Table of Contents
Addis Ababa Declaration on the Dakar African Platform
for Action on Women
Declaration
I. Statement of Mission
II. Global and regional perspectives
A. Global perspective
B. Regional perspective
III. Critical Areas of Concern
A. Women's poverty, insufficient food security and
lack of economic empowerment
B. Insufficient access of women to education,
training, science and technology
C. Women's vital role in culture,
the family and socialization
D. Improvement of women's health,
reproductive health including family planning and integrated population
programmes
E. Women's relationship and linkages
to environment and natural resource management
F. The political empowerment of women
G. Women's legal and human rights
H. Involvement of women in the peace
process
I. Mainstreaming of gender-disaggregated
data
J. Women, information, communication
and arts
IV. Strategic Objectives and actions to
be taken
A. Measures required
1. Women, poverty, insufficient
food security and lack of economic empowerment
2. Inadequate access to education,
training, science and technology
3. Women's vital role in culture,
the family and socialization
4. Improvement of women's health,
including reproductive health and family planning and integrated
population programmes
5. Women's relationship and linkages
to environment and natural resource management
6. The political empowerment of women
7. Women's legal and human rights and
women with special needs
8. Women in the peace process
9. Mainstreaming of gender-disaggregated
data
10. Women, information, communication
and arts
11. The girl-child
B. Resource implications and mobilization
C. Institutional arrangements for the
implementation of the African Platform for Action
(a) National machineries for the
advancement of women
(b) Subregional level
(c) Regional level
(d) United Nations
V. Follow-up mechanism for the implementation
and monitoring of the African Plateform for Action
Resolution : The Implementation
of the African Platform for Action
ADDIS ABABA DECLARATION ON THE DAKAR AFRICAN PLATFORM FOR ACTION
ON WOMEN
We, the Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African
Unity, meeting in our Thirty-first Ordinary Session in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, from 26 - 28 June, 1995,
Having undertaken a critical review of the Dakar African Platform
for Action : Africa's common position for the advancement of women,
in the light of the grave concern for the overall peaceful, political,
social and economic development of our continent,
Committed to the principles and objectives of the Charter
of the Organization of African Unity, the United Nations Charter,
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Convenant
on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convention on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the United Nations Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the
African Charter on Human and People's Rights, the Vienna Declaration
on Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the African
Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child as well as the Declaration
on the Right to Development and the Declaration on the Elimination
of Violence Against Women and all other conventions, declarations
and resolutions relating to affirmative actions to improve the status
of African women,
Guided by the relevant provisions of the Treaty Establishing
the African Economic Community, in particular Article 57 on Women
and Development, and the primary objectives of the Nairobi Forward-Looking
Strategies for the Advancement of Women to the year 2000 as a framework
for action to promote greater opportunity for women based on the principles
of Equality, Development and Peace,
Noting with satisfaction that the African Platform for Action
is a positive synthesis of our national perspectives and priorities
which provides an indispensable Women and Development strategy for
committed and concerted action at the national, sub-regional, regional,
continental and international levels for the accelerated achievement
of our development targets in the 1990s and beyond,
Reaffirming that the implementation of the African Platform
for Action and the objectives of the Cairo Agenda for Action on Relaunching
Africa's Economic and Social Development is the Primary responsibility
of African governments and peoples,
Gravely concerned that the situation of our Continent remains
precarious in spite of the courageous reforms instituted by our States
in both the political and economic fields to achieve self-reliant
and human-centred sustainable development based on social justice
and collective self-reliance,
Conscious that the commitment to promote popular participation
cannot be realized without the total and active participation of women,
who actually make up over half of the population,
Appreciative of the vital and crucial role of women in an
interdependent world.
