The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), in partnership with the Gertrude Shope Women’s Mediation Network (GSWMN), invites members of the media to the Solidarity Conference on Women, Peace and Security – Voices of Women within a Global Environment of Escalating Conflict.
Minister Ronald Lamola will deliver the keynote address. Other speakers and participants will include representatives from conflict-affected countries, including Palestine, Ukraine, DRC, Ethiopia, Mozambique, South Sudan and Sudan. Regional, Continental and Global mediation networks and key South African ministries will also participate.
The conference will bring together women mediators, government representatives, civil society and international partners to spotlight the disproportionate impact of global conflict on women and youth and strengthen collective action for peacebuilding.
Launched on International Women’s Day 2024, the GSWMN represents a bold step in South Africa’s commitment to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. Rooted in the values of the South African Constitution and shaped by international frameworks such as UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the Network seeks to elevate the role of women in mediation, peacebuilding and conflict resolution.
The media are invited as follows:
Date: Friday, 9 May 2025
Time: 09h00-14h00
Venue: DIRCO Conference Centre, Pretoria
Enquiries:
Kgopotso Rapakuana
E-mail: rapakuanak@dirco.gov.za
Cell: 073 058 3876
#GovZAUpdates
