By Awa B.Bah
A meeting of the African Union Ministers responsible for Women affairs and gender at the Jerma Beach Hotel ended yesterday. The two day meeting attracted over 53 African countries to discuss issues affecting women in Africa. However, the Beijing +15 review coincides with the 2nd AU meeting of ministers of gender and women affairs.

. The ministerial meeting is excepted to consider and adopt key documents for the African Union Commission, gender directorate in addition to participating in the review of the implementation for Beijing +15 Agenda, current challenges and forward looking strategies for the advancement and empowerment of women and girls on the continent. The Beijing +15 review, will focus on progress made in the implementation of national programmes, achievement, gaps and challenges and provide direction where actions and initiatives within the framework are most urgent for further implementation to ensure full and effective accelerated implementation. The AU is convening a back to back meeting with ministers of gender and women affairs. This meeting will among other things consider and adopt important documents including the feasibility study on the African Women Trust Fund, the Road map for the African Women’s Decade: 2010-2020 and the AU Gender made on Reporting on SDGEA.
In her opening statement at the opening ceremony, The Vice President Secretary of state for Women’s Affairs, Madam Isatou Njie Saidy described the meeting as timely and has no doubt that it will accelerate the rate of implementation of the AU solemn Declaration on gender equality and also avail them the opportunity to further brainstorm, devise and develop strategies for the implementation of the African Women’s Decade (2010-2020) and African Women Trust fund initiative, as well as the AU Gender Policy, plan of action and women’s protocol, among others.
The following are excerpts from her speech:
Many African Countries have signed and ratified international treaties and conventions relating to women, The Gambia has submitted its first report on the status of implementation of the AU solemn Declaration on Gender equality in Africa.
The expert and ministers meeting are expected to consider and adopt key documents of the African Union and Commission and review current challenges and formulate forward looking strategies for the advancement and empowerment of women and girls on the continent. The AU has rightfully provided leadership in promoting gender equality and Women’s Empowerment through provisions similar to those espoused by the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Beijing Platform Action and Millennium Development Goals. Example of the African Legal framework include the Protocol the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa and the AU Gender Policy and Plan of Action.
The period 2010 to 2020 has been declared the African women decade with the objectives of bringing to the forefront issues affecting African Women and the way forward. It is our collective responsibility to develop a proper and viable gender action plan for adoption in order to realise a highly successful decade, which may seems to be a very long time but without proper commitment and action much cannot be achieved.
Africa adopting a Women’s Decade gives African women and gender machineries the unique opportunity to re-double efforts, in the areas of gender mainstreaming at all levels. All sectors should formulate and effectively implement sound and relevant strategies, on women empowerment with special focus on economic empowerment to reduce poverty in Africa. Thus, this meeting is meant to take stock of the achievement realised so far to map out strategies that could ensure the full realisation of the objectives of the AU Women’s Decade.
On the issues of African Women’s Trust Fund, I would like to urge all of you to diligently review and give solid recommendation for the adoption of the feasibility study of the operationalisation of this very laudable imitative. We are all aware of the numerous challenges facing women particularly in developing countries in accessing funding from commercial institutions to venture into productive activities for personal and national development. It is my fervent hope and belief that the proper implementation of this fund will help to alleviate a greater gender proportion.
African government, national women machineries, gender experts and women and men of Africa and development partners and civil society’s organization must ask us three fundamental questions.
.What actions have we taken to advance the cause of women and girls?
.What are the positive outcomes of these actions?
.Are we satisfied with what we have achieved so far or can we do more?
If not what should we do to get our desired objectives, taking cognizance of our environmental factors, be they economic, cultural or political. Answers to these questions will form the base of our strategies that must be incorporated into the road map of African Women Decade (2010-2020).This is all the more reason why some of us ministers and experts, who attended the brainstorming session in New York, on the AU women’s decade, came up with the 12 key guiding principles, which I hope will be useful during your discussion, and in coming up with critical recommendations, for the effective recommendation, for the African women decade, and other gender related policies, declaration, programmes, resolutions and protocols.
All programmes and projects are gender sensitive. A national policy for the advancement of women and girls 1999-2009 is being implemented and we are in the process of developing a gender policy 2010 2020. The government has drafted a Women’s Bill which attempts to domesticate the CEDAW and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.
Gender programmes are usually incorporated in all civil sectoral policies and programmes.
Several women are appointed into key decision making positions. Indeed the above reforms have also been reflected in the programme implementation at centralized local government structures geared towards involving women in the development of the country.