1. Affirm our collective conviction that freedom, justice, peace,
equality, and dignity are legitimate aspiration of the African women
in their right to be effective partners in all spheres of human endeavour
for the development progress and peaceful evolution of our continent
;
2. Are convinced that in spite of our individual and collective efforts
towards the peaceful resolution of all conflicts and civil strife
on our continent, as well as our commitment to the democratic process
of our societies, there are however still some critical areas of concern
in the development spectrum that call for urgent action to promote
the role of African Women and their full participation in development
and involvement in the peace process;
3. Call for immediate consideration of all the critical areas of
concern as stipulated in the African Platform for Action for Women;
namely :
(a) Women's poverty, insufficient food security and lack of economic
empowerment;
(b) Inadequate access to education, training, science and technology;
(c) Women's vital role in culture, the family and socialization;
(d) Improvement of women's health including family planning and population
related programmes;
(e) Women's relationship and linkages to environment and natural
resource management;
(f) Involvement of women in the peace process;
(g) The political empowerment of women;
(h) Women's legal and human rights;
(i) Mainstreaming of gender-disaggregated data;
(j) Women, communication, information and arts;
(k) The girl-child.
4. Strongly resolved to chart a future based on equality, development
and peace, and declare our solemn commitment to the principles, objectives
and priorities enshrined in African Platform for Action.
5. Call for regional and international cooperation and solidarity
in order to transform the present inequitable systems and commit ourselves
to work in concert by reactivating South/South and North/South dialogue,
so as to institute together a more equitable international system
which should also promote the advancement of the African woman.
6. Renew our gratitude to donor countries, the United Nations and
other International organizations including Non-Governmental Organizations
for the invaluable assistance they provided to African countries in
the preparation and organization of the Fifth Regional Conference
on African women, and we appeal to them to increase their technical
and financial assistance for the implementation of the Platform.
7. Express our gratitude to the Government and people of Senegal
for having accepted to host the African Regional Conference on Women
in Dakar from 11 to 23 November 1994.
8. Invite the Secretary-General of our Organization in cooperation
with the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission
for Africa (ECA) and the President of the African Development Bank
to closely monitor the implementation of the Platform and to submit
periodic reports thereon to the Council of Ministers and to our Conference.
9. Hereby endorse the Dakar Platform for Action on Women, and affirm
that it constitutes the ideal framework for the effective promotion
and advancement of African Women.
Adopted at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
28 June 1995
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DECLARATION
We, the Ministers and representatives of African Governments participating
at the Fifth African Regional Conference on Women held in Dakar (Senegal)
from 16 to 23 November 1994, for consideration and adoption of the
African Platform for Action, in preparation for the Fourth World Conference
on Women to be held in Beijing from 4 to 15 September 1995,
Having reviewed and appraised the regional implementation
of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women
to the year 2000,
Appreciative of the fact that there has been an overall sensitization
of African leaders, policy makers, development agencies and women
regarding the need to incorporate a gender perspective in all activities
of the development process,
Conscious that in spite of the progress made, obstacles still
remain in the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies,
Reaffirming our commitment to the realization of the Nairobi
Forward- looking Strategies for the promotion and advancement of women
through accelerated action for equality, development and peace,
Realizing that equality is not only the absence of discrimination
but also the equal enjoyment of rights, responsibilities and opportunities
by women and men,
Recognizing that there can be no equality and development
without peace and that peace can only be achieved with the full involvement
of women as equal partners with men at all levels of decision-making,
diplomacy and mechanisms for peace and conflict resolution and reconciliation,
Aware that since the adoption of the Nairobi Forward-looking
Strategies, some African countries have undergone a series of crises
which combined with several other internal and external factors to
impede the effective implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking
Strategies, especially political instability related in particular
to religious extremism, lack of resolute political will and commitment,
lack of resources, poor economic performance due to unfavourable terms
of trade and ineffective policies, effects of structural adjustment
programmes and heavy debt burden, frequent natural disasters such
as droughts and famines and the absence of women in decision-making
levels,
Recalling the "Abuja Declaration on Participatory Development:
The Role of Women in Africa in the 1990s" which assessed the
current situation of women in Africa within the context of the Nairobi
Forward-looking Strategies and which noted that the condition of African
women has in most cases deteriorated particularly in the field of
higher and technical education, health, employment, decision-making
and economic empowerment,
Recognizing the crucial roles that women play in the critical
