The 7th Africa Women Conference has ended in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with Policy Advocates, Gender Activist, Delegates, State and non-state actors from the African continent making strong commitment to Collaborate in accelerating efforts to realise the Economic, Social and Political Inclusion of Women and Girls in Africa’s Development Agenda.
Delivering a Keynote presentation on “The Effects of Collaborative Relationships Among African Women,” founder of She Forum Africa, Inimfon Etuk, stated that women remain irrefutable partners of growth and positive change, who must collectively explore innovative ways of harnessing all their skills, insights and foresight, and channel same to advance development at all levels.
“We are 7 years to the 2030 target set by the United Nations for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS). Sustainable Development Goal No. 5 is to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. While progress has been made, no country in the world has achieved gender equality. Nearly 40% of women and girls, or 1.4 billion people, live in countries that are “failing on gender equality. According to recent data from some 90 countries, women devote on average roughly three times more hours a day to unpaid care and domestic work than men, limiting the time available for paid work, education and leisure and further reinforcing gender-based socioeconomic disadvantages. Women are paid approximately 81 cents for every dollar a man makes. 35% of women worldwide have experienced either intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime. Gender equality is a basic human right and its achievement has immense socioeconomic implications. Yet, gender inequalities are deeply rooted in every society,” Etuk said.
Inimfon Etuk further added that collaboration which uplifts, amplifies and brings innovative solutions is the new currency for today’s marketplace; charging women to collaborate and capitalise on information mining, sharing and management for collective growth.
She asserted that women should consciously accelerate efforts to curate, nurture and strengthen male-led advocacy coalitions who advocate for women’s social, economic and political inclusion as Africa strives to evolve transformational change and meet the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 target.
With the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals deadline beckoning in 6 years, 1 month and 29 days, the hurdles to cross before attaining the gender equality Goal number 5 defies race, colour, religion and creed in developed, under developed and developing nations.
After 10 Keynote addresses, four panel sessions and a documentary titled “Ajadu – The Widowhood Story” all speaking to the theme of the Conference; “REVIEWING THE ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT AGENDA”, a communique presented by Ifeyinwa Ezinwa embodied the 24 resolutions reached at the Conference.
The far-reaching resolutions included a commitment to build synergy across platforms for knowledge sharing on gender equality through collaborations between governments to enhance the total wellbeing of women and girls.
Boosting the power of African association to break all barriers cutting across colour, religion and culture also formed a part of the action points.
The communique further affirmed Gender Equality as the fulcrum for good governance and a strong foundation for economic growth, calling for Women’s inclusion to positively enhance Africa’s political, social and economic development, through strong institutional policies, investment in education, technology, mathematics, as well as other soft skills to create solutions for future emerging challenges.
The resolution also called for action to address all factors that limit women culturally, religiously and societal norms, legally, to move women and girls forward educationally and economically.
The need for increased advocacy for access to quality health care and family planning, to better position women and girls, to contribute to the economy, while addressing infrastructural deficit to bridge the gender inequalities which deter women and girls from harnessing digital technology for growth formed an integral part of the resolution.
It furthermore underscored the need to encourage women to exploit knowledge from online courses to enhance economic changes, nuture continuity of planning, power solutions and strengthen women leadership and capacity building.
A strong point for Countries to look into their electoral laws, to shore up advocacy for more women in power and ensuring that the voices of women and girls are heard.
Governments on the continent were urged to prioritise equal education, review and revise gender policies, and synergize to support financiers of educational initiative to collaborate on trainings and mentorship programs for women, girls and youths.
The Africa Women Constituency seek to leverage on the opportunity that the agenda 2030, Agenda 2063, the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreements (AfCFTA), the Sustainable Development Goals and all the various development targets, represent for women all to make transformative progress.
To demonstrate practical optimism of fostering and building on a shared collective aspiration of collaboration, Dr Martha Namundjebo-Tilahun foundation from Namibia made commitment to partner with the Africa Women Conference through Helpline Foundation, to embark on a health mission for the women and vulnerable in Nigeria.
The 2023 Africa Women Conference in closing ceremony featured the presentation of awards and plaques of appreciation to certain individuals and institutions for their support to the cause of advancing the course of Women and girls in Africa.
