Activities for the Commemoration of Africa’s Women’s Day Begin

By GNA 

Jul 23, 2022

Africa's Womens Day

The African Union, in collaboration with the Pan-African Women’s Organisation (PAWO), has rolled out a month-long 2022 Africa’s Women’s Day activities to celebrate and acknowledge the Foremothers of Africa, who gallantly fought for the liberation and development of the continent.

PAWO is Africa’s first collective women’s organization, which has contributed to the struggle for the continent’s liberation from colonialism, the elimination of apartheid, and the eradication of gender inequalities, discrimination, and injustices against women.

The 2022 Africa’s Women’s Day celebration is on the theme; “Towards the African Women’s Decade: Realizing Women’s Human Capital through accelerated social and economic development, addressing the scourge of violence, food insecurity, and good nutrition on the African continent”.

The activities include validation and launch of the Programme of Work of the African Union Gender Champion, Ghana’s President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, PAWO document made available to the Ghana News Agency has stated.

Launch of the Roadmap of the Second African Women’s Decade on Financial and Economic Inclusion for African Women and its flagship programme; the Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion (WYFEI-2030) initiative that is led by the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Monique Nsanzabagwana.

Others were the launch of the End of Term Review Report of the 1st African Women’s Decade (AWD) on Grassroots Approach to Gender Equality, and Women’s Empowerment on July 7th, 2022.

The Report details progress across the African continent, as reported by the responsive Member States on the ten themes of the first African Women’s Decade that was implemented between 2010 and 2020.

It sheds light on achievements and the challenges outlined in Member States’ responses as well as their suggestions for the next steps forward.

The Report follows on from the findings of the AWD Mid-Term Status Update developed for the period (2010-2015) and gives recommendations for sustaining and building on the gains in the second African Women Decade on Financial and Economic Inclusion 2020-2030.

Ms Prudence Ngwenya, the Acting Director of the Women, Gender, and Youth Directorate, AU Commission, noted that “the launch of the Report served as an official closure of the first African Women’s Decade in preparation for the second African Women’s Decade on Financial and Economic Inclusion 2020-2030.

She, however, cautioned that there was no closure to gender equality and women’s empowerment, stressing that “the ten themes of the African Women’s Decade were relevant as they were in 2010 when the Decade was first declared.

“We will continue to prioritize the issues and especially accelerate actions to ensure that the objectives of the first Decade are realized”.

Ms Eunice Lipinge, the President of Pan African Women’s Organisation, said “while celebrating the milestones of the last decade, let us continue to be cognizant of the challenges that are outlined in the report, as we implement the African Women’s Decade on Financial and Economic Inclusion (2020 – 2030).”

The Civil Society Gender Pre-Summit and high-level celebrations on July 31, 2022, would be held in a hybrid form online and in person in Windhoek, Namibia.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of PAWO which is Africa’s first collective women’s organization, which has contributed to the struggle for the continent’s liberation from colonialism, the elimination of apartheid, and the eradication of gender inequalities, discrimination, and injustices against women.

Since its establishment in 1962 in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, PAWO’s mission has been to ensure that women’s concerns are integrated into Africa’s liberation agenda and that women participate, equally, fully, and effectively, in the political, economic, social, and cultural life of the continent.

PAWO, a Specialised Agency of the African Union, has played an important role in mobilizing African women on the continent and the Diaspora to rally around collective struggles for a free and prosperous Africa.