Source: allAfrica
African women are demanding more effective gender financing in the ongoing 3rd International Financing for Development Conference in Addis Ababa.

A number of gender equality organizations operating in the African continent and beyond are calling for active involvement of women in national, regional and global policy discussions apart from equally participating in implementations,follow up and review of a given development programme than never before.

Of course, attending such international conferences and presenting the dire needs of African women in a well organized and fashionable manner is crucial in a bid to get heard and convey the intended message across the world.

At this juncture, the whole world is getting ready to implement United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals( SDGs )starting from the coming September, therefore, there is a huge financial need to be addressed and an urgency to introduce the new set goals in relation to ensuring gender equality and promoting women rights throughout Africa and the rest of the world.

Indeed, women activists that are taking part in this year's Financing for Development Conference are highly expected to play their irreplaceable role in securing much needed gender financing than ever before.

Moreover, they need to work hard in winning high level political support for their common goal and bringing about policy changes based on good practices and lessons learned.

It is true that there have been a quite number of initiatives and plan of actions aiming at implementing worldwide and key gender issues. Fore instance, Beijing plan of action, Cairo agenda on population and development, post 2015 development agenda ,among others. Set goals of realizing gender equality and ensuring women rights in line with the aforementioned plan of action and agendas need new,adequate and quality resources at this particular period of time.

Apparently,in addition to developing the capacity to organize women in different associations, the conference must put an emphasis on financing to women-led organizations with a view to providing various capacity building training to women at large.

Also the conference needs to discuss on how to stop the illicit financial flows manifest in African countries and it must show ways of utilizing such revenues for the better future of African women.

Yes, demanding more gender financing by itself is not enough, there should be an institutional capacity to effectively utilize the finances that are supposed to create awareness about gender violence and abuses as well as to carry out activities aiming to narrowing the existing gender gap in Africa for once and all.

No one denies the fact that Africa is lagging behind time in terms of making women conversant in new technologies in the sphere of agriculture and agribusiness . In comparison with other continents of the world, the engagement of African women in entrepreneurship and innovation is said to be the lowest one.

Therefore, in this Financing for Development Conference , African women activists' focal point should be promoting science,technology,engineering and mathematics education for the women's of Africa with a view to ensuring gender equality in the continent.

In general, empowering women through effective gender financing is the responsibility of the entire world .To successfully and completely eradicate absolute poverty by 2030 from the surface of the earth or the world, meaningful participation of African women in every aspect of life is indispensable.

The world will remain in comfort zone in so far as the visible and unacceptable wider gender gap is narrowed down and averted for good. By the same token, women organizations must have a clear vision for real empowerment of African women in particular and the world in general.