Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 21st October 2019: The Ethiopian Chapter of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) has been launched in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The launch was presided over by the President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and AWLN Leader, H.E. Sahle-Work Zewde; African Union Special Envoy for Women, Peace and Security, Mme Bineta Diop; the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Ms. Amina J. Mohammed; UN Women Executive Director, Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka among other Ethiopian women leaders across generations and high-level dignitaries from the AU and UN systems.

President Sahle-Work Zewde said the launch of the chapter was a major milestone benefiting all Ethiopian women and ensure their voice is better heard and their issues better addressed. “We now have the Ethiopian Chapter of the AWLN which will contribute to ensuring there is financial inclusion in the country. It will empower rural women, mentor young women, and achieve gender equality. We have to achieve the Africa We Want, where women have the same economic, political and social rights as men” she said. President Zewde underscored that achieving gender equality calls for strong political will, which while can bring about miracles, would need to be sustained. “On the continent we are still very far away from achieving gender parity. We must build on the positive strides that we are making today to achieve that. Women should not be in competition with each other. It should be about solidarity. We will gain more by coming together”, said the President, who is an active member of the AWLN.

The AU Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, Ms. Bineta Diop, said solidarity among women was important, especially now as women across the continent seek to be involved more in decision-making from grassroots level. “The AWLN is a global mover. This is about solidarity among women. That is why we are here today” she said. She noted the Chapter would help drive the realization of Agenda 2063 which calls for a more inclusive society where all the citizens are actively involved in decision making in all aspects and where no child, woman or man is left behind or excluded, on the basis of gender, political affiliation, religion, ethnic affiliation, locality, age or other factors. Aspiration 6 of Agenda 2063 calls for “an Africa, whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of African people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children.”

The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Ms. Amina J. Mohammed congratulated Ethiopia for the Nobel Peace Prize, which recognized Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s role not only in regional peacemaking but also in significantly increasing the influence of women in Ethiopian political and community life. She noted, “Indeed, there is a direct relationship between increased women’s leadership and sustainable peace. I am confident that this newest national chapter will generate greater technical and financial support for women’s leadership and the women’s movement in Ethiopia, building on the remarkable gains of the past few years. We are with you, behind you and at your side” said Ms. Mohammed. She emphasized the importance of networking by women in leadership across sectors on the continent.

UN Women Executive Director, Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, congratulated Ethiopian women’s leadership and reaffirmed UN Women’s commitment to support the establishment and operationalization of AWLN National Chapters throughout Africa, in line with the Generation Gender Equality Campaign. “Our objective is to establish 25 AWLN National Chapters by Mars 2020 in celebration of Beijing+25 and to ensure that each country receives the necessary support to consolidate women’s leadership” she said.

Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Executive Secretary, Ms. Vera Songwe and Special Representative of the UN to the AU, Ms. Hannah Tetteh, congratulated the women of Ethiopia on the launch and applauded Ms. Sahle-Work, Ms. Mohammed, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Madame Diop and other AWLN founding members for starting the AWLN Network two years ago as a joint initiative of the African Union Commission and the United Nations.

“An idea is only as good as the number of followers you have. We are here because you brought us together. Thank you very much for the idea and for showing us what leadership” said Ms. Songwe.
The AWLN aims to advance, train and support female leaders in Africa. The network is pushing for policies and programmes that empower and enable women on the continent across the political, economic and humanitarian fields to reach their full potential.

For further inquiries, contact;
Doreen Apollos, Directorate of Information and Communication, Email- ApollosD@africa-union.org

Samrawit Tassew Mekuria | E-mail: samrawittm@africa-union.org|Tel +251937937664