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Enacy Mapakame
The African Development Bank (AfDB) partnered with Women Deliver, a multi-sectoral gathering for advancing gender equality, for its 2023 conference, at a time the region is demonstrating commitment to promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women.
According to the United Nations (UN) Women, nearly all countries in Africa, including Zimbabwe, have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women while more than half have ratified the African Union’s Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa.
In Zimbabwe, while women and girls constitute 52 percent of the population, they still lag behind in many sectors of the economy, especially mainstream economic activities.
The country adopted a constitution that provides equal representation of women and men in all positions but still ranks low on the gender inequality index.
Women’s participation in leadership and politics remains low according to UN Women, due to inadequate implementation of the Constitutional provisions and inadequate capacity of state institutions to mainstream gender across sectors and processes.
On the economic side, the economic challenges faced by women are one of the key drivers of gender-based violence and the UN Women argues that investing in women’s economic empowerment remains key to ending violence against women.
For AfDB, investing in initiatives to support women is a move towards economic empowerment, and collaboration to advance gender equality.
The conference debuted in Africa, in Kigali, Rwanda and the Bank earmarked $300,000 to support the Women Deliver 2023 Conference, which was scheduled to draw 6 000 in-person participants and 200 000 others online. Women Deliver 2023 Conference brought together leaders from government, grassroots, multilateral organisations, and the private sector, alongside representatives from groups experiencing systematic discrimination.
The conference ran under the theme Spaces, Solidarity and Solutions: Enabling Inclusive and Co-created Spaces That Foster Solidarity for Sustainable Solutions on Gender Equality.
Malado Kaba, director for gender, women, and civil society, at the bank said: “The African Development Bank firmly believes that investing in women is critical to advancing development goals across Africa and the Global South.
“We are thrilled to partner with Women Deliver as we showcase programs and policies that we know work and explore new ideas and collaborations to advance gender equality.”
Women Deliver is a leading global advocate that champions gender equality.
Its work centres around driving political commitment and financial investment to improve the lives of women and girls worldwide.
The organisation harnesses evidence-based knowledge products and convenes dialogues that unite diverse voices, drive policy changes, and stimulate financial commitment to gender equality.
During the past week, the bank also co-hosted a luncheon event with the Angaza Forum, in partnership with the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development, and Women in Finance Rwanda. The event focused on Promoting Women’s Leadership in Financial Sector Inclusion and Innovation and featured remarks from Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia and Nobel Prize Laureate.
On Tuesday, the bank and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation hosted a private ministerial roundtable on Accelerating Inclusive Economic Growth by Advancing Women’s Economic Power.
Online Reporter