Tanzania touts for women’s participation in peace and security processes in Great Lakes region

NEW YORK: THE Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Dr Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, has said women’s participation in peace processes is essential to finding sustainable solutions to security challenges in the Great Lakes region, particularly in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

 Kombo made the remarks at a High-Level Meeting on advancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in peace efforts in the Great Lakes region, held on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States.

 He said the security situation in eastern DRC remained a concern, with women and girls facing various challenges, including displacement, sexual violence and shortages of basic necessities.

 Against this backdrop, Tanzania has reaffirmed the importance of implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and increasing women’s participation in peace processes.

 Kombo said Tanzania had developed its first National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security for 2025–2029, launched on August 19, 2025. The plan aims to increase women’s participation and leadership in peace and security efforts, while strengthening gender-responsive protection and recovery mechanisms.

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 He added that Tanzania would continue participating in regional peace efforts through the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), including the Second-Generation Regional Action Plan and the Gender-Responsive Mediation and Coordination Strategy.

 Tanzania would also continue working with Great Lakes countries to promote lasting peace and stability in the region, he said.

 For her part, African Union Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, Ambassador Liberata Mulamula, said women should not merely be included in peace processes, but should be given the space, authority and support needed to participate fully in decisions that shape peace.