Online Reporter
George Maponga in MIDRAND, South Africa
Pan African Parliament (PAP) president Chief Fortune Charumbira has called for the amplification of youths and women’s voices at the forthcoming historic G20 summit to be hosted by South Africa.
The G20 brings together leaders from the world’s 20 largest economies from developed and developing countries and South Africa will host the summit in November this year and currently occupies the forum’s rotating presidency.
South Africa will be the first ever African country to host a G20 summit in November and PAP has also been actively involved in the build up to the historic summit.
Speaking during a joint meeting between PAP and SA parliament in Midrand,Johanessburg ahead of the 11th G20 parliamentary speakers’s summit (P20) to be held in SA in October, Chief Charumbira said women and youths issues should take centre stage.
The PAP president stressed on the importance of amplification of the voice of women and youths to ensure inclusive development on the continent.
He challenged African parliaments to take advantage of the hosting of the P20 summit by South Africa to make sure issues pertaining to youths and women are highlighted.
This, Chief Charumbira added, is pertinent as the continent races against time to address challenges blighting women and young people in Africa.
“We must take advantage of the forthcoming P20 summit that will be a precursor to the G20 summit to be held here in South Africa in November to amplify the voice of young people and women so that we leverage on this important gathering to address some of the issues affecting those two groups of people,”he said.
“We want young people themselves to speak for themselves, we want to hear their voices as they speak for themselves and the same applies for women and as PAP we want this to happen because we are direct representatives of the people.”
This was corroborated by the Chairperson of National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in SA,Ms Refliwe Mtshweni-Tsipane who in her address at the inaugural symposium zeroed on the need for the voice of women and youths to get prominence at the forthcoming P20 summit to ensure inclusive development.
