The Africa women want

Women rights organisations from across Africa met in Nairobi from May 3 to 5 to strategise on how to take forward Agenda 2030 and the Africa Agenda 2063.

Organised by Femnet the conference provided an opportunity to discuss the best ways for the African women’s movement to engage in the processes of monitoring the implementation of the 2030 Agenda/SDGs and Africa Agenda 2063 and demand action on gender equality and women’s empowerment related targets and goals.

The convening also zoomed in on the increasing threats to women’s human rights such as the rise in religious fundamentalism, shrinking civic space, as well as dwindling resources for women’s rights organisations. It will also be an opportunity for FEMNET and the women’s movement in Africa and other key players working on gender equality to collectively review and reflect on its mandate, reenergise and motivate each other to push for and advance a transformative agenda.

The conference raised awareness and mobilised key senior government officials, private sector, media and other stakeholders, about the importance of gender equality and women’s rights in the SDGs and Africa Agenda 2063.

The meeting marked the first convening of FEMNET members and women’s rights organisations generally across Africa to collectively deliberate on a roadmap for women’s rights organizations to effectively engage in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs). This comes one and a half years after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015, with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and when AU has developed a 10 year implementation plan of the Africa Agenda 2063.

This is an opportune moment when African countries are starting to put in place mechanisms for monitoring, review and implementation of both agendas and some are preparing for National Voluntary Reporting at the High Level Political Forum in July, 2017. In addition, African Union in partnership with UNDP, UN Economic Commission in Africa (UNECA) and African Development Bank are also developing a joint Implementation framework for both 2030 Agenda and Africa Agenda 2063 to allow AU member states to be accountable to both agendas in a more efficient and effective way. The convening will discuss how to take advantage of these regional and global opportunities while identifying existing opportunities at the national and local levels.