Source: Leadership
The new president of the GlobalPower Women Network Africa (GPWNA), and Nigeria’s Minister of State 1 for Foreign Affairs, Professor Viola Onwuliri,
has called on African leaders to show more commitment to address gender inequality and the scourge of HIV/AIDS on women and girls in the continent.
Professor Onwuliri made this call while making a presentation at a dinner on the outcome of the just concluded 2nd High Level Meeting of the network and post 2015 priorities for women and girls in Abuja.
The Abuja meeting had a theme “Accelerating Progress for Women and Girls through Gender transformative HIV Responses and Post 2015 Priorities.”
She disclosed that the 2nd meeting in collaboration with African Union Commission with support of UNAIDS, was to initiate strategies to tackle the challenges confronting women in the continent. The group therefore called upon all countries in Africa to demonstrate the results achieved for women and girls, through the establishment of national chapters of the Global power Africa.
A statement issued by the network during the event urged the member states to report on specific action taken to address poverty, HIV control, gender quality, reproductive health and right of women and girls in Africa.
“We resolve to accelerate the operationalization of the Harare call to Action, in view of the Decade of Women declaration by African Union Assembly, by seeking the African Union Commission’s stewardship for the adoption of the GlobalPower by early 2014, so as to provide the state of the art annual progress report as a standing agenda item at the African Union Summit.”
The organization noted with concern the current level of HIV and AIDS infection in Africa, and bemoaned “the ongoing gender inequality and gender-based violence, including rape, and the high levels of maternal and child morbidity and mortality, which continue to diminish the quality of life for women and girls and impair Africa’s advancement.”
It therefore expressed commitment to promote safe, ethical and beneficial gender-sensitive researches that will end the vulnerabilities of women and girls in Africa.
Onwuliri took over from the Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Thokozani Khupe during the 2nd High Level Meeting held in Abuja between June 27 and 28.
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