By Moses Magadza
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) has convened a two-day Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Capacity Development workshop in Johannesburg, aimed at strengthening evidence-based reporting on climate justice, health, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
Supported by Sweden, the workshop brings together Directors of Research and senior parliamentary researchers from 11 SADC Member Parliaments under the Forum’s SRHR HIV and AIDS and Governance Programme.
SADC PF Secretary General, Ms. Boemo Sekgoma, officially opened the workshop on Monday. She thanked Sweden and other partners, including UNFPA and the academia, for their support. She stressed the importance of equipping parliaments with robust evidence to guide SRHR, HIV and AIDS Governance responses in the region.
“Effective legislatures are the key to representative democracy. Climate action must be participatory, bottom-up, and context specific. To achieve climate justice, we must also achieve SRHR justice, documenting how comprehensive SRHR empowers communities to become active leaders and decision-makers in climate action,” Ms Sekgoma said.
She urged participants to generate compelling, evidence-based case studies that highlight how climate change affects SRHR outcomes, from school dropouts and early marriages to restricted access to safe abortion, contraception, and information.
She called on researchers to surface stories that demonstrate how gender inequalities are deepened by climate disruptions. She argued that such documentation can inform parliamentary resolutions, debates and budgets that promote equity and justice.
“Without a robust SRHR framework, there can be no sustainable socio-economic development,” she stressed adding, “Parliamentary champions, backed by data and a rights-based approach, can be game-changers in countering climate injustice.”
Dr Jacob Segale, the Monitoring and Evaluation Manager under the SRHE HIV and AIDS Governance Project at the SADC PF, said the workshop’s primary goal was to strengthen the capacity of participants to design, document, and present outcome-based evidence that demonstrates tangible programme impact.
He said that the specific objectives include training participants in advanced M&E methodologies for results and impact reporting; equipping them with tools to develop case studies and stories of significant change; harmonising reporting templates and data collection frameworks across the 11 participating countries; and aligning country-level evidence with Sweden’s SRHR priorities, including gender equality, accountability, and access to rights-based services.
Over two days, the participants were immersed in interactive sessions covering orientation on the SADC PF M&E system, guidance on performance indicators, and hands-on training on gathering outcome-level data and crafting compelling impact stories. Peer learning sessions allow countries to share innovations in SRHR advocacy and accountability.
On the second day, participants will work in groups to develop country-specific case studies, peer review presentations, and finalise narratives for inclusion in the Forum’s reporting processes.
By the close of the workshop, Dr Segale said that SADC PF expects an enriched regional evidence base, including a consolidated portfolio of outcome-oriented case studies, harmonised M&E frameworks, and heightened readiness for programme reporting and evaluation.
These outputs will reinforce the Forum’s ability to mobilise resources, advocate for rights-based SRHR policies, and drive inclusive climate and health responses across the region.
-Moses Magadza, PhD, is the Media and Communications Manager at the SADC Parliamentary Forum.
