Delivered by president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah at the Silver Anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, Windhoek - 16 October 2025.
As we gather here to celebrate the Silver Anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, it is with delight that I welcome you all to the Republic of Namibia, the Land of the Brave.
Allow me, at the outset, to thank the African Union Commission for working with us in organising this celebration. Namibia is grateful for the partnership and active collaboration in making this historic event possible.
Our continental organisation has continued to guide Africa towards a future that is just, peaceful and prosperous. Under the leadership of the African Union's vision for Agenda 2063, we are reminded that our continent's strength lies in unity, shared responsibility, and the pursuit of peace and development that leaves no one behind.
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We also thank the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat for joining us. This partnership reflects the importance of regional leadership in advancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, not only through coordination and standard-setting, but also by ensuring that regional voices remain at the forefront of global action and implementation.
I warmly welcome the distinguished former heads of state who joined us today - Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former president of Liberia; Catherine Samba-Panza, former president of the Central African Republic; Sahle-Work Zewde, former president of Ethiopia; and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former deputy president of South Africa. You are pioneering women who have broken barriers.
As the first female president of the Republic of Namibia, I proudly stand on your shoulders. Your courage, leadership, and tenacity continue to inspire me and generations of women and girls across Africa and the world.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 derives from the Beijing Platform for Action, specifically from the Critical Area of Concern on Women in Conflict. It speaks to conflicts in our region that have positioned women as victims, despite the significant role they can play in changing the dynamics of any conflict.
At the heart of this jubilee, we are reminded why this resolution matters, as it seeks inclusive and lasting peace within our communities. The African continent has experienced its share of conflict, and Africa has taken a leading role in implementing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, demonstrating commitment to inclusive peace and security.
Unfortunately, 25 years later, we mark this anniversary amid heightened global tensions and a geopolitical order where women continue to bear the brunt of the most gruesome conflicts. Conflict disrupts every layer of human life - families, communities, economies, and futures - and therefore demands solutions that draw upon the wisdom, perspectives, and participation of all members of society.
Namibia's leadership on the Women, Peace and Security Agenda did not begin in 2000. The principles of Resolution 1325 resonate deeply with our history and lived experience. Namibian women have long been active agents of peace, security and liberation.
From early resistance to colonial rule, to the liberation struggle that culminated in independence in 1990, women stood shoulder-to-shoulder with men in pursuit of justice and freedom, and at the negotiation tables. Women such as Dr Libertine Amadhila and I were part of the Swapo negotiations team during the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution on Namibia's independence.
Our national anthem refers to Namibia as the Land of the Brave - a tribute to the courage and resilience of our people in overcoming oppression. My own journey as a young woman in the liberation movement was shaped by the sacrifices of countless peers, many of them women, who risked and, in many cases, gave their lives for our freedom.
Women's participation in Namibia's liberation struggle was not incidental; it was deliberate and purposeful. Women took up arms, became soldiers, gained education and leadership skills, and played vital roles in diplomatic negotiations at the United Nations. The Swapo Party Women's Council, inaugurated in 1969/1970, mobilised women to take their rightful place in the fight against apartheid, racism and sexism. Those who remained in Namibia protested, protected freedom fighters and endured untold hardships. This story of women's decisive contribution to liberation is echoed across Africa and the world.
Conflict affects every dimension of life - economic development, health, migration and climate resilience. It cannot be up to one gender to decide the fate of humanity. Women must be at the decision-making table when shaping peace and security.
This conviction is embodied in the four pillars of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda:
- Participation - ensuring that women are equally represented in decision-making, peace negotiations, mediation and leadership.
- Protection - safeguarding women and girls from conflict-related violence and upholding their human rights in times of war and peace.
- Prevention - addressing the root causes of conflict, promoting inclusive governance, and preventing gender-based violence before it occurs.
- Relief and Recovery - ensuring that women's needs, priorities and capacities are fully integrated into post-conflict reconstruction and recovery efforts.
