Popularizing NEPAD among women in Africa.

Publication: Our Rights

Publication Date: 01-JAN-02

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COPYRIGHT 2002 African Women's Development and Communication Network (FEMNET)

Africa's leaders realise that the ideals and objectives of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) are not achievable unless all, men and women, boys and girls participate to the best of their capabilities, in its actualisation. Though the NEPAD purports to define a framework for the relationship between Africa and the international community, there is an appreciation that the internal dynamics in Africa, including gender relations and their impact on development must also be addressed. There is an absolutely inspirational statement in NEPAD that reads thus: "Across the continent, Africans declare that we will no longer allow ourselves to be conditioned by circumstance. We will determine our own destiny and call on the rest of the world to complement our efforts" I would like to challenge the people of Africa and our leaders to realise that until this statement becomes true for the majority of the population, the NEPAD will be another failed effort.

To what extent can African women expand their capabilities, to the highest possible level, so as to contribute to the development of Africa? To what extent can they now and in the foreseeable future benefit from the development process, on a basis of equality with their counterparts? In these questions lies a significant gist of the strategies for popularising NEPAD among women in Africa. Popularising NEPAD among African women means inviting women to be part of the ideals and objectives behind NEPAD. It means soliciting their commitment to implement the. actions contemplated as necessary to give effect to these ideals. It is an invitation for genuine partnership between women, men and youth to develop Africa. It is an invitation to each woman and girl, in the cities, small towns and villages to say that she will no longer allow herself to be conditioned by circumstances, but will determine her own destiny and the destiny of Africa.

If this is the context in which the leadership of Africa and, all of us understand the concept of popularising NEPAD, then we can begin to talk about strategies for delivering the invitation to women and harvesting the results I would like to highlight four elements necessary for such strategies.

The first element revolves around the question of motivation for women's commitment to the NEPAD. To what extent, does the NEPAD acknowledge and address women's concerns and the factors necessary for full participation? The simple answer might be in the affirmative because women are part of Africa. Africa is littered with many lessons that not everyone benefits from policies. The NEPAD aims to reduce poverty, individually and collectively, and to promote the role of women in all activities. It develops a variety of ideas and actions necessary for progress to be made in peace and security, democracy and political governance, and in economic and corporate governance. It also provides for the establishment of various structures to spearhead implementation. Although women are mentioned here and there, the NEPAD does not appear to deal with gender perspectives of development. It does not address how narrowing the gender gap in all sectors, not just by promoting girl education, is key to progress It does not bring out the elements of the partnership between men and women in the NEPAD project. A gender task force is to be established to ensure that the specific issues faced by poor women are addressed in the poverty reduction strategies. A lot more is required if individual women are to get the best, and if Africa is to get the best out of women on the continent.

As is stated in the NEPAD, "development is a process of empowerment-self reliance. The motivation for women and men for that matter, to buy into and commit to the NEPAD will depend on the extent to which it provides a framework for each person's empowerment and self reliance. That is what women will want to know and hear and experience. This calls for gender analysis of the entire the NEPAD as a framework for development. It calls for explicit commitments, including resource commitments, to using the NEPAD as a tool for mainstreaming gender in All sectors and strategies, and for narrowing gender-based gaps in each sector. Women only strategies, though necessary in specific situations, are to be seen as addition to mainstreamed genuine involvement.

The second factor for popularising the NEPAD is the creation and sustaining an environment conducive to women's participation, and for them to benefit from that participation on a basis of equality with men. The gender analysis would, if properly done, expose the factors that impinge on women's potential in all areas and at the personal level. A lot has been written about these factors. Equal access to quality education by girls and boys and the participation by women in governance and decision-making at different levels is a good starting point. Also required is a policy, legal and justice system that effectively guarantees and protects the right of women to access, manage and...

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