adherence to the principle of gender sensitivity and equity.438 In 2005, IGAD established the Gender Affairs Programme as part of the Executive Secretary’s Office at the Secretariat. The Gender Affairs Programme ensures gender mainstreaming within IGAD and its policies, projects and programmes. It trains and advocates for other IGAD programmes to incorporate gender issues in their work. It also convenes annual meetings of ministers of women/gender affairs and holds workshops and forums related to gender mainstreaming issues.439 The Gender Affairs Programme has also worked actively on the issues of women, peace and security and women in business. For example, it established the IGAD Women and Peace Forum in 2011.440 It has also held a Women in Business Conference and a follow-up meeting, and conducted research on Gender Dimensions of Risk, Vulnerability of Insecurity in the IGAD Region.441 In 2013, IGAD organised training for women from Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan to contribute to the efforts of Member States in addressing post-conflict issues and strengthening peace-building capacities, with a particular emphasis on countries that are emerging from conflict.442 In 2019, the IGAD Mediation Support Unit in conjunction with the IGAD Gender Programme held a gender-responsive training workshop to sensitise members and experts on gender issues and concerns during mediation and peace-building processes.443 In 2020, the IGAD Mediation Support Unit convened a Strategic Thinking Workshop for women from South Kordofan regions of the Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains in Sudan. The workshop aims to provide a platform for women from various sectors and to come up with a joint action plan on ways to execute conflict prevention, mediation and negotiation skills at grassroots levels and in political parties and CSOs.444
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