areas that enhance their advancement particularly in culture, the
family and in the socialization process; ensuring their reproductive
rights and improving their health status; in the protection and management
of the environment and natural resources; in the quest for peace and
in conflict prevention, resolution and management; in their political
empowerment and in the realization of their legal and human rights
particularly women with special needs,
Determined to implement recommendations for the accelerated
advancement of women and the girl-child emanating from recent world
conferences, inter alia, the World Conference on Children, the United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development, the World Conference
on Human Rights and the International Conference on Population and
Development,
Aware of the recent major political changes in Africa, particularly
the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa as well as other processes
of democratization taking place in the continent,
Aware also of the fact that African women have become more
active participants in the development process in various capacities,
Determined to support women fully so that they can contribute
to and participate more effectively in all the political and economic
changes now taking place in Africa,
1. Declare our commitment to forge a new ethic for sustainable development
based on the equal and active participation of women, men and youth
as agents of change at family, community, national and international
levels;
2. Commit ourselves to integrating women's concerns in:
(a) Balancing political, economic, cultural and social policy options;
(b) Harmonizing and reconciling economic growth with social equity;
(c) Emphasizing the interdependence and partnership of women, men
and youth of Africa, in an atmosphere of peace and well-being;
3. Recognize that women have great potential which if mobilized and
harnessed will make it possible to overcome the obstacles which have
impeded the full and effective implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking
Strategies since 1985;
4. Uphold the fact that the African Platform for Action is the outcome
of a regional country-based review of the progress of the implementation
of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies, and broad consultations
at national, subregional and regional levels, with inputs from grass-roots
communities;
5. Recognize that the African Platform for Action provides the African
Common Position on the advancement of women, as well as a framework
for committed and concerted action at regional, subregional and national
levels for the accelerated achievement of the objectives of the Nairobi
Forward-looking Strategies during the rest of the 1990s and into the
twenty-first century; 6.
6. Adopt the African Platform for Action as a renewed commitment
by African Governments and as a blueprint to further accelerate the
implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies in line with
the Abuja Declaration on Participatory Development; The Role of Women
in Africa in the 1990s, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination against Women, and declarations at international
and regional levels;
7. Calls upon the United Nations institutions and international development
partners and NGOs to commit themselves to the successful implementation
of the African Platform for Action.
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I. STATEMENT OF MISSION
1. The African Platform for Action is a synthesis of regional perspectives
and priorities and a framework for action for the formulation of policies
and implementation of concrete and sustainable programmes for the
advancement of women. It is developed in consonance with the Nairobi
Forward-looking Strategies, the Abuja Declaration and the Kampala
Action Plan. The Platform for Action aims to accelerate the social,
economic and political empowerment of all women at all levels and
at all stages of their lives under the guidance of the following principles:
(a) The operating principle of the African Platform for Action
is the integration of the gender perspective in all policies, plans
and actions directed towards the achievement of equality, development
and peace. The underlying assumption is that international instruments
that have been developed for human rights should be applicable to
all sectors of society. To this end, this African Platform for Action
aims to establish/strengthen sustainable mechanisms including information
systems at all levels for the promotion of legal literacy and the
advancement of women;
(b) Equal partnership between women and men is the ultimate goal
of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies, the Convention of the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and all
other relevant regional and international policy instruments on
human and women's rights;
(c) To this end, it is important to ensure a fuller and more active
participation of women in policy formulation and decision-making
processes of government;
(d) There is need to achieve/accelerate the economic, social and
political empowerment of women at all levels, enabling them as citizens,
on an equal footing with men, to participate at the level of decision-making,
becoming active contributors to and beneficiaries of all aspects
of national development;
e) The imperative of a successful search for peace which is crucial
for the African region cannot be overemphasized. Women and children
are the major victims of ethnic and civil strife including religious
extremism and in the ongoing process of conflict prevention, management
and resolution, women should be closely and actively involved and
consulted at the national, subregional and regional levels;
(f) Priority action should be taken for protecting the human rights
of girls and ensuring that they get nurture, care, education and
opportunities for achieving their full potentials equally with their
brothers.
