The theme of the International Women's Day for the year 2021,: "Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 World" reflects the determination of the international community to support Gender equality and the Empowerment of women, through their participation and representation at the level of all decision-making bodies.

At the African Union Commission, parity is a prerequisite for the success of our endeavour. This is the reason why, since the inception of our Union, the issue of parity has been included not only in our Constitutive Act, but also in the modalities of our elections. Today, we are happy to achieve this in the highest organs of our Organisation. Written in the Constitution of many of our States, I urge all to apply this parity.

The African Union has made Gender equality and the Empowerment of women one of its priorities. These have been translated into political commitments at the level of Heads of State and Government, with particularly the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa, the parity policy of the AUC and today the launching of the AU Strategy for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women 2018-2028.

Equality and the Empowerment of women are seen as factors for the development of African women, as an opportunity to get them out of their deplorable conditions, made up of violence, exclusion and prejudice.

Unfortunately, these wrongs exist and persist in most African countries. Women and girls continue to be the primary victims of the conflicts and crises afflicting our Continent.

COVID-19 has brought to light the persistence of the difficult conditions of African women. It marked a worrying setback in achievements and progress, particularly in terms of Gender equality and the Empowerment of women and at the same time accentuated Gender-based violence, to such an extent that the COVID-19 has been described as a silent pandemic.

We must break this silence and put an end to these acts of violence. I seize this opportunity to welcome the initiative of His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa, who proposed, when he was the Chairman of the African Union, the adoption of an African Convention on Violence against Women and Girls and a Conference of men to specifically address this issue. I am pleased that the new Chairman of the Union, His Excellency Felix Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has made a commitment to pursue this action.

It is imperative that Member States, that have adopted Plans of Action on the Women, Peace and Security Agenda effectively implement them and that those that do not have one to adopt it swiftly.

All measures, Declarations, Conventions adopted in favour of women, at the Continental and international level, should not be considered by them as a facility or a favour granted to women. They deserve them. However, these measures can only be effective if women themselves show bold courage, work individually and collectively, to win their rights and affirm their duties.

On this International Women's Rights Day, I have a special and affectionate thought for all the African women in cities, and especially in the rural areas, who live in pain, suffer in silence, victims of physical or sexual violence.

I have a deep respect for all these African women, pillars of our societies, patient and resilient, hardworking at heart, these women on whose shoulders rests all the weight of the family, but who are, alas, often kept aloof from major decisions that concern the family or the society.

I would like, through this Statement, to pay my heartfelt tribute and express my sympathy to them. I am convinced that with our determination in a revitalised Union, we will be able to make Gender equality and the Empowerment of women a reality and at the same time the key to their development.

Happy Women’s Day.