East African Community The East African Community (EAC) Treaty highlights the importance of gender and the enhancement of women’s roles in cultural, social, political, economic and technological development. Peace, security in general is emphasised while good governance is cast as a fundamental principle of the EAC. The EAC Protocol on Peace and Security addresses the different threats to peace and security and the management of refugees but is gender neutral. The EAC Gender Policy 2018 has provisions on Gender, Peace and Security. The Policy calls on members states to enhance processes for women’s inclusion in peace and security in the phases of prevention, protection, participation, relief and recovery. EAC established a Department of Peace and Security as well as a focal point in the Peace department that serves as a liaison on peace issues. A Gender Unit is in place to facilitate gender mainstreaming in the different sectors of the EAC and together with the Peace and Security Department, focus on UNSCR 1325 implementation by member states. An Eastern Africa Standby Force was established to maintain peace and security in the region, and while it is not pegged to the EAC, it is a Regional Mechanism with a standalone Secretariat.155The Eastern Africa Standby Force has a Gender Policy in place. The EAC adopted a Regional Framework on UNSCR 1325 to complete the national level efforts on UNSCR 1325.156 The Regional Strategy on Peace and Security identifies common action areas for cooperation among the states and includes the development of mechanisms for conflict management and resolution and a conflict early warning system.157 In 2011, the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) passed the EAC Conflict Management law to establish the Conflict Prevention, 155 Desmidt S, Hauck V’ Understanding the Eastern Africa Standby Force: A regional mechanism without a political home’ ECDPM 156 FAWE ‘EAC Regional Framework on UNSCR 1325’. Available at http://fawe.org/girlsadvocacy/wpcontent/uploads/2018/12/EAC-Regional-Framework-on-UNSCR-1325.pdf 157 Hon Beatrice Kiraso ‘EAC integration process and enabling peace and security architecture’ EAC IRC depository. Available at http://repository.eac.int/bitstream/handle/11671/248/EAC%20Integration%20%20Enabling%20Peace%20and%20Security%20Architecture.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y 56