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II. GLOBAL AND REGIONAL PERSPECTIVES
A. Global perspective
2. In accordance with the proclamation of the United Nations General
Assembly, 1975 was designated as International Women's Year (IWY),
when the first intergovernmental Conference on Women was convened
in Mexico City with the themes of Equality, Development and Peace.
The Declaration of Mexico on the Equality of Women and their Contribution
to Development and Peace and the World Plan of Action for the implementation
of the objectives of International Women's Year were the major outcomes
of the Conference. Since the 1970s, all United Nations agencies have
been mandated by their governing bodies to incorporate a gender perspective
and gender responsible policies and plans as a priority area in their
programmes. The United Nations declared 1976-1985 as a Decade for
Women to be devoted to effective and sustained national, regional
and international action to implement the World Plan of Action and
related resolutions. In 1979, the United Nations adopted the Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. In
July 1980, the second World Conference on Women was convened in Copenhagen
to assess the progress made since the first World Conference and to
outline actions to be taken during the second half of the Decade for
Women. Three sub-themes were added to the theme of equality, development
and peace, namely education, employment and health. To mark the end
of the Women's Decade, the United Nations convened the third World
Conference on Women in Nairobi in July 1985. The Nairobi Conference
adopted the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement
of Women up to the year 2000.
3. Since the adoption of Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the
Advancement of Women in 1985, major political, economic, social and
cultural changes have taken place. These have had both positive and
negative effects on women and it is against the backdrop of the impact
of these global changes on the African region that this Platform for
Action has been formulated.
4. The gender perspective and its incorporation in all policy decisions
is of paramount importance in engendering equality, development and
peace. Overall, many Governments have globally adopted strategies
for the enhancement of women's status and skills, their mainstreaming
and their involvement in key decision-making. However, what is still
lacking in most countries, is the total political commitment and the
necessary resource allocation without which the Nairobi Forward-looking
Strategies will remain unfulfilled aspirations.
5. The expectations for greater global security and a just, equitable
and non-discriminatory international economic order have not been
realized. In addition, international financial institutions and new
world trade arrangements and agreements have assumed larger roles
in global affairs and have failed to halt the economic decline in
many African countries. There has been a reduction in external assistance
flow and the depressed demand for African primary commodities have
significantly reduced export earnings. In addition, the heavy debt
burden has exacerbated the already depressed economic situation. Regrettably,
the interdependent world economy continues to be marked by uncertainty,
imbalance, recessions and eventually this has led to the continuing
marginalization of developing countries. Numerous interrelated global
factors therefore impinge on the lives of women in Africa, affecting
both their productive and reproductive roles. The emergence of the
political democratization process has ushered in competitive multi-party
system whose positive impact on women is yet to be felt.
B. Regional perspective
6. The first Regional Conference on the Integration of Women in Development
was held in Nouakchott, Mauritania in 1977 to review progress made
by African member States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations
operating in Africa in the implementation of the Regional Plan of
Action adopted at the World Conference on Women in Mexico City in
1975. The second Regional Conference for the Integration of Women
in Development was held in Lusaka, Zambia in 1979 to review the progress
made for the Integration of Women in Development and to prepare for
the second World Conference on Women in Copenhagen, Denmark, in July
1980. The third Regional Conference on Women was held in Arusha, United
Republic of Tanzania in 1984 to review and appraise progress achieved
and obstacles encountered in attaining the goals for women; to adopt
forward-looking strategies for the advancement of women in Africa
to the year 2000; and to arrive at a common African position for the
forthcoming Nairobi World Conference on Women.
