The African Union Commission (AUC), Women, Gender and Youth Directorate (WGYD), successfully completed the 10th Specialized Technical Committee on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (STC on GEWE) back-to-back with the Africa Pre-Commission on the Status of Women 70 (Pre-CSW70) Consultation. The hybrid meetings, which included both Experts and Ministerial Segments from 20 to 28 November 2025, culminated in the adoption of key policy decisions and a unified African strategy for global negotiations.
The sessions reaffirmed the continent’s resolve to address persistent inequalities, economic shocks, and the impact of conflict and climate change on women and girls, by translating existing continental frameworks into measurable national action.
Unified African Voice for CSW70 Adopted
The 10th STC adopted the Common African Position (CAP) for the 70th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), scheduled for March 2026 in New York. The CAP serves to support coordinated advocacy and negotiation in preparation for CSW70 by the Africa Group. It prioritises the urgent need to ensure and strengthen access to justice for all women and girls, focusing on their full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, and the elimination of violence against them.
“Africa is approaching CSW70 not as a participant, but as a leader,” stated Hon. Lesego Chombo, Chairperson of the STC on GEWE. “The Common African Position we have adopted is ambitious, actionable, and rooted in the lived experiences of African women and girls. We will speak with clarity, cohesion, and conviction to shape the global agenda on justice and equality.”
Major Decisions from the 10th STC on GEWE
The 10th Ordinary Session of the STC on GEWE achieved significant outcomes, including:
1. Strategic Focus on the Care Economy:
Ministers adopted critical recommendations to recognize, reduce, redistribute, and represent unpaid and paid care work. Key decisions include:
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Development of a Common African Position on Care Work to ensure an African-centred approach in global policy dialogues.
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Convening of an African Care Forum as a continental platform for knowledge exchange, policy dialogue, and promoting African solutions.
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Encouraging Member States to develop national care strategies and map the socio-economic benefits of investing in social infrastructure.
2. Strengthening Normative and Accountability Frameworks:
The STC adopted the 2024 Reports of the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (SDGEA), a core accountability mechanism for continental commitments. Ministers also renewed calls to accelerate the signature, the ratification and domestication of the newly adopted AU Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls to ensure the instrument moves swiftly from aspiration to impact at the national level.
3. Implementing the African Women’s Decade:
Deliberations included a review of the Mid-Term Progress Report on the Decade of Women's Financial and Economic Inclusion (2020-2030), emphasizing that economic empowerment remains the bedrock of achieving full gender equality.
Ms. Prudence Ngwenya, Director of the Women, Gender and Youth Directorate (WGYD) emphasized the call to action: “The gaps in implementation are hindering our progress. Our collective task is to move beyond restating commitments and ensure that our policy frameworks are implemented, monitored, and translated into tangible improvements in the daily lives of African women and girls. The momentum generated here must be carried forward into resolute action across all 55 Member States.”
For further information, please contact:
Dr. Jeanne Flora Kayitesi | Acting Head, Gender Policy and Development Division, Women, Gender and Youth Directorate | African Union Commission | E-mail: musabayanaw@africanunion.org
For media inquiries, please contact:
Ms. Adele Onguene Atangana | Communications Associate, Women, Gender and Youth Directorate | African Union Commission | E-mail: AtanganaA@AfricanUnion.org
