Namibia Hosts Breakfast Meeting to Strengthen Women Peace Centre

In a significant step towards advancing gender equality and sustainable peace, Namibia hosted a breakfast meeting to shed light on the operationalization of the Namibia International Women Peace Centre (NIWPC). The event was officiated by the Hon. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Namibia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation.

The NIWPC was officially launched on October 31, 2020, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325, which recognizes the crucial role of women in peace and security. The breakfast meeting aimed to provide insights into the current status of the centre's operationalization and foster collaboration with similar institutions, organizations, and development partners.

During her speech, Hon. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah expressed her appreciation to the attendees for their positive response to the invitation and acknowledged the patience exhibited during the process. She highlighted the challenges faced by the NIWPC due to the global COVID-19 crisis, which resulted in a slower start of the centre. She emphasized the government's commitment to sustainable peace, as outlined in Namibia's Vision 2030, which aims to eliminate marginalization and ensure peace and equity between women and men.

The NIWPC strives to amplify efforts in addressing barriers to the full implementation of UNSCR 1325 and the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda. Being the first centre in Southern Africa to focus on WPS, the NIWPC holds a strategic position to serve as both a hub and a coordination center for WPS activities in the region. It aims to become a centre of excellence, promoting innovation, intergenerational dialogues, male engagement, and collaboration with other centres to generate gender and age-disaggregated data on the WPS Agenda.

Hopolang Phororo, the UN Resident Coordinator to Namibia underscored the vital role women play as critical actors in achieving sustainable international peace and security. She called for concerted action to address the worsening situation of women in conflicts around the world, highlighting the devastating impacts of violence on women's lives, livelihoods, and safety.

The meeting drew attention to the importance of women's active participation in shaping peace and security policies and stressed the need for increased resources and funding to support the women, peace, and security agenda. Development partners and stakeholders were invited to collaborate with the NIWPC, offering technical assistance, funding, and capacity building to accelerate progress.

The high-level engagement provided an opportunity to present the NIWPC's Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2028. This roadmap, developed with the support of various partners and stakeholders, outlines the centre's strategic direction and lays the foundation for its work in the coming years. Attendees expressed their appreciation for the plan and pledged ongoing support in its execution.

Furthermore, the event marked an important milestone in strengthening the operationalization of the Namibia International Women Peace Centre. As the centre continues to expand its role in peacebuilding, it is poised to contribute significantly to the implementation of UNSCR 1325 and the WPS Agenda. Collaboration, partnerships, and a collective commitment to gender equality and peace will be key to realizing the NIWPC's vision of a more inclusive and peaceful society.

Namibia's commitment to promoting gender equality and sustainable peace was reaffirmed through this gathering, signaling a positive step towards a brighter future for women's empowerment and peace in the country and beyond.

The gathering ended with a call to all stakeholders to join forces in bolstering the centre's capacity and in expanding its impact toward national and international peacebuilding efforts.