Great Lakes parliamentarians tasked to use their positions in advancing women, peace and security agenda
DAR ES SALAAM: UNITED Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, Huang Xia, has urged women parliamentarians in the region to strengthen parliamentary cooperation and use their positions to advance the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.
Speaking today in Dar es Salaam during the Great Lakes Women Parliamentarians’ Meeting, Mr Xia said that despite various programmes and initiatives aimed at addressing violence against women, significant gaps remained in access to essential support services for survivors.
He cited challenges in accessing healthcare, social and psychosocial support, as well as legal assistance, noting that these services were critical to helping survivors recover and access justice.
He further observed that advances in digital technology had created new forms of violence against women, threatening their safety and undermining their participation in social and political activities.
In response, he called on parliaments and legislators to strengthen legal frameworks, ensure effective enforcement of existing laws and develop robust strategies to address all forms of violence, including technology-facilitated abuse.
Mr Xia said such measures were essential to creating a safe environment in which women could participate fully in peacebuilding and security efforts across the Great Lakes region.