7. The fourth Regional Conference on Women was held in Abuja, Nigeria,
in November 1989 to provide a forum for a thorough review and assessment
of the extent of implementation of the Arusha Strategies by Governments,
United Nations bodies, NGOs, etc.; consider emerging socio-economic
problems that are affecting the lives of African women, and to reassess
the priorities stated in the Arusha Strategies and make appropriate
recommendations for the future. It adopted the Abuja Declaration on
Participatory Development: The Role of Women in Africa in the 1990s
whose objectives aimed at defined targets to be achieved in various
sectors by the year 2000 in the areas of education, science and technology,
agriculture and food production, environment, decision-making and
mainstreaming, population issues, women and culture, etc.
8. Other regional milestones that have impacted upon the political,
socio- economic and cultural status of women in Africa have included,
inter alia:
(a) The Lagos Plan of Action and Final Act of Lagos (1980);
(b) The Kilimanjaro Programme of Action on Population and Self-Reliant
Development (1984);
(c) The African Charter on Popular Participation and Transformation
(1990);
(d) The Abuja Treaty establishing the African Economic Community
(1991);
(e) The Dakar/Ngor Declaration on Population, Family and Sustainable
Development (1992);
(f) The Ouagadougou Declaration on the Education of Girls (1993);
(g) The Regional Conference on Women and Peace, and the Kampala
Action Plan on Women and Peace (1993) which was adopted by the Council
of Ministers of OAU at its sixtieth session held in Tunis in June
1994;
(h) Resolution CM/Res. 1550 (LX) on the preparation of the fourth
World Conference on Women adopted by the Council of Ministers of
OAU at its sixtieth session held in Tunis in June 1994;
(i) Resolution CM/Res. 1551 (LX) on population and development
adopted by the Council of Ministers of OAU in July 1994.
9. In most of Africa, technological backwardness, natural disasters
especially drought, disruptions from civil wars and political conflicts
have contributed to the depressed economic activity and growth resulting
in low per capita incomes. As a result, more countries have been pushed
into the least developed country (LDC) category with extremely low
income levels. Economic growth has also been constrained by external
debt which at the end of 1993 stood at US$ 285.4 billion, with interest
on arrears representing nearly 40 per cent. The debt structure has
hardly changed over the last five years. The impact on economic growth
has been mixed due to the inadequacy of external support and internal
conflicts which have derailed the attainment of these objectives,
resulting in their failure to reflect long-term development goals
and the neglect of regional planning. This has adversely affected
income levels and distribution and the capacity to deliver basic services.
10. These recurrent crises have affected the tempo and level of all
economic development of Africa. Women more than men tend to bear the
disproportionate burden of such crises, and they become greatly disadvantaged
in participating effectively in any development ventures because of
some negative practices emanating from traditional, cultural, religious
and attitudinal constraints. Women, who make up more than 50 per cent
of the populations affected by these crises, must contribute effectively
to solving the numerous problems posed by these adverse conditions.
11. Indications of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations
which were finally concluded in December 1993 and adopted and signed
in April 1994 are that it will have negative effects on Africa's economic
performance, depending on the region's ability to manage change and
optimize technology for more efficient use of factors of production
in an effort to raise its competitive status in international markets.
It is also certain that agricultural subsidies will increase the food
import bills of African countries. This will greatly affect the socio-economic
status of women because of their total involvement with agricultural
sector activities. The emergence of trade blocs and regional markets
could also make it more difficult for the African region to maintain
its traditional relationships with its European partners for much-needed
resources. Accordingly, it is imperative that African Governments
develop and adopt strategies to address this situation.
12. Economic decline, recession and the resultant economic restructuring
in the face of external debt have led Governments to focus on the
more pressing and immediate problems often to the neglect of longer-term
issues that have direct bearing on the advancement of women. At the
same time, pre-existing conditions of inequality between men and women,
inter alia, in health and nutrition, levels of literacy and training,
access to education and economic opportunity, and in participation
in decision-making, have sometimes been exacerbated both by the crises
and by the policies adopted to cope with them. In other words, such
policies have compounded further the already disadvantaged situation
of the women because they do not take account of their specific roles
and concerns. They will also impact most adversely, the younger generation
of women who will inherit this legacy. The policies do not effectively
address the impact of restructuring on women and their multiple roles.
13. There is a democratization process sweeping the whole continent
and women have been active participants as candidates for election,
as voters and as observers of the election process in many countries.
