• HONOURABLE MINISTER DR ERGOGIE TESFAYE, MINISTER OF WOMEN AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS OF THE FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA,
• YOUR EXCELLENCY CLAVER GATETE, UNDER-SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA,
• DISTINGUISHED REPRESENTATIVES FROM MEMBER STATES,
• ESTEEMED CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE,
• COLLEAGUES, PARTNERS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

On behalf of the African Union, it is my honour to warmly welcome you all to the 4^th African Girls’ Summit here in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, convened under the theme: “Building Innovations to Accelerate Girls’ Social Rights and Empowerment.” This theme captures both our shared vision and our urgent responsibility - to secure a future in which every African girl enjoys her rights, thrives in dignity and contributes meaningfully to the development of our continent.

It is an undisputed fact that when an African girl rises, Africa rises. Her voice, her innovation, her resilience — these are the engines of our continent’s future. And so, we gather not just to speak for her, but to ensure she speaks for herself.

This gathering is a central platform for the African Union to reaffirm our unwavering commitment, firmly grounded in our continental frameworks:

• Agenda 2063, particularly Aspiration 6, which envisions “an Africa whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of its women and youth, and caring for its children”; and
• Agenda 2040, which charts the path towards “An Africa Fit for Children.”

At the heart of these agendas lies a simple truth: investing in Africa’s girls is essential to unlocking Africa’s full human capital. Achieving this requires bold leadership, policy coherence and a mindset shift - one that embraces innovative,

systemic and human-rights–based approaches to transforming gender relations.

Yet, we must confront the sobering reality that for too many girls across our continent, this transformative vision remains distant. Gender discrimination often begins at birth, shaping early childhood experiences and access to safe, nurturing environments.

Girls continue to face multiple and overlapping vulnerabilities:

• exposure to violence, abuse and harmful practices, especially child marriage and female genital mutilation;
• nutrition insecurity and limited access to education and primary health care;
• heightened risks in conflict and humanitarian contexts; and
• the growing impacts of climate change, which disproportionately affect women and girls.

Emerging challenges, including online safety and digital and financial literacy, also demand our urgent and collective attention.

Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The African Union has taken a resolute and comprehensive approach to addressing these challenges. Our actions are legally grounded and rights-based. We stand firm on the principles of:

• the Maputo Protocol, a cornerstone for the protection of women and girls;
• the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which marks its 35^th anniversary this year;
• the AU Campaign to End Child Marriage and the Saleema Initiative to eliminate FGM; and
• the ongoing implementation of the AU Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girl (AUCEVAWG), which strengthens our continental architecture for eliminating harmful practices.

We are also developing a Model Law on Online Child Safety, recognising that protection must extend into digital environments, and advancing the African Union Accountability Framework to measure and report progress toward eliminating harmful practices by 2030.

This 4^th African Girls’ Summit provides an opportunity to assess progress since the 3^rd Summit in Niamey, Niger, in 2021. It enables us to scale up innovations, review evidence, gather concrete recommendations, and most importantly, to listen to the voices of children and adolescents whose lives and futures are at stake.

It is imperative that Member States take measurable and coordinated action to strengthen girls’ social and economic rights, particularly in education, livelihoods, healthcare and climate resilience. These are the foundations upon which girls can overcome vulnerabilities and access sustainable opportunities.

I, therefore, call upon all stakeholders gathered here today to:

• champion policies and laws aligned with our continental frameworks;
• prioritise domestic resource mobilisation to end harmful practices;
• engage the private sector and philanthropic partners; and
• uphold accountability through rigorous monitoring and reporting.

As we move forward, let us be guided by both the lessons of the past and the promise of the future, embracing holistic, preventive and responsive approaches that expand access to sexual and reproductive health services, support vulnerable households and safeguard the rights of every African girl.

I thank you and look forward to your strong contributions over the next three days as we work together to secure a truly transformative future for Africa’s girls.