Source: DAILY NATION
Hundreds of rights campaigners from 150 women's organisations from 35 African countries converge in Nairobi on Wednesday to discuss, among other things, how far governments have delivered on gender equality and empowerment of women and girls.
The two-day meeting -- billed as the largest pan-African women's conference in Nairobi since 2015 and which is hosted by the African Women's Development and Communication Network (Femnet) -- seeks to find ways of pushing African governments to effectively deliver on the agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Held under the theme "Safeguarding our gains, African women collective action on defining the pathway to achieve Sustainable Development", the conference is expected to provide a platform to reflect on the role of women's rights organisations, according to Femnet executive director Dinah Musindarwezo.
Further, Ms Musindarwezo said, the meeting would focus on understanding the impact of illicit financial flows on women and girls in Africa
"It is time for Africa and the global community to address gender equality and prioritise the collective voices of women in the continent, to ensure the SDGs are fully implemented," she said.
"We are here to collectively strategise on ensuring this is done and the right budgetary allocation made by our governments to facilitate this realisation" Ms Musindarwezo added of the meeting to be held at Crowne Plaza Hotel.
UNDER-FUNDED
According to her, gender-related institutions and programmes were the most under-funded, and called on African governments to prioritise their budget allocations with this in mind.
Organisers say the conference comes at an "opportune" time when African countries are starting to put in place mechanisms for monitoring, reviewing and implementing women's agenda.
They have also singled for discussion what they see as among major threats to women and girls, which include violence, low representation in decision making, doing unpaid work without value and recognition.
"Women and girls are also being denied the right to own and control property; girls being forced to child marriages and FGM, to having women still dying while giving birth from preventable diseases," said Ms Musindarwezo.
STILL RIFE
Currently, according to UN Women, one in three women has experienced violence (physical, sexual, psychological and otherwise).
Over 200 million girls have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM) and in other countries, maternal mortality is at unacceptable rates, with other forms of gender discrimination still rife.
According to UN Women, women continue to participate in labour markets on an unequal basis with men.
In 2013, the male employment-to-population ratio stood at 72.2 per cent, while the ratio for females was 47.1 per cent.
ONE ON ONE INTERVIEW
What is the rationale behind the theme of this conference?
The conference will mark the first convening of Femnet members and women's rights organisations generally across Africa after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and soon after the AU developed the 10-year implementation plan of the Agenda 2063.
The conference will provide a platform to reflect on the role of women's rights organizations in securing the stand-alone gender goal and other gender targets in other goals and to collectively deliberate on a roadmap for women's rights organizations to effectively engage in the implementation of the SDGs and Agenda 2063.
This conference will be timely in an environment where gender gains are being threatened.
Who will be the participants in this conference and what do they, as women's rights organizations and women leaders, seek to achieve?
The participants will be women's rights organisations and individual African feminists of diverse and intersecting identities.
Other participants will be Femnet partners who might be based in other regions with a specific interest in supporting the advancement of gender equality.
They will be meeting to deliberate on existing opportunities at an opportune moment when African countries are starting to put in place mechanisms for monitoring, review and implementation of both agendas and some are preparing for National Voluntary Reporting at the High Level Political Forum in July, 2017.
In addition, the African Union in partnership with UNDP, UN Economic Commission in Africa (UNECA) and African Development Bank are also developing a joint Implementation framework for both 2030 Agenda and Africa Agenda 2063 to allow AU member states to be accountable to both agendas in a more efficient and effective way.
The convening will discuss how to take advantage of these regional and global opportunities while identifying existing opportunities at the national, local, regional and global levels.
Why is it important for African women to cultivate a collective voice towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
African women and girls are stakeholders in development who have worked over time to exercise and demonstrate their political, social and economic agency. It is therefore critical that national efforts recognize this fact and create space for women's rights to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.
At the heart of 2030 Agenda for sustainable development is a commitment to leave no one behind.
This includes the voices of African women and girls at all levels of implementation, follow up and review of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
The 2030 Agenda and Africa Agenda 2063 both put realisation of gender equality at its centre. This therefore makes it women's business to see to it that those commitments are realized to transform the lives of women and girls.
Why must African governments prioritize gender equality and Women's empowerment and emancipation within their strategic focus to achieving the SDGs 2030?
Following the wrap-up of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) there was resounding evidence of Gender Equality and women's empowerment as one of the key unfinished business.
Some of the evidence was from the Beijing Platform for Action 20-year review, where it was found that no country globally had attained gender equality.
As it is now, according to UN Women 1 in 3 women have experienced violence (physical, sexual, psychological and otherwise).
Over 20 million girls have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM) and in other countries maternal mortality are at unacceptable rates with other forms of gendered discrimination still rife.
According to UN Women, women continue to participate in labour markets on an unequal basis with men.
In 2013, the male employment-to-population ratio stood at 72.2 per cent, while the ratio for females was 47.1 per cent, women bear disproportionate responsibility for unpaid care work.