Gender rationalisation in the SADC standby force: Challenges and prospects

Abstract

Rationalising gender in the context of evolving peace and security architecture in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), is both a contentious scholarly and policy issue. Following the operationalization of the SADC Standby Force (SADC SF), concerns have been raised on rationalisation of gender balance in this sub regional security institution. This paper makes a critical analysis on the challenges and prospects of
rationalising gender in line with the subregion’s quest for gender equity. Through the theoretical lenses of the feminist paradigm, issues to be debated include the relative strengths and loopholes of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development; the significant political, strategic and operational challenges encountered by member states in the effective rationalisation of gender in the SADC SF; What the subregion can do in future to successfully rationalise gender in the SADC SF at strategic and operational levels. Data was gathered from secondary sources which include books, journals, unclassified policy documents and internet websites, newspaper articles and unpublished dissertations related to gender, governance and regional security institutions.

Keywords: Gender rationalisation, SADC Standby Force