Rédaction Africa Links 24 with The Observer
Published on 2024-01-31 07:50:38
The Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) has launched a year-long campaign titled #WeAreEqual aimed at dismantling barriers that hold women and girls back. The campaign, which was officially launched on June 17, 2023, calls for urgent action to advance gender equity and close the gender gap in Africa. The advocacy toolkit for the campaign emphasizes the truth that “We are equal – and always have been” and aims to drive home this essential truth to challenge and change persistent gender disparities in fundamental rights and opportunities in African societies.
First ladies from African countries have been holding re-launch sessions for the campaign, with Uganda becoming the 13th country to join the campaign after an official signing by the First Lady and Education minister, Janet Museveni. During a luncheon in honor of visiting spouses of heads of state and government and leaders of delegations who attended the recent 19th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) at Serena hotel in Kampala, Museveni was joined by the first lady of Burundi, Angeline Ndayishimiye.
Museveni emphasized the need to motivate individuals, households, and communities before engaging them in development processes, quoting former Tanzania’s president, the Late Julius Nyerere, saying: “People cannot be developed; they can only develop themselves.” She expressed her belief that development is essentially an internal process that involves a learning process and behavioral change in the individual. She also stressed the need for change to be a long-term process that takes time and requires an understanding of human nature and cultural beliefs.
The executive secretary of OAFLAD, Dr. Nardos Berhanu, highlighted the challenges that persist in achieving full gender equality despite the progress made in closing the gender gap. She stressed the importance of taking urgent action to inject urgency into the movement for gender equity, as no country can prosper if half of its population is held back. The campaign will continue to be re-launched in other countries until July 2024 and involves four pillars: prioritizing women’s health, ensuring access to education for girls, promoting women’s economic empowerment, and taking a stand against gender-based violence.
After July 2024, the first ladies will develop projects in their countries based on the campaign pillars and will be tasked with mobilizing communities and policymakers to support the campaign. Each first lady is allowed to select a pillar to implement based on the priorities of their respective countries. The campaign is aimed at motivating individuals, households, communities, and policymakers towards achieving gender equality on the African continent.
In conclusion, the #WeAreEqual campaign by OAFLAD seeks to address and eliminate the barriers that hold women and girls back in African societies. With the support and involvement of first ladies from various African countries, the campaign aims to advance gender equity and close the gender gap through prioritizing women’s health, ensuring access to education for girls, promoting women’s economic empowerment, and taking a stand against gender-based violence. The long-term goal is to achieve full gender equality across the African continent.
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