MEDIA ADVISORY

What: Gender Is My Agenda Campaign (GIMAC) is convening its 35th Pre-summit Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Consultative meeting under the theme: ‘Recognizing and Amplifying Women and Girls Agency to Silence the Guns in Africa.’ The deliberations are to identify gaps, provide recommendations and offer a space for strategic engagement with organs of the AU, RECs and key stakeholders.

Who: The meeting will be addressed by African Union Commissioners, United Nations officials, African Gender Ministers. They will be over 200 Civil Society representatives from across Africa.

When: 3rd February 2020- Opening session: 9AM

4th February 2020- Press conference: 4PM

Venue: United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Conference Hall, Press Briefing Room.

Background: Young women and girls are further subjected to loss of social and economic opportunities with breakdown in education infrastructure, incidences of child and forced marriage, teen pregnancies and maternal mortality. Displaced women and girls are further tasked with providing food, clothing, shelter and keeping families together in countries with destroyed infrastructure and economic fabric. At times we witness child headed households and separation from families. Although conflict exacerbates the vulnerability of women and girls, recognition shall be given to the voice and agency of women and girls in the prevention and resolution of conflicts. Women and girls at the grassroots level play immeasurable role in shaping everyday peace. Further, we see women combatants taking active role in conflicts.

The 35th GIMAC Meeting aims to take stock of the achievements, outline the challenges, and table proposals on how the different organizations can in their collective capacities guarantee the realization of the initiative. The network will provide this space to all CSOs to review and consolidate common position on the effectiveness and efficiency of the AU and Member States in mainstreaming gender equality in its endeavor to silence the guns. Silencing the guns in Africa demands a holistic approach in addressing the root causes and drivers of conflict. Hence, 35th GIMAC will be a space for women rights organizations to articulate proposition that factor in the complexities underlining conflict and are gender responsive, efficient and practical for Africa.

Journalists are kindly invited to attend and cover the opening session and press conference. For further information and registration, send details to Ms. Doreen Apollos, AU Commission. ApollosD@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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