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Ms Otiko Djaba (2nd right) at the function. On her right is Ambassador Martha Pobee, Permanent Represenatative to the UN and other participants.
Ms Otiko Djaba (2nd right) at the function. On her right is Ambassador Martha Pobee, Permanent Represenatative to the UN and other participants.

African women leaders launch leadership network

African women have on June 2, affirmed their determination to use their leadership roles in the transformation of the continent.

This follows the historic launch of the African Women Leaders Network at the United Nations headquarters in New York. It seeks to enhance their leadership roles in the transformation and stability of the continent.

By this act, African women have undertaken to come together and galvanise Africa into a peaceful. united and prosperous continent free from all forms of violence.

They have also agreed to avoid regression and ensure that all the gains made by African women in leadership are consolidated and sustained.

High-level meetings

This followed three days of high-level meetings, panel discussions and consultations  80 women leaders from the continent on Africa's Transformation Agenda 2063 and the achievement of  the Sustainable Development Goals by The participants, drawn from politics, business, academia, media and civil society waved their respective national flags to signify the launch amid shouts of joy.

lt was jointly organised by the African Union Commission, United Nations Women and the Permanent Mission of Germany.

Call to action

Ghana's Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ms Otiko Afisah Djaba read the Call to Action by the participants. It said that African women were committed to establish and nurture an inclusive network comprising a diversity of women and young women in leadership from all sectors of society, including political, public and private sector, civil society and grassroots women.

They also agreed to hold leaders accountable for the implementation of the agreed frameworks and protocols, apart from influencing dialogue and thought on issues affecting women and supporting women to be part of decision makers, including the highest level.

In her remarks, Ms Djaba said that it was" time now to walk the talk as Agenda 2063 is rolled out on the continent" and urged African women to unleash their full potentials by sitting at table with the men to take decisions that will inure to the benefit of the African continent.

"Ghana and other African countries have a track record of gender-empowerment. Since independence, they have actively sought to explore goal driven measures to increase the participation of women in governance, and we appreciate the example of Rwanda for setting the pace" she stated.

The Chef de Cabinet, Ms Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti,  on behalf of Mr António Guterres, Secretary-General (SG) of the United Nations, assured the representatives that the SG will pursue gender equality around the world and at the UN.

Former President of the Transition of Central Africa, Madam Catherine Samba-Panza said the world could do better with women in leadership positions as she had personally demonstrated in her country.

At her turn, The Executive Secretary of UN women, Mrs Phumzille Mbambi-Ngocuka, charged women to always engage their leaders to ensure that they implement decisions that are critical to women. She also announced that her organisation is going to engage countries where women are contesting elections this year and support them.

In her remark, Madam  Bineta, Director of Women, Gender and Development Directorate (WGDD), praised the determination of the women to transform the African continent and also their partners for their support for the Network.

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