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| THE FRUITS OF WOMEN EMPOWERMENT |
10/15/2008 |
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Throughout history, women have contributed significantly to the social and economic development of various African nations. Some had gone as far as taking the centre stages in political and independence struggles in their countries. Anna Nzinga, known as the warrior queen in what is today Angola is one of them. She in the midst of all odds, led a resistance campaign against the Portuguese and against slave trading. Therewere very many like her across the African landscape that history failed to accord their deserved and commensurate recognition. The traditional chores of taking charge of the collection, distribution and purification of energy and water to sustain their communities and families were carried out by women, but till date, these essential economic activities have no imputed cost and thus not even recorded in National Income Accounts of most countries. Sadly rural women are still facing such difficult challenges even today. But the good news is that with the issues of globalization and the canons of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), such anomalies and historical injustices in the African continent would change. The trend of thought on the issue has been revised such that the policies of gender empowerment are top priorities of government agenda in most African nations. It is a very positive development to see that more and more women in Africa are holding top and high profile positions in both the public and private sectors and in national and international organizations.
The issue of women empowerment had been played down and relegated to the background in the past. The new optimism now signifies that such a catalyst in both rural and national development would no longer be neglected. It is no secret therefore that women and men are joint partners in every genuine and enduring development process. It is such that gender complimentarily had constituted the weakest link and ought to be bridged for balanced and grassroots development.
The African Union’s (AU) gender programme for instance, involves both stand-alone women’s empowerment programmes, as well as programmes to incorporate gender into all the activities of the Commission. The principal focus- a women-targeted women-in-development approach which recognizes that women are starting from a more disadvantaged position than men, and, therefore, seeks to remove the obstacles that women suffer. This is in order to empower women so as to enable them to compete on a level of equality with men. Also a more holistic, all-encompassing gender-and-development approach, which seeks to ensure that women are part of mainstream activities as equal stakeholders with men. It also includes activities that include specialist women’s empowerment programmes such as women and education; women and health; women and poverty eradication; women in agriculture; women, trade and the economy; women in the peace process; women in politics and decision-making; the gender dimensions of ageing, etc would be implemented.
The initiative of the African Heads of State and Government that reaffirmed their commitment to the principle of gender equality as well as other existing commitments, principles, goals and actions set out in the various regional, continental and international instruments on
human and women’s rights with emphasis on Gender Equality in Africa is quite commendable. There no doubt that such wholesome government support is the basic engine needed to accelerate the motor of African women development. The new AU dispensation vis-à-vis promotion of gender equality heralds a new era in the way gender issues are thenceforth to be managed on the continent, and goes a long way towards valorising efforts and initiatives in this regard. It ensures that the Commission takes gender into consideration in all its work, so that the needs of both women and men are taken into consideration across the whole spectrum of AU activities, so as to enable both men and women to benefit equally for the popular slogans and terminologies of: gender mainstreaming; coordination; advocacy; policy; performance tracking, monitoring and evaluation; gender training and capacity building; research; communication, networking and liaison now dominate the agenda of gender empowerment. In emphasising the importance of promoting representative democracy, these instruments urge member countries to review and repeal structural and/or legal obstacles and discriminations that are likely to perpetuate cultural, social, economic and political marginalisation of women in political processes, and ensure that international legal standards are domesticated into their national laws.
Policies for filling the capacity gap for African economic policy makers, budget planners, development practitioners and policy advocates in designing and implementing gender sensitive economic policies and programmes are now in vogue. It also seeks to bridge the knowledge gap of the professionals on gender issues and to improve the economic literacy of gender experts.
The are various governmental and non-governmental organizations that are initiating global awareness on the issue of gender empowerment . They include such organizations as-Human Strategies for Human Rights (HSHR). This is a United States based non profit organization that provides grassroots NGOs with on-site organizational capacity building, personnel empowerment training and strategic guidance in the promotion and protection of human rights and through online human rights mentoring. Most of HSHR’s work is targeted towards NGOs that work on women’s political and economic empowerment and legal literacy. International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)-the mission of this organization is to improve the lives of women in poverty, advance women’s equality and human rights, and contribute to the broader economic and social well-being. ICRW accomplishes this, in partnership with others agencies, through research, capacity building, and advocacy on issues affecting women’s economic, health, and social status in low- and middle-income countries. The AU Commission, in partnership with the UNDP Regional Gender Programme for Africa, has built a Network on Gender, Peace-Building and Governance.
The Network brings together various individuals and institutions to build capacity and promote gender-responsive governance in countries emerging from conflict. In the same vein, the Commission has been working closely with UNIFEM on Strengthening Women’s Voices in Peace Processes, especially in the events leading up to the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement. As women worldwide fight for equal chance in the newsroom, lecture room or boardroom, others are building their own media outfits to make their voices heard. In almost all aspects of human endeavour, women are proving their mettle and for the African continent, it is harvesting and reaping the fruits of gender empowerment. The continent like other parts of the world- Germany (Europe), Argentina (South America), etc, boasts of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf- the President of Liberia. Her Excellency, P. Mlambo-Ngcuka is the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa There are many more in strategic political positions. The Nobel Price Laurete -Wangari Maathai Kenya’s environmentalist and feminist activist, is a well known figure in Africa and the world . Since 1977, Wangari Maathai has battled deforestation in Kenya through organizing mostly village women to plant trees, to fight soil erosion and water pollution and to provide firewood and some income for their families.
To have started the war on global warming long before the issue gained its worldwide attention attests to her foresight. Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Okonji Iwuala and Dr (Mrs) Oby Ezekwesili occupy very enviable portfolios in international organizations. The list could go on indefinitely. The recent election of Hon. Fatomata Jahumpa-Ceesay as the first African woman to head the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association is enough a signal of the dividends of gender empowerment in Africa. There is thus need for every government in Africa to further gender equity by contributing towards transformation of inequitable institutions and social practices which constrain women’s leadership potentials as this would lead to the furtherance of gender equity goals in Africa. The new AU dispensation vis-à-vis promotion of gender equality heralds a new era in the way gender issues are thenceforth to be managed on the continent, and goes a long way towards valorising efforts and initiatives in this regard. For the African Women, it is just morning!
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| Comments | Post your comment |
i am wondering why Dr. Mrs. Okonji Iwuala has not been shortlisted as one of the living legends Nigeria has produced in modern times.
Commented by: charles waran
on: Monday, August 31, 2009 01:55
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