High Level Breakfast on Equal Access of African Women to High Level Positions at the African Union and in the United Nations System

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January 28, 2018

MEDIA ADVISORY/ 30TH AU SUMMIT

INVITATION TO MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES

Theme: Equal Access of African Women to High Level Positions at the African Union and in the United Nations System

What: Under the chairmanship of H.E. Professor Alpha Condé, Chairperson of the African Union (AU) and President of the Republic of Guinea, the AU Commission will host a High Level breakfast on the sidelines of the 30th Heads of State and Government Assembly of the AU.

When: 28 January 2018

Time: 08h00 to 09h00

Where: Multipurpose Hall, African Union Headquarters , Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Who: Organised by the Directoraite of Women, Gender and Development (WGDD) of the African Union Commission (AUC), the High Level Breakfast will feature the following key speakers:

- Address by H.E. Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission
- Address by H.E. Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations
- Address by H.E. Nana Akufo Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana
- Statement by H.E. Professor Alpha Condé, Chairman of the African Union and President of the Republic of Guinea

Why: The Principle of Equality between Women and Men is enshrined in a number of African and United Nations legal and political instruments, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 4 of Constitutive Act of the African Union, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the African Charter on the Rights of Human and Peoples’ rights on Women's Rights (Maputo Protocol), AU Agenda 2063 and the Agenda 2030 of the United Nations.

Objectives: The objectives of the High Level Breakfast are as follows:

1. Recognize and congratulate at the highest level of political decision-making on the continent, the considerable progress made by H.E. the United Nations Secretary-General, for his manifest commitment to promote African women in high-level positions in the United Nations; and encourage him to continue this active recruitment of women in the other structures of his institution;
2. Encourage African decision-makers in the public, Para-public, private and academic sectors to accelerate their efforts to promote African women in decision-making bodies at the continental, regional and national levels
Participants: All African Union Heads of State and Government, and particularly the Presidents Champions on the African Union's major issues and the recipients of the Gender Scorecard Award, are invited as well as their respective delegations, the Ministers members of the Bureau of the Specialized Technical Committee on Gender and Women's Empowerment, Women's Affairs, Commissioners and Directors of the African Union, international partners working in the field of Gender and Development.

Background:

The principle of equal access of women to high-level positions or that of parity is ensured, and the respect and implementation of these guarantees the equal representation of women and men in all countries ‘elective positions within the African Union, including the Chairperson and the eight (08) Commissioners, the judges and commissioners within the Bodies/agencies. The principle of equal access of women to high-level positions has also contributed to the confirmed increase in the number of women at the Director level (D1), from 29% in 2012 to 42% in 2016.

Moreover, the respect of this principle motivated H.E. Pr. Alpha Condé, President of the Republic of Guinea and Chairman of the African Union for 2017 in the appointment of H.E. Nana Akufo Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana, as Champion on Gender and Development in Africa. Due to this same desire to promote women to high-level positions, the Republic of Guinea under the leadership of H.E. Pr. Alpha Condé, for the first time since its independence welcomed the largest number women in his government to high office, including the Ministry of Economy and Finance; several National Directorates or Autonomous Services.

Since his assumption in his office, the United Nations Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. Antonio Guterres has been working in record time to fulfill his campaign promise regarding the principle of equal access of women to essential functions in the management of the organization and public representation, including Management Board and Representatives, Advisers and Special Envoys. African women are particularly in the spotlight as demonstrated in more in-depth by the appointment of Dr. Amina Mohamed of Nigeria as Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and others to the rank of Assistant Secretary-General and Assistant Secretary General.

The progress mentioned above is noteworthy and deserves to be celebrated for it is the result of sustained, combined and explicit actions in favor of the promotion of women in the public domain and which will allow better consideration in achieving the goals of gender equality and women's empowerment as enshrined in Agenda 2063 and Agenda 2030.

Media representatives are invited to cover the High Level Breakfast on Equal Access of African Women to High Level Positions at the African Union and in the United Nations System

Media inquiries should be directed to:

Mrs. Rahel Akalewold / Directorate of Information and Communication / E-mail: RahelA@africa-union.org

For further information:
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@african-union.org I Website: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

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