A good number of women have entered parliament through their own efforts,
affirmative action and through the support of women and men, women's
groups, non-governmental associations and organizations of women.
Unfortunately, the number of African countries in political crisis,
extremism and turmoil is on the increase. In addition, African Governments
have yet to undertake comprehensive and concrete steps to promote
pragmatically the integration of women as equal partners, particularly
in politics, in popular participation and in key decision-making.
There is need therefore to monitor the impact of democratization on
women locally and nationally and to ensure that there are provisions
for women's education and sensitization at all stages of their life,
for more effective political participation.
14. Despite the commemoration of the International Year of the Family
(IYF) in May 1994, the integrity of the African family is being seriously
undermined by persistent socio-economic crises. The massive rural-urban
migration and brain drain, consisting mostly of young men and women,
has severely affected the socio-psychological and financial security
of many families. In many African rural and urban communities, the
number of female-headed households has steadily increased to a regional
average of around 35 per cent. Rural-urban migration has also increased
crime and violence, drug abuse, homelessness, unfavourable environmental
conditions and sexual exploitation of women, young girls and boys.
15. Women's health and reproductive rights are central to the realization
of their potential. The improvement of their health and their ability
to exercise control over their fertility is a major step in enabling
them to make the necessary choices in the other areas. African women's
inability to control their own fertility is associated with the unacceptably
high levels of infant, child and maternal mortality through a variety
of appropriate, affordable and accessible services and the persistence
of traditional mentalities hampering contraceptive practices.
16. African Governments are faced with new development challenges
represented by the adolescent population. By the year 2000 there will
be some 170 million youth - those aged 15-24 - in Africa. In some
African countries, nearly two thirds of the cases of septic abortions
come from the 15-19 age group. Adolescent sexuality and fertility
is high risk from the health standpoint. It contributes significantly
to girls' inability to attain high levels of education, and to unsafe
abortion which leads to maternal mortality and morbidity. The hidden
costs of adolescent sexuality and fertility are also enormous and
they strain many health service delivery systems of many African Governments.
This situation should be addressed urgently with appropriate policies
and services.
17. The unprecedented increase in the number of refugees and displaced
persons in the region is one of the major consequences of the protracted
internal strife, civil wars and political instability in many countries
of the region. According to UNHCR, the current refugee population
in Africa is estimated at 7 million out of a world total of 20 million
most of whom are women and children and there are also 25 million
internally displaced persons.
18. Women form a large percentage of refugees and displaced persons
in the Continent. Refugee and displaced women are particularly vulnerable
and special attention should be paid to their protection needs. They
also represent a useful resource whose potential should be tapped
in the search of durable solution to the refugee problems. The refugee
women's and girl's access to health, education and shelter should
not be affected as the result of their need to flee from the areas
of conflict.
19. Women's health should be viewed within a global approach dealing
with all the health problems affecting them in their life cycle. Mortality
problems relating to malaria, malnutrition, anaemia, tuberculosis,
maternal ailments and sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS,
still remain preoccupying. World wide, AIDS is a health, social, economic
and political issue. Africa is in the front line of the world-wide
epidemic, with its younger generation being most at risk. The full
dimensions of the epidemic in the region are still uncertain but it
is already a grave problem in many countries in East, Central and
Southern Africa. According to WHO, the number of new HIV infections
among women in most African countries outnumber men by six to five,
and more than 6 million women of child-bearing age have been infected.
One out of every three pregnant women attending antenatal clinics
in some major African urban centres is infected. Thus young women
are being most seriously debilitated by the impact of the AIDS pandemic.
The economic and social consequences of AIDS affect women the most
with serious repercussions on the elderly women who are left to care
for orphans when they are least capable. The subordinate position
of women and adolescent girls, with younger women being the least
empowered, and their lack of access to information, education and
communication, health facilities, training, independent income, property
and legal rights make them particularly vulnerable to the AIDS infection.
