Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network’s Post

Disrespectful behavior towards women in authority must be condemned. Ngozi Oyewole, CEO of Noxie Limited and leader of Commonwealth Business Women Africa (CBW-Africa), issued a powerful statement condemning the biased treatment of women lawmakers and advocating for gender equality on The Nation news July 26, 2024. Oyewole highlighted the persistent institutional disrespect faced by female leaders, such as Senator Binta Masi Garba, and the dismissal of the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill, 2016, by the Senate. Despite these challenges, she commended the resilience of female leaders like Senator Oluremi Tinubu and Senator Ireti Kingibe, who continue to champion women’s rights in Nigeria. As President of CBW-Africa, represented in 25 African countries, Oyewole calls for solidarity in raising our voices and fostering a culture of respect and equality. She emphasizes the need to align with the UN's goal of ‘Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality’ and to rectify gender-specific language and discriminatory laws, including those addressing marital rape and domestic violence. Let’s commit to creating a society where every individual, regardless of gender, is recognized and honored for their unique contributions. Together, we can build a more inclusive and just society. #GenderEquality #RespectWomen #WomenInLeadership #Empowerment #Inclusion #EqualityForAll #CBWAfrica #NoxieLimited #WomenInBusiness #Leadership #GenderEqualityBy2030 #UNPlanet5050

Since 2016, the Forum of Federations program on #Building #Women #Leadership in #Jordan, #Morocco and #Tunisia contributed to advancing inclusive governance in the MENA region by increasing women's participation in decision-making structuresby facilitating their engagement in politics and civic life and has contributed to influencing policy changes and gender equality reforms at a higher level. #Multilevel #governance structures in each of these countries provided important and multiple points of entry of bringing women into public life. The project has implemented a total of 628 actions, benefiting over 315,000 individuals. The majority of capacity-building efforts targeted women, while awareness activities aim to sensitize both men and women equally. Built around the following Strengthening Institutions and Equality Mechanisms; a Political Academy; Preparing Future Generations; Sustainability and Capitalization of Knowledge; Transforming Mentalities through communication; Forum of Federations to institutionalizing equality by reinforcing the skills and confidence of established women leaders to enable them to increase their influence in decision-making processes. Results of a Most Significant Change study below reveal that public awareness efforts by the Forum have led to the institutionalizing gender in various professional, associative, trade union, and political contexts and strengthening organizations' commitment to eliminating discrimination against women. Fostering partnerships and solidarity among various actors promoting gender equality. As a pioneering initiative, the Forum had to create and develop most of its program strategies and implementation processes from scratch. It faced the challenge of having limited existing blueprints or guidance to rely on. Consequently, this project serves as a valuable resource for understanding how to effectively implement gender-based programs. It offers a wealth of experiences and lessons learned that will benefit not only the Forum but also the funder, Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada https://lnkd.in/erhmxkUq

Graph of the Week: #internationalwomensday - Women’s Political Participation and Civil Liberties   Today marks International Women’s Day. This week’s graph shows the development of women’s political participation and civil liberties in Rwanda since 2000.   Rwanda’s 2003 Constitution set a 30 percent gender quota for all elected positions leading to the world’s highest percentage of women in parliament. Yet, women’s civil liberties have been in decline since 2012. Poverty and gender-based violence illustrate the need for other changes to ensure gender equality in Rwanda.   Women’s political representation is especially significant in the record election year of 2024, where over 60 countries will hold national elections. Yet, it’s important to acknowledge that this representation does not automatically translate into improved freedoms, as illustrated by the graph.   Gender equality is closely linked to the development of democratic institutions, demonstrating the importance of ensuring women’s rights to achieve progress all over the world. Full text and references at https://lnkd.in/eYiSR9Ga

Another month, another series of thought-provoking opinion articles from our global development community. Here are March's top-read opinion articles on Devex, covering gender equality, a global pandemic agreement, and sustainable growth in Africa. 1: Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya argues that while a global pandemic agreement is essential, it shouldn't worsen the weaknesses and inequalities already present in health care systems around the world, especially in Africa.👉https://lnkd.in/dEEpHrKF 2: Tracking gender equality funding data is proving difficult. Alex Farley, Fionna Smyth, Mareen Buschmann, and Hellen Malinga Apila offer solutions on how the process can be fixed.👉https://lnkd.in/ge6Vk87P 3: Globally, more than 1 in 3 working women are employed in the agricultural sector, with a significant proportion facing gender violence. Joky (Jocelijn) François and Elizabeth Kiende Njenga from the Rainforest Alliance highlight the need for collaboration to overcome the issue.👉 https://lnkd.in/dcxuEaQm 4: With the International Monetary Fund projecting that at 4% the economic growth rate in Africa will outpace the global average of 2.9% in 2024, Hannah Ryder (芮 婉 洁) and Trevor L. (Development Reimagined) emphasize the potential of seizing African opportunities for sustainable growth.👉https://lnkd.in/dJWj2N5j Interested in pitching to us? We publish opinion articles that emphasize innovative solutions to challenges faced by the global development community. Here are our guidelines — email editor@devex.com with any submissions.👉https://lnkd.in/ddsbStUE #opinion #women #Africa

