Africa has progressive normative frameworks that guarantee gender equality in social, economic and political affairs. Through years of activism and legal reforms, many countries are seeing progress in terms of women’s rights and status in societies. However, the continent is far behind from living up to the standards of our legal frameworks. Women and girls’ potential has not been fully utilized in various sectors, among others because it is hampered by underlying structural inequalities that perpetuate harmful cultural practices, negative social norms and lack of bodily autonomy resulting in the sidelining of women.
Through its legal and binding treaties such as the African Charter of Human and Peoples' Rights and its Protocol on the Rights of Women (Maputo Protocol), the African Union has made gender equality and women’s empowerment one of its priorities. The treaties have translated into political commitments at the level of Heads of State and Government, through the adoption of the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa; the AU Gender Policy; and the AU Strategy for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment 2018-2028.
Women making up about 50 per cent of the African population, they remain largely underrepresented in leadership roles across financial, investment and entrepreneurial markets. As a result of these longstanding gender gaps, economic literature shows that the continent loses over 20 per cent of its GDP every year. Notwithstanding the various challenges, history proves that African women have been the backbone of the continent and continue to be so. Women’s contribution to our economies is evident in agriculture, environment, climate change entrepreneurship, governance, ICT, health, arts, science and many other fields. African women’s contribution is not documented enough because history has been told by men and has little reference on women’s legacy. There are many unsung heroines who are making a difference in their fields at grassroots level, in their communities, and through years of struggle while few have gotten the space in public life including in politics and governance.
On the 26th of February 2021, African Union Ministers in charge of Gender and Women’s Affairs, adopted the Common African Position (CAP) that seeks to advance women’s full and effective participation and decision-making in public life as well as the elimination of violence for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in Africa. The consensus was part of the strategy to ensure the continent and aspirations of African women and girls are well articulated at the global discourse at the United Nations 65th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW65) to be held from 15 to 26 March 2021.
The CAP built on existing commitments at the international and regional levels, in particular Africa’s Agenda 2063; the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA), the Programme for Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (PAICPD); Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development (SDGs) as well as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) the AU Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol), the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (SDGEA) and the AU Strategy for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. It also restates the responsibility by governments to develop national policies and priorities in accordance with their international and regional obligations and commitments to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women.
Among the initiatives in place to support women in leadership positions, is the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) is a women’s led movement, 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, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, and with the support of the Federal Republic of Germany, to enhance the leadership of women in the transformation of Africa with a focus on peace, security, governance and sustainable development.
Among others, the initiative seeks to;
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Establish and nurture an inclusive network comprising a diversity of women and young women in leadership from all sectors of society, including political, public, and private sectors; civil society, grassroots women, and traditional women leaders;
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Enhance ownership of the network at national level through AWLN National Chapters amongst the women leaders through membership and mobilization of women from all sectors to advance women’s rights at the community and society levels;
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Promote solidarity amongst African women and cultivate strategic partnerships amongst existing and emerging networks, including global Networks with similar objectives to encourage women to make Africa’s transformation their agenda;
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Nurture women’s leadership through exchange and documenting of lessons learnt and experiences and mentoring of young women leaders, through intergenerational dialogues and platforms.
