The Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa celebrates its 10th anniversary
The Network of Elected Women of Africa (REFELA), which promotes women's leadership and advocates for gender equality, is organizing, from 9 to 11 March 2021, a series of virtual events as part of the celebration of its 10 years of existence, including a workshop on the theme "Local Approaches to Ensuring Women's Rights".
Created in March 2011 during the first Forum of locally elected women in Africa held in Tangiers, REFELA is the Standing Committee on Gender Equality of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa), and brings together women mayors and councillors of the Executive Councils of local authorities in Africa.
Thetwo days of 9 and 10 March will be devoted to the reinforcement of the capacities of locally elected women in the framework of a Workshop co-organized by UCLG Africa and the International Centre for the Promotion of Human Rights at Local and Regional Level, under the auspices of UNESCO. This workshop will be held under the theme: "Local Approaches for the Guarantee of Women's Rights" .
"Efforts must be made at the level of local governance".
Citing the Beijing Declaration of 4 September 1995 in which the governments of the Member States of the United Nations committed themselves to:"to realize theequal rights and the inherent dignity of men and women", the Pre sidente of the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA), Dao Macoura, noted that despite the progress mades in recent decades in Africa, such as the access of young girls to education, much remains to be done, particularly in terms of "early marriages and advocates for better care of reproductive health".
For this reason, this concern has been taken up again in the sustainable development goal number 5 of Agenda 2030 adopted in 2015, which is to "achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls by 2030.
A briefing note produced by UN Women in April 2020 on the impact of COVID-19 on women warns that the limited progress mades in recent years on the gender equality front is at risk of being reversed because of the impact of the pandemic. There has been an increase in violence against women and girls as a result of containment measures, which has also had a very negative impact on family nutrition, a responsibility that in most cases in Africa rests on the shoulders of women.
Dao Macoura recalls that "it is at the level of local governance that this effort for equality between men and women must be made, namely through equal access to education, health care and social services.It is at the level of local governance that this effort for gender equality must be made, through equal access to schooling, work, economic opportunities, the right to enjoy public freedoms, security of use of public space, and political and administrative functions within the said communities.
"A Charter of Local and Regional Authorities for Gender Equality in Africa, drawn up by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), will thus be submitted to the European Parliament and the Council of Europe.A Charter of Local and Regional Authorities for Gender Equality in Africa, drawn up by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), will thus be submitted to UCLG Africa for adoption at its general assembly scheduled to take place on the occasion of the Africities Summit from 26 to 30 April 2022 in Kisumu, Kenya," REFELA's president concluded.
Promotion of women's leadership and gender equality
March 11 will be marked by the celebration of the day of commemoration of the creation of REFELA, which will bring together all REFELA countries. The March 11th webinar will be held under the theme: "REFELA, a Network, a Vision and an Agenda for the Promotion of Women's Leadership and Gender Equality in Local Africa".
The 10th anniversary of REFELA has set itself several objectives: to take stock of the network's achievements; to discuss the challenges facing the network; to address future perspectives for action and cooperation and to offer targeted and holistic training that meets the expectations of REFELA's women mayors.
Several personalities will take part in the three days of celebration, in particular DAO Macoura COULIBALY, President of REFELA, Mayor of Foumbolo (Côte d'Ivoire), Eugène Mba, President of UCLG Africa, Mayor of Libreville (Gabon), Fatna EL KHIEL, Vice-President of North Africa, EYIDI borne EBODIAM TCHOUMBI Yvonne, Vice-President of the Central Africa Region, RATSIMBAZAFY Sahondramalala Esther, Vice-President of the East Africa Region, Georgina Mwiya - Simataa, Vice-President of the Southern Africa Region, Leila Rhiwi, Representative of the UCLG Africa Secretariat, Eugène Mba, President of UCLG Africa, Mayor of Libreville (Gabon), Fatna EL KHIEL, Vice-President of North Africa, EYIDI bornRepresentative of the UN Women for the Maghreb, Fatimetou Mint Abdel Malik, President of the Nouakchott Region (Mauritania), former President of REFELA, Célestine Ketcha Courtès, Minister of Housing and Development, Célestine Ketcha Courtès, Minister of the Environment, Célestine Ketcha Courtès, Minister of the Environment, Célestine Ketcha Courtès, Minister of Housing and Development. Gerd Oberleitner, International Centre for the Promotion of Human Rights at Local and Regional Level, under the auspices of UNESCO, Emilia Saiz, Secretary General of UCLG World, Fréderic Vallier, Secretary General of CEMR and Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG Africa.
Source: lobservateur. info