These pillars remind us that women are not simply victims of war but agents of peace. Resolution 1325 provides a framework linking peace and security with gender equality, ensuring that the voices and experiences of half of humanity are never left behind. Peace is not only the absence of conflict but the presence of cooperation, dignity, and mutual care across societies.
The adoption of Resolution 1325 was transformative - it was the first time women's issues were introduced to the Security Council. Until then, women's security concerns were largely confined to the humanitarian sphere. Namibia, alongside other nations and with the support of civil society, recognised that women are not passive bystanders to conflict but integral actors in peace and security.
When women participate, peace agreements are more durable, communities more resilient, and societies recover more comprehensively. The promise of Resolution 1325 is not aspirational - it is achievable.
Last year, Namibia hosted the Ministerial High-Level Seminar of the African Union Peace and Security Council, commemorating 20 years of the council by assessing women's participation in African peace processes. That seminar birthed the Swakopmund Process, which recommended quotas and representation for women in African Union-led mediation. Those recommendations must now be implemented.
Women's participation in peace processes does not diminish men's contributions; it complements them, making peace more sustainable. Today, we also honour men who have championed women's inclusion. Their solidarity reminds us that gender equality benefits everyone in building just, peaceful and inclusive societies.
As we celebrate the achievements of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, we must acknowledge that there is still a long way to go. Too often, peace negotiations exclude women as mediators or negotiators, overlooking their perspectives and experiences. This exclusion means the atrocities women endure are not adequately addressed in post-conflict frameworks. Without women at the table, peace is neither complete nor sustainable.
In too many cases, political will remains weak or absent. While many states have adopted commitments on paper, implementation lags behind. Even where women are represented, they often face structural barriers that hinder their full participation.
We also face gaps in monitoring, evaluation and coordination. Without strong accountability mechanisms, the promises of Resolution 1325 risk remaining aspirations. Civil society organisations that champion women's inclusion often operate with inconsistent funding, undermining their capacity to provide vital services, especially under the Relief and Recovery pillar.
Furthermore, today's security threats include climate change, cyber insecurity, pandemics and other risks that disproportionately affect women and youth. The Women, Peace and Security Agenda must evolve to address these realities, ensuring that women's voices shape solutions to both traditional and emerging challenges.
Against this backdrop, Namibia has established an International Women Peace Centre to collaborate globally in advancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.
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As we mark this 25th anniversary, we must look forward. The resolution laid a foundation, but conflicts across Africa and the world continue to intensify, with women and children suffering most.
To carry this agenda into the next quarter century, young women must be empowered to advance the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. Empowering young women ensures intergenerational collaboration for sustainable peace. Namibia firmly believes that the future of peace lies in combining the wisdom of women and the energy of youth, alongside men as equal partners.
As we mark this anniversary, let us not only reflect on progress but confront ongoing injustices. We must remember the women of Palestine, who continue to endure suffering under occupation, displacement, hunger and violence. Their resilience is a testament to the human spirit, but their pain reflects our collective failure to uphold international law and human dignity. We hope that ongoing negotiations bring relief to the people of Palestine.
We must also not forget the women of Western Sahara, hoping that one day the United Nations Resolution on their referendum will be implemented. In southern Africa, we call for peace in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique.
In conclusion, Namibia is proud to host this Silver Anniversary - not in self-congratulation, but to recommit ourselves, alongside Africa and the world, to the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in peace and security.
Let us honour the past by strengthening the present, and secure the future by investing in our women and youth. May this gathering serve as a beacon of hope, reminding us that lasting peace cannot be built without the voices, hands and leadership of women and girls, working together with men and boys at every level of society.
I thank you.
Statement-by-H.E.-Dr.-Netumbo-Nandi-Ndaitwah-President-of-the-Republic-of-Namibia-on-the-Occasion-of-the-Silver-Anniversary-of-Resolution-1325-Women-Peace-and-Security_16-October-2025Download The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.
