Africa Women’s Conference Charts Course For Continental Development.
By Glory Ohagwu
Vice Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Keffi Nigeria Prof. Suleiman Bala Mohammed has called for increased provision of digital infrastructure to enhance online learning on the continent of Africa.
Delivering a Keynote Address on “Navigating Online Learning Challenges Amidst Infrastructural Deficiencies: Impacts and Implications” at the 7th Africa Women Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Mohammed pointed out that though it is beneficial for everyone to harness the opportunities the internet provides to learn through digital modules, the vision is suffering setbacks due to reduced infrastructural deficiency.
“Device availability is an issue and there is limited connections in rural area in Africa and also there is no stable electricity and connectivity. This is also an issue for the students who taking an online courses.” He said.
Mohammed harped on the need to focus on economic changes, enhance continuity of planning, innovate power solutions and invest in Women leadership and capacity.
Addressing a panel session on “Enhancing Capacity and Safeguarding Opportunities for Women’s Participation For Leadership in Africa, moderated by Leadership and Employee Wellness Expert, Vani Moodley, Chairperson, United Africa Group Namibia, Dr. Martha Namundejebo-Tilahun said that creating an environment to provide opportunities for women to participate, support the economic empowerment of girls and women to ensure access, inclusiveness and respect that promotes gender equality must be guaranteed, in addition to collaboration and support for changes for women political inclusion which is imperative to governance in enhancing an inclusive Africa for all.
“…creating a supportive environment that women are encouraged to take a leadership responsibility, skill transfer for economic transformation; women and youth should given equal access in different sector.Men shouldn’t be a problem, its how we convince the investor that women should be given access in all sectors. Access to quality health care, family planning and have better positions to contribute to economy.” Namundjebo-Tilahun asserted.
Chizoba Ogbeche sharing thoughts from her experience as a Media Practitioner in Nigeria, noted that a lot of women lack confidence in themselves and their capabilities due to reinforced environmental and societal socialisation as such there is a need to focus on advocacy and sensitization as well as training in skills acquisition for such women to make them understand that they have potential to do much more that society makes them believe.
She noted that though there are a lot of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) with the objective of gender advocacy that are concentrated in the same area as such there is a need for specialisation by the different groups in different areas of gender advocacy.
Ogbeche also said accountability remains an issue which we must address as women have to build and operated on the global principles of trust, integrity and transparency to deter those branding women as those who are not willing to use their potential know women are accountable.
President of Women in Politics Nigeria, Ebere ifendu reminded delegates that power is served to men and not for women and this remains a great challenge. She called for equity in power sharing for gender participation deficit at the political party level, to get more active participation by young women to address the gender imbalance.
“We need voice and special sit for women. We can participate to make a difference.” Ifendu said.
Executive Director, Ethiopia Women Lawyers Association, Lensa Biyena in her submission affimed that bringing women to power is power sharing that becomes so tough in Africa becoming a subject matter of friction as such that everything lies on the shoulders African women. She noted that it was surprising that despite the gender population, the participations of women in Leadership and governance is less in Nigeria, calling for well crafted and implemented policies which would break the major barriers hindering the needed representation of women in political participation and decision-making.
“…make sure to create an intentional space and multiplier effect to shift discourse on the heterogeneity of women to own agencies and provide opportunity for young women to embark on continuous capacity building.” Biyena added.
To attain the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals deadline and ensure lasting encompassing development, the panelists urged African Governments and Policy Makers to make and implement institutional policies to promote capacity enhancement and open up opportunities for increased women participation in leadership in Africa because according to the Moderator Vani Moodley in supporting women to learn “the legacy we are leaving behind is for women leaders of tomorrow.”
In discussions on other panels spanning, the economic and social implications of widowhood pactices for women in Africa, advancing Africa’s Economic growth through women’s digital skills and innovation and preparing the next generation for nation building , discussants posited that to safeguard women from harmful widowhood practices, there must be deliberate advocacy to educate girls and women to be strong, independent and carry on without intimidation, by empowering the girl child while Men as cultural custodians must be encouraged to write their will.
Gender equality was said to remain the fulcrum for good governance and strong foundation for economic growth, to guarantee Women’s inclusion to positively enhance Africa’s political, social and economic development through the instrument of strong institutional policies, investment in education, technology, mathematics, as well as other soft skill to create solutions for future emerging challenges.
Panelists also called for equal opportunities to empower girls and women to build synergy across platforms, for knowledge sharing and gender equality, through collaborations to address key issues, forge partnerships, hold progressive conversations, share ideas, drive creativity, brave challenges and open up access to learnings to ensure inclusiveness and respect in the interest of future generations.
Discussants further advocated for policies and implementations fight all negating norms and sterotypes that make women weak.Women were charged be conscious of the limitless advantages of the digital space and the need to utilise same in encouraging the young and old to harness these immense possibilities to progess in knowledge and economy.
Governments on the African Continent have been also urged to prioritise equal education by supporting the financing of educational initiative and to review and revise our gender policies.
Young Africans also made submissions on the need to be listen to, mentored , integrated, given responsibilities and carried along in all issues relating to capacity building, governance, policies, implementation and the overall development of the continent since the future of the continent rests on their shoulders.
The theme of the 7th Africa Women Conference is Reviewing The Economic, Social and Political Inclusionof Women and Girls in Africa’s Development Agenda.
