"On the government level, sub-Saharan countries have doubled the number of
legislative seats held by women in the past decade. This trend is led by
Rwanda, which boasts a legislature that is 64 percent female. Many
countries, such as Burundi, Eritrea, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South
Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Angola have instituted quotas to ensure a
significant percentage of legislative seats are held for women, and many
more are considering them"
http://www.mediaglobal.org/2014/03/20/african-women-call-for-follow-through-on-gender-equality-promises/
African women call for follow-through on gender equality promisesMarch 20,
2014 | Africa,Society and Culture | By China Parmalee
UNITED NATIONS, MediaGlobal News--It is a commonly accepted truth that women
are critical factors of Sustainable Development around the world,
particularly in Africa. As the Millennium Development Goals reach their end
dates, and discussions of what will take their place in the post-2015 world
begin in earnest, policy makers and non-governmental organizations are
looking closely at how women create change in their communities and what
can be done to further empower them.
Overflow audience for discussion on Women: Drivers of African Development
at UN headquarters in New York. Photo credit: Africa Renewal/Bo Li
As part of the 58th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
ministers, parliamentarians, and members of civil society from various
African countries, gathered at UN Headquarters for a panel discussion on
women as key drivers of African development. Dr. Joyce Laboso, Deputy
Speaker of the Kenyan National Assembly, told eventgoers that as the only
continent with a declaration of the rights of women and gender equality,
Africa can be a model for the world.
Many of the steps towards achieving MDGs across the African continent are
remarkable. According to the UNDP, since the early 1990s there has been a
42 percent decrease in maternal deaths. The percentage of female
landholders in Africa has risen from 7 percent to 15 percent. Primary
school education has essentially reached gender parity.
On the government level, sub-Saharan countries have doubled the number of
legislative seats held by women in the past decade. This trend is led by
Rwanda, which boasts a legislature that is 64 percent female. Many
countries, such as Burundi, Eritrea, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South
Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Angola have instituted quotas to ensure a
significant percentage of legislative seats are held for women, and many
more are considering them.
Despite these advances, a great deal of work is still to be done before
gender equality targets are achieved.
Africa is a leader in committing to gender equality on paper. Numerous
agreements, including the African Union Solemn Declaration on Gender
Equality in Africa (SDGEA) of 2004, and the Protocol to the African Charter
on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (the Maputo
Protocol) of 2005, guarantee women political equality, reproductive rights,
and protection against violence.
Despite these written guarantees, forced marriage, female genital
mutilation, and unequal access to land and financial instruments persist.
To rousing applause, Executive Director Leah Chatta-Chipepa of the
Uganda-based NGO Akina Mama wa Afrika laid out three solutions: "One,
implementation. Two, implementation, and three, implementation."
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Received on Fri Mar 21 2014 - 05:51:18 EDT