WINDHOEK-NAMIBIA, Tuesday 17 August 2021 – The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) will tomorrow, Wednesday 18 August 2021, host the Launch for the SADC Model Law on Gender-based Violence (GBV Model Law) Stakeholder Consultations. 

The GBV Model Law seeks to guide SADC Member States in developing effective policies and efficacious Laws on gender-based violence. The GBV Model Law will be a useful tool to SADC as it will, amongst others, encourage national legislatures to enact GBV laws where none exist, or where they do exist but do not conform with this Model Law to review such laws and enact relevant GBV laws that conform with this Model Law. It will also provide a yardstick to National policy analysts, legislators, and implementers as to best practices in enacting and dealing with GBV.

The launch will feature eminent persons with a long history of advocating for women’s rights and gender equality. The Keynote Address will be delivered by the Retired Honourable Speaker Gotani Hara from Malawi. Honourable Tsepang Tsita-Mosena, a SADC-PF delegate from Lesotho, will welcome and give introductory remarks. SADC-PF Regional Women’s Parliamentary Caucus Chairperson Honourable Anne-Marie Mbilabangu will welcome the guests while Caroline Peters, a Gender-Based Violence Community advocate, will share experiences of advocating for the rights of people affected by GBV and Ms. Rouzeh Eghtessadi, a public health specialist and Executive Director at SAfAIDS, will deliver the closing remarks.  

Details of the session are as follows: 

Date: Wednesday, 18 August 2021  

Time: 10 am to 12 noon Johannesburg Time. 

MEDIA ACCESS: Meetings of the SADC-PF are open to the media and journalists who are interested in covering them must register on the following link: https://bit.ly/sadcgbv

The meeting will be live-streamed on the SADC-PF social media platforms on the links below and recorded for later broadcast on DSTV Channel 408: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadcpf

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sadcpf

YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCa0QZWjuXVxer_vm637pBmQ

ISSUED BY THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PARLIAMENTARY FORUM 

Enquiries: Modise Kabeli +27 81 715 9969 or sadc">