Agenda 2063 calls for a more inclusive society where all the citizens are actively involved in decision making in all aspects and where no child, woman or man is left behind or excluded, on the basis of gender, political affiliation, religion, ethnic affiliation, locality, age or other factors.  Aspiration 6 of Agenda 2063 calls for “an Africa, whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of African people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children.”

The African Union’s 1 million by 2021 initiative is one of the activities being undertaken to achieve Aspiration 6 of Agenda 2063 and aims for greater inclusion and empowerment of the youth, to actively and meaningfully drive the full realisation of Africa’s Agenda 2063. As a follow up to the 1 Million by 2021 launch, the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) convened the first intergenerational retreat, bringing together senior women in leadership positions and young women from across the continent.

The retreat was convened by H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of the Republic of Liberia and Patron of the AWLN, and hosted by H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya and Global Champion for Youth Empowerment, with the support of AWLN Champions Moussa Faki Chairperson of the AUC and Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. The retreat focused on building a sustainable, innovative and cross-generational mentorship structure that will propel African women to lead, and reinforce a more intentional, inclusive and transitional leadership of women in the continent.  

The retreat, while lauding the various active initiatives to ensure violence against women and girls is eradicated, and that leadership and participation of women in decision-making processes is enhanced to ensure women enjoy all their fundamental rights; also acknowledged that women still face many barriers in contributing to, and benefiting from development. It cited examples such as those in northern Nigeria and Sudan, where women of all ages, take on visible and critical roles to prevent conflict and advocate for sustainable peace; however when negotiations are formalised or transitions begin, too often women are s pushed out of the picture, their voices stifled, and their contributions diminished. The retreat therefore underscored the need to create space for all women, in leadership positions and advocated for a “zebra leadership model” where whenever a man is in a leadership position, a woman is appointed to deputise him and vice versa.

The outcome of the retreat guided the design and delivery of a solution-oriented “Plan of Action 2020-2022” as part of the African Women Leaders Network’s young women leadership pillar, to be implemented by both emerging and senior AWLN women leaders and with the support of the guiding institutions – the African Union and the United Nations to drive the realisation of Agenda 2063 and Agenda 2030. AWLN is also keen on accelerating the establishment of national chapters to ensure the voices and contribution of women in all the 55 AU member states are integrated.

 

Ultimately, the convening of the retreat was timely given the ongoing implementation of legal instruments and policies that have been adopted to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and youth, especially young women which will receive renewed interest in the year 2020 with the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Platform, the 20th anniversary of UN Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security and the 5th anniversary of UN Security Council resolution 2250 on youth, peace and security. These key anniversaries will complement the actions that will contribute to the inclusion of the voices of women and youth as the African Union rolls out the theme of the year 2020 on “Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive conditions for Africa’s Development”. 

 

About AWLN

 

The (AWLN) was launched in 2017 with the support of the African Union Commission and the United Nations, through the Office of the AU Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security and UN Women, and seeks to enhance the leadership of women in the transformation of Africa with a focus on peace, security, governance and sustainable development.