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LUSAKA, Zambia — Representatives from U.S. Air Forces Africa and U.S. Africa Command and members of the Zambian Defense Force hosted a workshop to strengthen the ZDF’s capabilities to combat gender-based violence, Sept. 23 to Oct. 2.
Brig. Gen. Otis C. Jones, USAFE-AFAFRICA Chief of Staff, served as the senior U.S. ranking officer. He engaged with Zambian senior leaders to help build the capacity of the ZDF to protect women from violence and sexual assault under the Women, Peace, and Security framework.
“The U.S. military, through U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Air Forces Africa, has been proud to partner with Zambia and other nations in Africa to integrate WPS into security cooperation activities,” Jones said. “We firmly believe that operationalizing WPS creates a more effective fighting force and helps us achieve lasting peace.”
The event closely followed the Women, Peace and Security Forum at the Association of African Air Forces Working Group, also hosted in Zambia, Sept. 17. The WPS Forum served as a platform to address common challenges women face in their respective air forces and the integration of gender focused approach.
“As military leaders, we know that preventing gender-based violence is essential to building a strong and cohesive force. GBV affects all genders and is a direct challenge to security. By addressing GBV, we ensure that men and women can fully contribute to the defense sector, which in turn strengthens our entire team and our entire nation,” Jones said.
This workshop marked the completion of the third phase of the five-phase Preventing Gender-Based Violence program in Zambia, with plans to continue advancing WPS objectives throughout 2025.
For more information about this workshop, please read AFRICOM’s article:
United States and Zambia Strengthen Efforts to Combat Gender-Based Violence
https://www.africom.mil/pressrelease/35604/united-states-and-zambia-strengthen-efforts-to-combat-gender-based-violence
