This week in Johannesburg, Ipas Africa Southern Region, together with Ipas Africa Alliance, is partnering with the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) to strengthen the capacity of parliamentary researchers and legal officers representing all 13 SADC countries to engage more effectively on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
This convening builds on the SADC PF dialogue held in July 2026 and forms part of the implementation of the regional roadmap developed through that process. The focus is on equipping parliamentary teams with practical knowledge, tools and networks to support rights-based approaches to legislation, policy and parliamentary processes.
A particularly encouraging moment was hearing SADC PF Secretary General, H.E. Boemo Sekgoma, recognise the technical expertise of Ipas ASR and Alliance and our role as a key partner in this work. Her call for participants to apply “regional, home-grown solutions” when addressing gender equality, human rights and SRHR is especially timely. The significance of this engagement goes beyond the training itself. Strong SRHR outcomes require not only capable health systems and communities, but also parliamentary institutions that have the knowledge and tools to translate regional commitments into effective legislation and policy.
This collaboration will extend beyond the convening, with Ipas supporting the development of a practical toolkit that parliamentary researchers and legal officers can continue to use and adapt as new SRHR legislative and policy issues emerge.
This is an important investment in regional ownership, institutional capacity and home-grown solutions for advancing SRHR across Southern Africa.