On 8 August 2023, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Andreas Peschke, hosted a panel discussion on ‘Gender in Security Policy’. The panel comprised Deputy Minister of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms. Candith Mashego-Dlamini, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, Mr. Priyal Singh, and youth activist and SASCO Deputy President, Ms. Julia Mtsweni. The discussion was moderated by the Director of the Centre for Mediation in Africa (University of Pretoria), Professor Cori Wielenga.
The discussion took place as part of the Women’s Day commemoration in South Africa on 9 August, a national holiday that celebrates the day when more than 20, 000 women marched for freedom in 1956. The panelists aimed to position their contributions in this context and reflected on the historical role of women in the politics of liberation. Deputy Minister Mashego-Dlamini highlighted that South Africa is among the few countries that have female Ministers of Defense and International Relations. The current representation of women in South African security policy is a significant achievement that needs to be celebrated and recognized. During the discussion on the current role of gender in European security policy, Mr. Andreas Peschke noted that while there has been progress, challenges still remain. SASCO Deputy President and Youth Activist, Ms. Mtsweni asserted that the ceremonial inclusion of women in peace processes is not furthering the cause and emphasized the need for more meaningful inclusion.
During the panel discussion, it was noted that women continue to have a disproportionate role in peace processes compared to men. Factors like the militarization of conflict resolution, social attitudes and biases, entrenched gendered roles in society, and poor political will have all contributed to and maintained the status quo. It is clear that the role of women and youth needs to be strengthened in order to have sustainable peace.
