African women have been trading before trade agreements and are champions of cross-border trading for generations. Women’s informal cross-border trading has been key in addressing challenges of unemployment, rural- urban migration, poverty, and food insecurity. Women also play a key role in creating community cohesion, sustainable peace, and stability along with the facilitation of trade and peace as an enabler for sustainable development. 

However, during conflicts, women continue to be targeted, victimized, and displaced while taking the burden of care in the family unit. Coupled with cultural, systemic, and structural disadvantages, the role of women in leadership and decision-making process has not been adequately recognized and acknowledged. 

The Gender Pre-Forum to the High-Level dialogue convened in Addis Ababa on the 4^th October 2023 provided women a collaborative space to discuss various thematic areas on “women’s Role in delivering peace dividends through the implementation of the AfCFTA.” The forum held indepth analysis on the nexus between trade, peace and security and avenues to close gender gaps in advancing the role of women in all the sectors. This includes reviewing existing mechanism and recommending innovative avenues to promote a holistic approach that recognizes the benefits of women empowerment as a strategic move to address the underlying causes of deficits in democracy, governance, peace and security.

The implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) is expected to have a positive multiplier effect on enhancing trade and regional integration. The inclusion of women to contribute to, and benefit from the intra-African trade to improve their own livelihoods and by extension of their families and communities calls for gender-responsive actions. Patience Chiradza, Director of Governance and Conflict Prevention at the African Union Commission Department of Political Affairs and Peace and Security underscores the urgency in advancing sustainable actions that centre women in governance and development spheres. “Noting the demographic strength of women, it is important to prioritize and guarantee adequate investments are made to enable women, in particular, young women to realize their potential role in building sustainable development on the continent. Indeed, young women possess requisite creativity and innovation which are key to ensuring the effective implementation of the AfCFTA, however this can only be possible when African women are capacitated.”

Africa has the most robust frameworks for the advancement of the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Africa leads globally in the development of National Action Plans (NAPs) globally. Despite the existence of strong, progressive and articulated continental policies, women and girls continue to bear the brunt of conflicts in our continent. Bineta Diop, African Union Envoy on Women, Peace and Security in a statement read on her behalf, underlined the importance of the forum as an opportunity to discuss solutions, to highlight the historical role of women, and to ensure that women's voices are heard in conversations that can shape our future. She highlighted keys areas that should be prioritized stating, “we need to create flexible funding mechanisms to support women peacebuilding initiatives and earmarking a quota for women; enhance the ownership and coherent implementation of the peace, security, humanitarian and development agendas enshrined in Agenda 2063 to address the root causes of conflict; leverage existing women platforms set bold agendas for the transformation of the leadership landscape through co-leadership and co-mentorship; and be conscious that our development agendas will be hard to implement if we do not first achieve peace; I strongly believe that the AfCFTA through its policies could do just that.”

The Gender Pre-Forum brings together thinkers and practitioners of African Governance to analyze and proffer solutions on the creation of a conducive environment for the effective participation of women in the political and socio-economic development processes. H.E Alemitu Umut, Ethiopia’s State Minister for Women and Children Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, underscored the significance of inclusive development to address the underlying causes of insecurity and peace deficits. “AfCFTA’s success is interlinked and based on several factors - one of them being the women’s meaningful participation and the need to have an enabling environment for trade to happen across borders. This Agreement is crucial to the average African citizen and given the past and ongoing contributions that women have given to informal trade, women are key players in the implementation of the AfCFTA. Women can use this opportunity to improve the livelihoods of their communities, be a vehicle for peace, equality and sustainable development of our Continent.”

The recommendations from the Gender Pre-Forum will be presented and tabled for consideration at the 12^th High Level Dialogue.

Learn more about the Pre-Forum here.

For further information, please contact:

Doreen Apollos | Information and Communication Directorate | African Union Commission | Tel: +251 115 517 700 | E-mail: ApollosD@africa-union.org l | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Ms Hagar Azzooz / Project Officer – AGA-APSA Secretariat, Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department, Azzoozh@africa-union.org  

Information and Communication Directorate, African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org
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