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Legislators and civil society groups have called for the inclusion of women in all peace building activities and processes in order to bring about lasting peace on the African continent.
In
resolutions adopted at the end of a two day Pan African Parliament Conference
on women’s rights, participants were concerned that women and children are the
most affected by conflicts and displacement.
The
conference was held at the Pan African Parliament headquarters in Midrand,
South Africa 14 – 15 October 2019. It was attended by African women legislators
and persons involved in work and advocacy in the areas of women and gender.
Uganda
was represented by Hon. Anifa Kawooya (NRM, Sembabule district), Hon.
Jacquiline Amongin (NRM, Ngora district), the Chairperson of the Uganda Women
Parliamentarians, Hon. Pamela Kamugo (NRM, Budaka district), Hon. Robina
Rwakoojo (NRM, Gomba) and Hon. Justine Khainza (NRM, Bududa district).
Participants
noted “with regret that women bear the burden of poverty, owing to limited
access to decision making processes, finance, education, health and means of
production.”
The
conference, held since 2008, provides an avenue for ongoing monitoring and
evaluation of women’s issues; revisiting progress made by the PAP in the
promotion of gender mainstreaming; the economic advancement of women on the
continent; and a discussion on the planning, implementation and monitoring of
gender focused programmes, policies and activities of the African Union and
PAP.
The
meeting called upon African Union Member States to strengthen comprehensive
mediation, peace building and conflict resolution mechanisms, including the
full participation of women in all peace building activities and processes, to
pursue national reconciliation through the African Peace and Security
Architecture, to strengthen Africa’s peacekeeping and enforcement capabilities
and collaboration with the United Nations system.
During
a debate on the role of parliamentarians, Hon. Anifa Kawooya (NRM, Sembabule
district) appealed to fellow legislators to gain confidence to be able to lobby
their male colleagues and government to see that issues affecting women are
passed in Parliament.
“We
lack skills and we are not confident and due to our low numbers we need to
lobby governments to push our issues through Parliament,” she said.
Recommendations
on the African Women’s Decade, 2010 – 2020, ratification of the African
Continental Free Trade Agreement, the AU theme for 2019 on refugees and
internally displaced persons and on women and ICT were adopted.
Participants
urged member states to put the concerns of refugees, internally displaced
persons and stateless persons on the agendas of the AU Peace and Security Council
and Regional Economic Communities.
Other
recommendations included:
On the African
Continental Free Trade Agreement:
- Urge
member states to ratify the African Continental Free Trade Agreement;
- Call
upon member states to put in place deliberate programmes to empower women
to actively participate in the free trade and to opt for gender responsive
policies to improve inclusiveness;
- Call
on member states to ensure access to trade information, services, finance,
ICT and market opportunities;
- Call
on parliamentarians to monitor the negotiations, the implementation and
impact of the AfCTA with a particular focus on the participation of women;
- Call
on Member States to build the capacity of women so that they can add value
to commodities with the view to increase production and supply of
services.
On women and
ICT
- Call
upon parliamentarians to advocate in their member states for Internet
access as a basic right;
- The
integration of ICT into school curriculum and the elimination of barriers
to enable young girls pursue programmes in the field of Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
ENDS