📍At the SADC Secretariat Dialogue on Strengthening the Role of Parliaments as Champions of Human Rights & Inclusive Family Values, convened on the margins of First Ordinary Session of Seventh
Legislature of the Pan-African Parliament; at the Opening Session, SAfAIDS Executive Director Rouzeh Eghtessadi, MPH shared glimmerings into our collaborative #RightsDefendership work across #SADC in recent years, on #SRHR, women’s and girl’s rights, climate justice and digital inclusion, anchored on #Ubuntu principles. She highlighted contrasting realities of pro-rights & pro-gender nuances in Africa, need for indigenously-led actions based on indigenous evidence/lived realities; learning gathered on ‘what works’ for effective intersectional rights-defendership, appreciating rights-defendership beyond public health and sustainable development issues, but an issue of regional and national peace and security.
✅ SAfAIDS applauded the governance Organ of SADC-PF and its Secretary General H.E. Madam Boemo Sekgoma for proactively and courageously pioneering dialogue to reaffirm pro-rights and pro-gender fundamentals into law-making and oversight processes
📈 SAfAIDS and its partners continue in their intersectional indigenous Rights-Defendership work. Building on results achieved over 5 years via cascaded action & upward iterative learning, with a cohort of
rights-defenders who publicly boldly defend DEI and dignity for all populations: 117 Parliamentarians, 360 traditional and religious leaders, 243 policy-makers from Government Ministries, Offices of Deputy Prime Ministers or Presidency, and wider base of youth, women & nonbinary community champions. Our co-implemented (with generous support from Sida & other funding agencies) #SafeAbortion rights-defendership work with over 400 policy actors inc. Parliamentarians, resulted in SADC-PF structures’ consensus to develop a regional governance instrument on safe abortion. Testimony that consistent tactical rights-defendership works to create systemic change – where indigenously led, cross-sectoral partnerships are nurtured, and defendership is unwavering amid threats to rights and humanity.
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