ADF VI Ends against the Backdrop of Financing, Empowering and Ending Violence on Women

AU-ECA Joint Press Release

Addis Ababa 22 November 2008 - Violence against women and girls in conflict and post conflict situations in Africa; Harmful traditional practices and institutions; health implications in gender and female infanticide; Early Marriage, early pregnancy, nutritional taboos and child delivery; and trafficking of women and the girl child; are some of the societal ills that were decried by the over 700 delegates from all works of life in Africa and International organizations who converged at the three-day African Development Forum (ADF VI) that ended on Friday 21 November 2008 at the headquarters of the UNECA in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Jointly organized by the African Union (AU), the United Nations Economics Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the African Development Bank (ADB), key note speakers at the closing ceremony include Mrs. Lalla Ben Barka, Deputy Executive Secretary of the UNECA, and Advocate Bience Gawanas, Commissioner of Social Affairs of the African Union who addressed participants on behalf of the UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the ECA, Mr. Abdoulie Janneh and the African Union Commission respectively.

Mrs. Lalla Ben Barka thanked participants for arriving at a consensus by adopting a Plan of Action which she said will accelerate progress towards achieving gender equality. “We held this meeting at the threshold of the target date for the MDGs…African women possess formidable strength and power that should be harnessed to accelerate progress on development and achievement of the MDGs.” She explained.

Speaking later, Advocate Bience Gawanas called on participants to ensure the implementation of the objectives of the ADF VI in their respective countries. “ I want each of you to leave here with a mission to reclaim humanity and become active members which say No to any form of violence.” She emphasised. The Commissioner further reiterated the African Union's commitment to ensure the implementation of the ADF objectives.

Holding under the theme : “ Action on Gender Equality, Women's Empowerment and Ending Violence against Women in Africa ”, the consensus Statement and Action Plan adopted during the ADF VI focused on three major pillars namely: Ending violence against women; financing for equality; and empowerment and data collection on gender equality and violence as implementable actions.

Some of the resolutions highlighted in the ADF VI final statement include: universal responsibility on the protection and respect of women and the girl child; a comprehensive and urgent Africa-wide plan of action to eliminate violence against women and girls; global African and world initiatives to formulate and implement good budget policies for the financing of gender related projects.

During the closing ceremony, participants listened to the call of African youths presented by representatives of the youths at the ADF. The ADF VI was also an opportunity for women to launch a solidarity action by collecting funds from all the participants as a contribution to the suffering women and children in the ongoing war of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It will be recalled that the ADF was initiated in 1999 by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) as a multi-stakeholder platform for building consensus on identified key challenges of African development as well as strategies for overcoming them. So far, five Fora have been held with concrete outcomes as a way of addressing pressing development challenges.