African Women and Economic Development: Investing In Our Future
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
28 April - 1 May 1998

| | | | | African Centre for Women | The ECA Website |

AFR-FEM Workgroup: Summary Seven (5/03 - 5/09)

This is the summary of the exchanges, experiences, analysis and suggestions contributed by the AFR-FEM Internet workgroup's seventh week of activity. This Group was organized by the World Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, as an associated activity to the Conference "African Women and Economic Development: investing in our future", that was organized by the Economic Commission for Africa, in Addis Ababa, from April 28 to May 1st, 1998. The facilitation of the conference is being done in collaboration with the Association for Progressive Communications/APC - Women's Africa Program.

The mandate of the Internet workgroup is to support the Conference, by gathering a basis of field information pertaining to the Conference themes. The Internet workgroup activity reports are posted on the GKD main list "Global Knowledge for Development" and are also available on the Global Knowledge Partnership Web Site http://www.globalknowledge.org> as well as on the ECA 40th Anniversary web site <http://www.un.org/depts/eca/eca40th>.

Acknowledgment of the AFR-FEM Group Achievements

A member of the ECA 40th Conference Secretariat expressed her thanks to the list participants and the moderators for their contributions to the Conference. She stated that the Virtual Conference has had an enormous impact on the face-to-face Conference, both in the workgroups as well as in the plenary sessions. Mr. Amoako, ECA's Executive Secretary, paid tribute to the contributions of the Virtual Conference in his opening address to the Conference.

 Future of AFR-FEM

Given it's success, the World Bank is going to support the workgroup "meetings" through May so that members can discuss the outcomes of the Conference, as well as the future of the workgroup. Discussions on AFR-FEM's future should focus on the goals of the workgroup, related membership issues, and new sources of support after May.

 Women and ICTs

The relative low attendance of conference participants to the sessions dedicated to ICTs and especially ICT policies has been pointed to as a sign of the low interest of African Women on this issue, especially when it goes beyond users/consumption aspects. A lot remains to be done before women fully 'take ownership' of this issue. 

Documents

- ECA Press Release No. 42: "Action the key to African Women and Economic Development Conference ", Addis Ababa, 25 April 1998

- IPS, Judith Achieng: "Women's Voices Missing From Governance, Economic Policies ", Addis Ababa, April 28, 1998.

- ECA Press Release No. 43: "UN Secretary-General arrives tonight to grace ECA Conference, which open for strong calls for empowerment of African Women ", Addis Ababa, 29 April 1998.

- IPS, Judith Achieng: " Golden Age's Ahead, If Women Are Included",Addis Ababa, April, 29 1998.

- IPS, Nana Rosine Ngangoue: " Un avenir plein de promesses et d'espoir", Addis Abeba, 30 avril 1998.

- IPS, Judith Achieng: " Under the Shadow of Conflict ", Addis Ababa, April 30, 1998.

- ECA Press Release No. 44: " UN Secretary-General urges involvement of women in resolving Africa's conflicts ", Addis Ababa, 30 April 1998.

- ECA Press Release No. 45: " Conference ends on high note as African leaders endorse push for women's economic empowerment ", Addis Ababa, Friday, May 1, 1998.

- ECA Press Release No. 46: " Kofi Annan calls for reduction in military expenditure, decries Africa's conflicts, Sudan's famine ", Addis Ababa, 02 May 1998

- IPS, Nana Rosine Ngangoue: " Les Africaines exigent des actions concretes ", Addis Abeba, 05 mai 1998

 

For questions and/or suggestions on the following Working Sessions, please send an e-mail to dialogue@un.org or eca40th@un.org or ecainfo@uneca.org

Secretariat of the Conference for information and correspondence:
Economic Commission for Africa
African Centre for Women (ACW)
P.O. Box 3001
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tel: (251.1) 51 89 19 (Direct)/51 72 00 Ext. 33700
Fax: (251-1) 512233 (Direct)/512785
E-mail: eca40th@un.org
Internet: http://www.un.org/depts/eca/eca40th