As we approach the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, the call for gender equality in Africa is louder than ever. At #6GIMACRECsMeting in #Accra, advocates stressed the need for stronger policies, more funding, and men and boys as allies. Together, we can achieve sustainable change. #Beijing30 Gender Is My Agenda Campaign - GIMAC Network UN Women AfricanUnion African Women's Development Fund (AWDF) GIZ African Union Women for Women International African Population and Health Research Center OIF Graça Machel Trust ActionAid United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Plan International

Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs, has revealed that closing gender gaps in Nigeria has the potential to boost the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by N15 trillion annually by 2025. She made this statement during the joint UN Accountability Forum and Orange/Lighting ceremony held in Abuja on Thursday, themed “Towards Beijing +30: Unite to End Violence Against Women and Girls.” The minister stated that studies had shown that countries with higher levels of gender equality experience faster economic growth, improved governance, and more stable societies. “For Nigeria, closing gender gaps has the potential to add N15 trillion to our GDP annually by 2025,” she said.  She highlighted the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles, noting that women constitute 49% of our population and account for 41% of small and medium-scale enterprise (SME) owners. However, their representation in senior leadership is just 22% with only 3.6% holding seats in parliament. “These disparities represent untapped potentials that if harnessed, could drive our nation’s development forward, “Sulaiman-Ibrahim added. The minister said that the event was an opportunity to reflect on shared commitment towards advancing gender equality and ending violence against women and children. “It is an opportunity to evaluate our progress, reassess our strategies, and reaffirm our commitment to achieving the bold vision outlined in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, now approaching its 30th anniversary,” she said.  READ MORE: https://lnkd.in/d6eJ9DVj

The UN's leadership still lacks gender balance, with only a fraction of member states appointing female diplomats despite global targets for representation.   The United Nations has been at the forefront of promoting gender equality around the world. But despite decades of efforts and commitments, the organisation continues to face a significant gender gap in its own leadership positions.   Almost 30 years after the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, where the UN reaffirmed its goal of having women taking up at least 30 per cent of leadership roles, not much progress has been made.   The target, originally set in 1990, was meant to lay the groundwork for equal representation between men and women by 2000.   However, as of September 2024, only 66 of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)'s 190 active member states have reached the minimum 30 per cent women's representation in their national parliaments. Rwanda leads with an impressive 63.8 per cent, but two-third of the nations fall short. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gWjJJKsf #UN

The rise in women's representation in Sub-Saharan African parliaments, as reported by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, marks a significant step forward for gender equality in the region. The 3.9 percentage point increase in the women elected to parliament reflects progress towards more inclusive political systems. This development not only demonstrates a commitment to addressing gender disparities but also acknowledges the invaluable contributions women make to governance and decision-making processes. Nigeria is an outlier. It is experiencing declining percentages in women’s representation. Understanding the root causes of this problem is key to finding viable solutions that redeem the country from poor performance and the reputational damage of being averse to gender equity as well as equality in politics. #GenderEquality #WomenInPolitics #SubSaharanAfrica #IPU #PoliticalRepresentation #genderequity #Africanwomen #Nigeria #goodgovernance https://lnkd.in/gX5C6H_k

Data shows that three-fourths (74%) of Namibians support equal access to employment opportunities for men and women, even when jobs are scarce. However, men are less supportive than women of gender equality in hiring (69% vs. 80%). Read the full dispatch at the link #Afrobarometer #Namibia #VoicesAfrica #VoicesNamibia

The historical record of gender disparities in politics underscores a pressing need for transformative change. Cultural stereotypes and patriarchal structures still sideline women in Africa and beyond. The clamor for equality reflects a collective determination to challenge ingrained norms, recognizing that true progress requires breaking free from the chains of discrimination and marginalization. #WomenInPolitics #GenderEquality #InclusiveGovernance #SustainableDevelopment #InternationalWomensDay #BreakTheBias https://lnkd.in/e3WkJrGE