Ambassador Liberata Malamula, Special Envoy of the African Union Commission on Women, Peace and Security, has praised Seychelles for its significant number of women serving in key leadership positions. During a courtesy call on Minister for Social Affairs, Family & Equality, Pamela Charlette, on October 6, Ambassador Malamula commended Seychelles' commitment to women in leadership. This visit comes ahead of the launch of Seychelles' National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) 2026-2031.
Seychelles has become the 38th country in Africa and the 10th member state of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to develop a national action plan on Women, Peace and Security. The launch of the plan marks an important milestone in Seychelles' commitment to advancing the meaningful participation of women in peace, security, governance, crisis response, and national resilience. This achievement demonstrates Seychelles' commitment to translating the global Women, Peace and Security agenda into a nationally owned framework.
Ambassador Malamula described the development of the national action plan as a remarkable achievement for a small island state. She commended the government for the political will and high-level support demonstrated throughout the process. The national action plan reflects Seychelles' specific context and priorities, providing a framework for the country's efforts to advance women's empowerment and participation in peace and security.
Minister Charlette highlighted the need for continued support in implementing key actions under the plan. She emphasized the importance of technical expertise, resources, and tools needed to support programme implementation, skills development, and advocacy initiatives. The Ministry of Social Affairs, Family & Equality is counting on the continued support of the African Union and UN Women to coordinate and strengthen implementation across sectors.
The Women, Peace and Security agenda is crucial for Seychelles, as it recognizes that women's contributions are essential to maintaining peaceful, inclusive, and resilient communities and institutions. The framework provides an opportunity to strengthen women's participation in key areas such as peacebuilding, social cohesion, conflict prevention, and the fight against gender-based violence.
Minister Charlette was formally invited to join the Global Network of Focal Points for Women, Peace and Security, which brings together representatives from 111 countries that have developed national action plans on Women, Peace and Security. This network will provide Seychelles with a platform to share best practices and experiences with other countries.
The meeting also discussed the importance of effective implementation of the WPS agenda, which requires the active participation of government agencies, security and law enforcement institutions, civil society organisations, development partners, and other stakeholders. Minister Charlette expressed her ministry's commitment to seeing the impact of the national action plan at both community and grassroots levels.
Key points
- Seychelles has become the 38th country in Africa to develop a national action plan on Women, Peace and Security.
- The national action plan reflects Seychelles' specific context and priorities, providing a framework for the country's efforts to advance women's empowerment and participation in peace and security.
- Minister Charlette was formally invited to join the Global Network of Focal Points for Women, Peace and Security.
