AU launches campaign to rally action on women’s empowerment on IWD

The African Union (AU) has launched a campaign titled, “What African Women Want” to mobilize more action to the commitments on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.

Launched today, March 8, 2022, on International Women’s Day (IWD), the “What African Women Want” initiative will also seek to make popular the speedy and full implementation of the of the African Union Strategy for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (2018-2028).

The campaign will also advocate for the implementation of programmes earmarked as part of the African Women’s Decade of Women’s Financial and Economic Inclusion (2020-2030); at the national, regional, continental and global levels for women to realise, enjoy and benefit from their rights and expand the spaces for empowerment.

“What African Women Want” campaign advocates for, among others;

• A conceptual shift from the practical to the strategic needs of women; a Gender Equality, Women’s Empowerment and Women’s Rights framework.
• Ending child marriages, gender violence and harmful traditional practices.
• Eradicating preventable maternal mortality, HIV and AIDS and ensuring affordable, accessible, youth friendly Sexual and Reproductive Health and Reproductive Rights services.
• Ensuring women’s equal access to productive resources, including mining, land, credit, and ICTs, and training in Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects.
• Guaranteeing equal pay for work of equal value; recognising and rewarding the unpaid work of women.
• Enhancing women’s effective participation in decision-making in and through public and private institutions, the media and new media.
• Engaging men, boys and the youth in the struggle for gender equality.
• Building strong Gender Management Systems including Gender Responsive Budgeting at all levels.

“In recent years, progress has been recorded as African governments, public and private institutions implement gender-responsive actions and as African women through resilience and commitment, advance their quest to break the societal barriers and glass ceiling. In a push to make gender issues more visible, the “What African Women Want” Campaign seeks to highlight key issues still faced by women in their pursuit of parity and equity and provides actionable recommendations to address the existing and emerging challenges,” the AU said in a press release.

This year’s International Women’s Day is on the theme, “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow" with #BreaktheBias hashtag, calling on people to work towards a world that is equitable, inclusive, and free from bias and discrimination so the playing field is levelled for women moving forward.