What: At the Gender Pre-Summit Presidential High Level Advocacy Event, Heads of State and Government and key institutions will advocate for, and coordinate innovative, actions to accelerate the implementation and impactful delivery of gender equality and women’s empowerment commitments.

When: 18th February 2023, 07:30am – 09:30am (EAT)

Where: Skylight Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Who: The Presidential event will be addressed by various Heads of State and Government led by H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo President of Ghana and AU Champion on Gender and H.E Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson, African Union Commission.

Background information:

The Presidential High-Level Advocacy Breakfast Meeting seeks to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Maputo Protocol on Women’s Rights and to promote its ratification by the remaining 12 Member States. It will also be a call to the 43 member states that have ratified the Protocol to fully domesticate and implement it to advance the accountability for women’s human rights; financial and economic inclusion as well as ending violence against women and girls.

The year 2023, marks important milestones in the continental and global calendar for gender equality, women’s empowerment and women’s human rights. At the continental level, the AU has declared 2023 as the year of the AfCFTA. Financial and Economic inclusion for African women and youth demands collective focus, accelerated investments, actions and accountability as well as tools for implementing the African Women’s Decade for Financial and Economic Inclusion 2020-2030 (AWD-FEI). With the launch of trading under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in January 2021, the development of the Women and Youth in Trade Protocol  and the launch of AU WYFEI 2030, accelerated commitments and action by Member States  and other key stakeholders.

Over the years, AU Member States have made considerable progress in translating regional and international instruments pertaining to women’s development into notable action. Among others, great strides have been achieved in incorporating the principles and provisions of these legal instruments on women’s human rights in national constitutions as well as legislative and policy frameworks; institutional mechanisms have also been established and programmes implemented at different levels of society. Furthermore, the 2021 AU Member States Report on the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (SDGEA) highlights critical achievements that Member States have made in implementing their gender equality and women’s empowerment obligations. The AUC has adopted various policies and decisions to give life to the treaties, among others, on Women’s Financial and Economic Inclusion; Positive Masculinity to end Violence Against Women and Girls; Gender Parity; and Gender Strategy.

Despite these achievements and elaborate legislative mechanisms, gender equality and women’s human rights in Africa remains a key development challenge, especially in the areas of accountability for women’s human rights; financial and economic inclusion as well as ending violence against women and girls. The event is therefore an opportunity to reflect, refocus and realign impactful strategies to leapfrog achievements while at the same time addressing challenges that hinder implementation of key enabling policy and legislative frameworks and instruments.

For further information, please contact:

Doreen Apollos | Information and Communication Directorate | African Union Commission | E-mail: ApollosD@africa-union.org l | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Nontobeko Hloniphile Tshabalala | Women, Gender and Youth Directorate | nontobekot@africa-union.org | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Information and Communication Directorate, African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org
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