Validation Workshop on the AU Commission Gender & Youth Mainstreaming Framework

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September 15, 2023

Women and Youth form the biggest part of Africa's population at about 75%. Yet, they face significant socio-economic barriers that constrain their ability to contribute meaningfully to their communities, countries, and continental development and jeopardizes their opportunity to fully unleash their potential to ensure the realization of an Africa that is people driven as per Agenda 2063’s Aspiration 6.

Against this background, and as part of the ongoing institutional reform and within the scope of the AU Commission Women, Gender and Youth Directorate’s (WGYD) mandate to promote and mainstream gender and youth throughout the AU and its Member States comes the need for the development and strengthening of a Framework on Gender and Youth Mainstreaming considering the specific contexts, priorities and best practices drawn from different key stakeholders across the continent, together with its partners, including the German development agency, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, is organizing, from 14-15 September 2023, a validation workshop on the development of the AUC Gender & Youth Mainstreaming Framework in aims to compile the active efforts being deployed and the policies being implemented separately under the respective thematic areas in regard to women and youth in a common, inclusive and comprehensive document that reflects both demographic’s, needs, constraints and characteristics.

Addressing the workshop, Ms. Prudence Ngwenya, Director, WGYD underscored that gender and youth mainstreaming represents a pivotal paradigm shift in our approach to societal progress and development. “At its core, this multifaceted concept recognizes that achieving sustainable and inclusive growth requires deliberate and comprehensive integration of gender and youth considerations into all aspects of policies, programs, and initiatives.” She further adder that “Gender mainstreaming involves systematically analyzing and addressing the different needs, roles, and opportunities of individuals based on their gender identity, with the aim of rectifying existing disparities and fostering gender equity. Simultaneously, youth mainstreaming acknowledges the unique potential, perspectives, and challenges that young people bring to the table. It seeks to empower youth by actively involving them in decision-making processes and creating opportunities for their meaningful participation in various spheres of society. Together, these approaches drive social and economic progress by promoting diversity, equity, and inclusivity, ultimately shaping a future where all individuals, regardless of their age or gender, can fully contribute to and benefit from societal advancements,” said Ms. Prudence Ngwenya.

In his welcome remarks, Mr. Gerhard Mai reiterated GIZ's unwavering commitment to advancing the African Union's Gender and Youth Agenda underscoring their dedication to ensuring support for both gender equality and youth development. GIZ further highlighted that following the development of the Gender and Youth Mainstreaming tools a learning and capacity development content development will be supported by GIZ.

The Workshop attended by representatives from Pan African Women Organization; UN WOMEN; UNECA, UNDP; ECOWAS; COMESA; SADC; AUDA-NEPAD and GIMAC Young Women Network aims to:

Validate the draft Framework for the Common Position on Gender and Youth

Mainstreaming;

Align the complementary approaches of the existing separate Gender and

Youth mainstreaming documents;

Explore new Gender and Youth Mainstreaming trends and opportunities; and
Validate the AU Gender & Youth Mainstreaming Guidelines & Scorecard.

The expected outcomes from the workshop will include:

1. A defined operational definition of Gender and Youth Mainstreaming that takes into account new trends and opportunities to serve as a foundation of further engagement on the Common Position with Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and other AU organs.

2. A validated comprehensive framework for the AU Gender & Youth mainstreaming Guidelines & Scorecard.

For information related to the workshop, contact:

Dr. Tapiwa Nyasulu Rweyemamu | Head of Gender Policy & Development Division - Women, Gender & Youth Directorate | E-mail: rweyemamut@africa-union.org
Mr. Daniel Adugna | Program Officer, Youth Employment, Youth Division, WGYD | E-mail:

AdugnaD@africa-union.org

For media inquiries, please contact:

Mr. Gamal Eldin Ahmed A. Karrar | Senior Communication Officer | Information and Communication Directorate | E-mail: GamalK@africa-union.org