They lack knowledge about the disease and the measures that have to
be taken to protect themselves against HIV infection in spite of the
key role they play and will continue to play in their response. Consequently,
it is necessary to place emphasis on decreasing women's vulnerability
to HIV/AIDS. The young of Africa not only face a bleak economic future,
but are at present at risk from the spectre of the AIDS pandemic which
continues to take a tremendous toll on those below 25 years of age.
Education and information campaigns which target the sexual and reproductive
health of the young must be increased and strengthened, made more
accessible and culturally appropriate. However, besides HIV/AIDS,
Africa continues to experience high mortality rates caused by other
diseases such as malaria, sickle cell anaemia, tuberculosis, and ailments
related to malnutrition.
20. During the last decade, African Governments have slowly started
to show an increasing tendency to see the political and socio-economic
participation of women as a key factor and catalyst in the processes
and linkages that engender and encourage equality, health and development
and peace for the accelerated advancement of women. In this respect,
practically all Governments have established and given support to
national machineries to discharge their responsibilities of coordinating
and monitoring the incorporation of the gender perspective in overall
national development activities. In addition, most African countries
have enacted legislation against discriminatory practices with regard
to education, employment as well as legislation in favour of paid
maternity leave for women. Very few countries have adopted relevant
legislative framework to ensure fair share of family responsibilities
between men and women as stipulated in International Labour Convention
No. 156 on Workers with family responsibilities.
21. Overall therefore, despite regional and individual efforts made
by member States, the international community and local and international
NGOs to improve the status of African women, only modest progress
has been made and critical gaps still exist in several areas. The
more glaring gaps are in relation to, inter alia, gender disparity
in access to education, employment, health services, access to - and
control of - productive resources and technology; underrepresentation
in particular in the higher political, economic, social and decision-making
levels; inadequacy of national machineries, policy and programmes
for the enrichment of the women's cause; lack of availability and
use of gender-disaggregated data; de jure and de facto discrimination
with respect to employment opportunities; marital and family status;
lack of awareness on the part of both women and men regarding the
issue of women's legal and human rights; and lack of understanding
of the legal and administrative systems and mechanisms for redress.
A more detailed analysis of these gaps is given in the following section.
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III. CRITICAL AREAS OF CONCERN
22. In the regional review of the process and progress of implementation
of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies, several gaps and critical
areas of concern have been identified at the national and regional
levels. Others have been identified through technical workshops convened
at national, subregional and regional levels, with inputs from grass-roots
communities, women and women's organizations, national and international
NGOs, intergovernmental bodies and United Nations agencies. The intention
is to reflect a broad-based consensus on the critical areas of concern
as well as the criteria used in the process of identifying these areas.
They constitute the core of the African Platform for Action, namely:
(a) Women's poverty, insufficient food security and lack of economic
empowerment;
(b) Inadequate access to education, training, science and technology;
(c) Women's vital role in culture, the family and socialization;
(d) Improvement of women's health, reproductive health including
family planning and population-related programmes;
(e) Women's relationship and linkages to environment and natural
resource management;
(f) Involvement of women in the peace process;
(g) The political empowerment of women;
(h) Women's legal and human rights;
(i) Mainstreaming of gender-disaggregated data;
(j) Women, communication, information and arts;
(k) The girl-child. It should be noted that these critical areas
of concern are interdependent in terms of how they affect the implementation
of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies. Further, the order of
presentation reflects the concerns of women in the African region
but they are all of equal priority.
A. Women's poverty, insufficient food security and lack of economic
empowerment
23. Poverty in Africa manifests itself in various forms and has its
essential origin in lack of income, exclusion from the market and
social and political life, unequal distribution of wealth and income
from global, regional, subregional to local levels, economic recession,
drought and other disasters, heavy debt burden, structural adjustment
programmes that are incompatible with sustainable development, rapid
population growth, armed conflicts and civil strife and these in turn
are linked to the general political, economic and social conditions
of a given country.
