SADC PF vice-president says model laws will shape region’s future   |27 May 2023

The vice-president of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, Honourable Marie Joanne Sabrina Tour, attends a meeting of one of Standing Committees of the SADC Parliamentary Forum in Johannesburg, South Africa (Photo: Moses Magadza)

The SADC Model Laws on Ending Child Marriages and Protecting Children Already in Marriage and on Gender-Based Violence are not mere documents but powerful instruments that will shape the future of SADC, safeguarding the rights and dignity of women and children.

The vice-president of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, Honourable Marie Joanne Sabrina Tour of Mauritius, made this prediction when she delivered closing remarks at the Joint Session of the Forum’s Standing Committees and the Regional Women’s Parliamentary Forum (RWPC) held on May 10, 2023 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The session was held under the theme: ‘Accelerating the domestication and implementation of SADC Model Laws on Child Marriage and Gender-based Violence: Good practices, challenges and the way forward’.

Tour noted that the delegates, who included parliamentarians from all over SADC, had gathered in the spirit of unity and collaboration and reminded them of the importance of their collective efforts to accelerate the domestication and implementation of model laws developed by SADC PF with their active involvement.

She quoted the late liberation hero and founding President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, who said: “Freedom cannot be achieved unless the women have been emancipated from all forms of oppression” to illustrate her conviction and source of inspiration.

The vice-president said the forum’s commitment to eradicate child marriages and gender-based violence is a testament to the regional body’s unwavering dedication to realising the freedom and empowerment of women.

“We harnessed the power of our collective wisdom to explore innovative strategies and good practices for the effective implementation of these model laws.

“The outcomes of our deliberations will undoubtedly serve as a guiding light, illuminating the path towards a future free from the shackles of child marriages and gender-based violence,” she said.

The legislator urged the Joint Session to be guided by the words of the iconic Wangari Maathai as the various committees reflect on progress made.

She said: “In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness, to reach a higher moral ground. Today, we are called upon to rise to this higher moral ground, to shift our consciousness, and to demonstrate unwavering commitment in safeguarding the rights and well-being of our women and children.”

The vice-president, however, warned the MPs that full realisation of the model laws would not be easy but she urged them to draw inspiration from the late South African revolutionary Winnie Madikizela-Mandela who once said: “The battle is not yet won. But I am convinced that the people shall ultimately triumph.”

She said with courage, resilience, and unwavering determination, “we shall overcome the obstacles that lie ahead and triumph in our mission to create a society that upholds the rights and dignity of every individual”.

She urged MPS to advocate tirelessly for the implementation of the model laws, galvanising support and mobilising resources.

“May the seeds of change we have sown during this session bear fruit, nurturing a future where our women and children live in a society free from the chains of child marriages, sexual and gender-based violence,” she concluded.

By Moses Magadza