Mbabane – Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Mfanwenkhosi Khumalo has called for greater consideration of women’s experiences and participation in peace and security operations across the SADC region.
Khumalo said women and men needed to be equally represented and their perspectives considered when peace support missions were planned, implemented, monitored and evaluated.
He was speaking during the opening of the Gender Mainstreaming Course in Peace Support Operations, hosted by the Government of Eswatini.
He said the changing security environment required peace support personnel to understand that conflicts and security challenges could affect women, men, girls and boys differently.
Khumalo said the Women, Peace and Security agenda remained an important priority within SADC, noting that women’s participation in peace and security processes could contribute to conflict prevention, peacebuilding, peacekeeping, post-conflict reconstruction and sustainable development.
“The experiences and perspectives of both women and men” should be considered throughout peace support missions, he said.
He said the course therefore provided an opportunity for participants to gain a deeper understanding of gender mainstreaming and its application in peace support operations.
Over the next two weeks, participants will take part in discussions, practical exercises, case studies and collaborative learning activities dealing with gender-related challenges in operational environments.
Khumalo said the programme would also allow participants from different countries to exchange experiences and explore approaches that could be applied in their respective operational environments.
He said the knowledge gained should not remain within the training venue, but should be taken back to participants’ institutions and used to inform policies, improve operations and benefit communities.
Khumalo challenged participants to become advocates for gender-responsive approaches in their organisations, saying their responsibility would extend beyond completing the course.
He also thanked the SADC team, the Regional Peacekeeping Training Centre (RPCC), participating partners and SADC member states for their contribution towards the training programme.
The UEDF chief of staff further recognised the facilitators who will lead the course, saying their expertise and willingness to share their knowledge would help prepare the next generation of peace support practitioners.
Khumalo said initiatives of this nature provided opportunities for regional cooperation and capacity building in peace, security and gender mainstreaming.
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