Luanda - The Angolan delegation to the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) Thursday in Port Louis, Mauritius, called for more attention to child victims of violence and the promotion of women's rights in the region.
Speaking at the second day session of the 54th Plenary Assembly of the SADC PF, MP Luísa Pedro Damião welcomed the efforts of member states in favour of equity and progress in the representation of women in the various decision-making bodies in the national institutions of the countries of the region.
The Angolan MP said women are the promoters of peace, stability and understanding, the guarantors of community development and an important lever for the progress and well-being of families.
Luísa Damião urged the continued approval of legal instruments that guarantee and protect women's political, social and economic rights as citizens and guardians of good customs.
The MP Ruth Mendes appealed to legislators to address the growing phenomenon of child trafficking, that this practice has been common in cross-border areas, which has led to an increase in the number of children victims of abuse undermining their rights and weakens the families that are victims of these practices.
The MP said that in Angola, a vast campaign against child trafficking is underway through multi-sectoral actions between the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and other state institutions, civil society and churches.
The SADC PF is the regional inter-parliamentary body made up of members of the national parliaments of the member states, representing more than 3,500 parliamentarians in the Southern African region.
Created by the SADC Summit on September 8, 1997, the Forum is composed of the Chairperson of the Session and a maximum of five representatives elected by the National Parliament of each Member State.
The aim of the Forum is to provide a platform to support and improve regional integration through parliamentary participation and to promote best practice in the role of parliaments in regional integration and co-operation.
The specific objectives of the Parliamentary Forum address a wide range of issues, including, promoting human rights, gender equality, good governance, democracy and transparency, promoting peace, security and stability, accelerating the pace of economic cooperation, development and integration based on equity and mutual benefit, facilitating networking with other inter-parliamentary organisations.
The objectives also include promoting the participation of non-governmental organisations, businesses and intellectual communities in SADC activities and to make SADC citizens aware of the aims and objectives of SADC and informing SADC of popular views on development and issues affecting the region.VM/AMP
