Women in Africa during the Second Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Maputo, Mozambique in 2003; RECOGNISING that Member States are obliged to meet their commitments and set targets under the said instruments, and that the fragile gains made face new threats as a result of, inter alia, HIV and AIDS, globalisation, human trafficking, especially of women and children, the feminisation of poverty, and gender based violence; RECOGNISING further that social, cultural and religious practices, attitudes and mindsets continue to militate against the attainment of gender equality and equity which are central to democracy and development; RECALLING that Article 26 of the SADC Addendum on the Prevention and Eradication of Violence Against Women and Children recognises that urgent consideration must be given to the adoption of legally binding SADC instruments; DETERMINED to consolidate and create synergy between the various commitments on gender equality and equity made at regional, continental and international levels into one comprehensive regional instrument that enhances the capacity to report effectively on all instruments and also addresses new challenges; and COMMITTED to drawing up a plan of action setting specific targets and timeframes for achieving gender equality and equity in all areas, as well as effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for measuring progress. HEREBY AGREED as follows: PART ONE DEFINITIONS, GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTIVES ARTICLE 1 DEFINITIONS 1. In this Protocol, terms and expressions defined in Article 1 of the Treaty establishing SADC shall bear the same meaning unless the context otherwise requires. 2. In this Protocol, unless the context otherwise requires: "affirmative action" means a policy programme or measure that seeks to redress past discrimination through active measures to ensure equal opportunity and positive outcomes in all spheres of life; "AIDS" means Acquired Syndrome; Immune Deficiency