The National Assembly of Seychelles (NAS) will on 10 and 11 March 2022 hold a workshop on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) legislation in collaboration with the country's Attorney General's Office, Family Affairs and Social Affairs, Police and with the support of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat.
The objectives of the workshop are to update Members of Parliament (MPs) in Seychelles on the situation of SGBV in the country; discuss the national legislative and policy framework which enables or creates barriers for fulfilment of the human rights of all persons experiencing SGBV, especially women and girls; and familiarise the MPs with SADC SGBV legislative frameworks.
The workshop will also discuss possible legislative actions and motions to address identified gaps in mitigating SGBV in Seychelles and develop a national legislative and policy road map for the implementation of the national prioritized SGBV actions and interventions.
The importance of sensitising Members of Parliament on SGBV related laws is imperative in the fight against the scourge of GBV at national level. Taking into account the oversight role of legislators, sensitisation of MPs will enable them to effectively oversee the Executive's plans and strategies on SGBV.
The workshop will coincide with the International Women's Day (IWD), which is commemorated annually on the 8th March to raise awareness on gender equality and empowerment of women. The theme for IWD this year is "Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow".
The SADC Secretariat has developed tools to curb SGBV and strengthen the capacity of law enforcement and other first responders to address SGBV in the region. The tools include the Sexual Gender-based Violence Training Guidelines and the Regional Guidelines to Develop GBV Standard Operational Procedures.
The tools also aim to demonstrate operationalisation and implementation of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development and the SADC Regional Strategy and Framework of Action for Addressing GBV (2018-2030).
