February 22, 2024 (NAIROBI, Kenya): The Peace and Security Division’s Political Affairs Program successfully concluded a three-day workshop on Gender Mainstreaming in IGAD Member States’ Legislative Bodies. Aligned with global and regional frameworks like CEDAW, the Beijing Declaration, UN SDGs, and AU Agenda 2063, this workshop was driven by IGAD’s commitment to Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE).
The workshop was officially opened by the Director Hon. Siraj Fegessa who emphasised on workshop’s importance in fostering inclusive decision-making processes. He highlighted IGAD’s efforts to integrate gender activities across programs and collaborate with governments to promote democracy and gender sensitivity.
This workshop met its objectives of understanding: gender concepts and frameworks, gender mainstreaming in legislation, combating gender-based violence, development through gender perspectives, analytical tools for legislative assessment, integration of gender mainstreaming in draft legislations, and empowering female parliamentarians.
Participants lauded the initiative and proposed establishing a regional forum for knowledge exchange. The workshop not only provided comprehensive knowledge about gender dynamics, but also equipped participants with the skills to incorporate gender mainstreaming into legislative processes across IGAD Member States. The positive feedback from participants showed a promising future for collaborative efforts in fostering inclusive legislative processes in the region.