24. More than a third of the people of Africa live in abject poverty
and are unable to meet their most basic needs. In 1991, this number
was estimated at about 250 million. Notably, the poor are usually
associated with high levels of malnutrition, illiteracy, poor sanitation
and limited participation in socio-economic activities. For example,
in 1993, infant mortality rate in sub-saharan Africa averaged 103
per 1,000 live births as compared to 71 per 1,000 for all developing
countries. In the same year, under-5 mortality rates were estimated
at 160 per 1,000 live births in sub-Saharan Africa. Between 1985 and
1990, only 51 per cent of urban population in Africa had access to
sanitation facilities compared to 16 per cent for the rural population.
During the same period, access to safe water covered only 68 per cent
in the urban areas and 26 per cent in the rural areas. For all Africa,
calories per capita per day averaged 2,100 in 1993 while protein per
capita per day was 53 grams compared to a world average of 2,600 calories
and 71 grams respectively. The agricultural sector can contribute
up to 50 per cent of the GDP, while the agricultural population can
make up to 85 per cent of the total. There is also a big gap between
urban and rural areas, as regards incomes, food intakes, etc.
25. The heavy burden of poverty falls disproportionately on women
especially female-headed households whose proportion is increasing
and is now around 35 per cent. Feminization of poverty has therefore
become a reality. Although women constitute more than half of the
population, have limited access, ownership and co-ownership to land
and housing, they nevertheless provide 60 to 80 per cent of the food
supply.
26. In formal employment, they are concentrated in low pay, low grade
sectors with poor promotion prospects. Women are the backbone of both
cash crop and subsistence farming, yet their non-marketed productive
and reproductive activities are neither marketable nor recognized
as economic outputs. They are thus denied the tools and means of sustainability
and still
27. confront considerable discrimination that constitute a major
obstacle to increased productivity. 27. To compound all this, many
African countries are also experiencing critical situations in terms
of food security, accessibility and distribution. Once a net exporter
of food, since the 1980s the region has become a net importer and
hunger and malnutrition continue to be a critical issue, affecting
women and children. Since 1960, the population in Africa has increased
at an annual rate of 3 per cent while food production grew by only
an average of 1.8 per cent with the food self-sufficiency ratio dropping
from 100 per cent in 1960 to 81 per cent in the 1990s. Approximately
25 per cent of food requirements are imported including food aid,
with the annual food imports being equivalent to roughly 30 per cent
of Africa's agricultural export earnings. The scarce exported agricultural
products are marketed at very low prices while the limited foreign
exchange earnings accruing from such commodities are diverted from
more important uses to pay for food imports. Security and self-sufficiency
are therefore not related to food alone, but to the general and pervasive
problem of poverty, unequal distribution of income, weaker purchasing
power and unfavourable terms of trade as well as the burden of external
debt servicing.
28. Women in Africa, as the main providers and traditional managers
of food at the family and household level, can play a key role in
the equitable distribution and redistribution of scarce resources.
Strengthening of women's potential for management of food and food
aid resources can ensure that women's priorities, and their families'
well-being, are better served. This increased food security at household
level would, in turn, contribute to the global aim of national food
security.
29. Women in Africa must be empowered to participate in economic
structures and policy formulation and in the productive process itself.
It is now recognized that the contribution of rural women in Africa
is critical in development. The African Platform for Action, in line
with the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies and the Abuja Declaration,
emphasizes the economic empowerment of women through stimulating,
consolidating and coordinating the entrepreneurial spirit and skills
of African women and providing adequate access to both formal and
informal sector resources. Women's empowerment will enhance their
capacity to realistically alter the direction of change for their
well-being as well as of society as a whole. It is also crucial to
engage the younger generation of women as active partners for change.
Consequently, strategies and actions are needed in order to move away
from the current welfare orientation to address the economic empowerment
of women, and in particular strengthen and support their participation
in trade and industry; stem the growing disparity between rural and
urban conditions; and move towards environmentally sustainable actions
for poverty alleviation through sustainable development. The actions
proposed by the Platform are based on the recognition of women's own
responses to increasingly difficult and changing productive and economic
circumstances based on their know-how, initiatives and capacities.
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