Expressed in its Agenda 2063 some more than four decades from now Africa wants to be a place where its people fully enjoy all their human rights by eliminating all forms of violence and social, economic, and political discriminations against women and girls in particular. At the stated period marking an end to all harmful social practices, all barriers to access to quality health and education for women and girls would be non-existent. By then Africa would have fully empowered women with equal access and opportunity in all spheres of life while full gender parity would be attained. This means that the African woman would have equal economic rights, including the rights to own and inherit property, sign a contract, register and manage a business. Moreover, over 90 percent of rural women would have access to productive assets, including land, credit, inputs and financial services.
While some progress have already been made at country levels, by 2063 the continent aspires to see women occupy 50 percent of elected offices at state, regional and local bodies, and 50 percent of managerial positions in government and private sector would be women. Although across the world’s regions men and women do not always enjoy the same conditions and opportunities, in the economic and in the social and human development, however relaying on the potential offered by its women and youth by then Africa aims to finally break the economic and political glass ceiling hindering women’s progress.
Women are 52 percent of the African population, however addressing the major issues pertaining unequal access to economic, political, social and cultural opportunities require vigorous effort at all levels. As more and more years into the Agenda period the issue keeps to be pressing requiring for tailored intervention where a certain meaningful mechanism comes into practice. Perhaps no more business as usual helps the content’s ambition to come true.
Commemorating this year’s Africa’s Women’s Day on 31 July, the African Union has celebrated Empress Tayitu Betul and Athlete Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia among legendary black women it has named. This has been hailed by observers that with this the continental unity organ has tried to make sense of its significance in celebrating legends of the content.
There are now provisions on sexual and gender-based violence, economic, social and cultural rights and the principle of equality and right to non-discrimination in constitutions, polices and in legislations across the continent. Despite the many challenges women are still facing across the continent, AU commends female participation in African legislatures in the area of political participation which outpaces
Expressed in its Agenda 2063 some more than four decades from now Africa wants to be a place where its people fully enjoy all their human rights by eliminating all forms of violence and social, economic, and political discriminations against women and girls in particular. At the stated period marking an end to all harmful social practices, all barriers to access to quality health and education for women and girls would be non-existent. By then Africa would have fully empowered women with equal access and opportunity in all spheres of life while full gender parity would be attained. This means that the African woman would have equal economic rights, including the rights to own and inherit property, sign a contract, register and manage a business. Moreover, over 90 percent of rural women would have access to productive assets, including land, credit, inputs and financial services.
While some progress have already been made at country levels, by 2063 the continent aspires to see women occupy 50 percent of elected offices at state, regional and local bodies, and 50 percent of managerial positions in government and private sector would be women. Although across the world’s regions men and women do not always enjoy the same conditions and opportunities, in the economic and in the social and human development, however relaying on the potential offered by its women and youth by then Africa aims to finally break the economic and political glass ceiling hindering women’s progress.
Women are 52 percent of the African population, however addressing the major issues pertaining unequal access to economic, political, social and cultural opportunities require vigorous effort at all levels. As more and more years into the Agenda period the issue keeps to be pressing requiring for tailored intervention where a certain meaningful mechanism comes into practice. Perhaps no more business as usual helps the content’s ambition to come true.
Commemorating this year’s Africa’s Women’s Day on 31 July, the African Union has celebrated Empress Tayitu Betul and Athlete Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia among legendary black women it has named. This has been hailed by observers that with this the continental unity organ has tried to make sense of its significance in celebrating legends of the content.
There are now provisions on sexual and gender-based violence, economic, social and cultural rights and the principle of equality and right to non-discrimination in constitutions, polices and in legislations across the continent. Despite the many challenges women are still facing across the continent, AU commends female participation in African legislatures in the area of political participation which outpaces many in developed countries. In a bid to enable women enjoy their full rights as equal partners in development African countries have adopted several normative and legislative protocols, including the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa also referred to as the Maputo Protocol. This protocol has been integrated into several constitutions and into national laws and policies. However, various documents including those commissioned by the AU say much more needs to be done in terms of implementation and accountability, particularly where economic, social and cultural rights of women are concerned.
Clearly majority of African women are employed in agriculture where productivity and incomes are low. According to AU documents, many of those employed outside agriculture are in the informal sector where jobs are vulnerable and incomes low with gender wage disparities. Whereas a 2015 UNESCO report says African women are suffering the consequences of climate change much more than men. The report claims, for example, because of desertification they are obliged to spend more time travelling long distances to get resources such as water and firewood, leaving them less time for education or finding other sources of income. As early as 1995, at the Fourth World Conference on Women, the environment was identified as one of the twelve critical areas of concern requiring specific commitments from states to advance women’s rights. On other hand the issue attached to water use should also be a concern that has to be addressed for equitable utilization among all women in Africa.
Despite having been given a range of recommendations by numerous actors about possible ways of overcoming the glass ceiling hindering women’s progress, however there is a continuous blame on the national governments for their inadequate political commitment to match pronouncements on restoration of gender inequalities with respect to access, participation and advancement of women with deeds. Some argue that national leaderships are making use of women’s participation to serve their political interest.
The Ethiopian Herald August 4, 2020
By Kiram Tadesse
