" [1]Justina Dugbazah, project manager-Anglophone - NEPAD/Spanish fund
Organized by equality now and the solidarity for African women’s rights (SOAWR)
14TH July, 2011. Nairobi, Kenya
PRESENTED BY JUSTINA DUGBAZAH
PROJECT MANAGER-ANGLOPHONE
NEPAD/SPANISH FUND
NEPAD AGENCY
MIDRAND, SOUTH AFRICA
Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:
- On behalf of Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, CEO of the NEPAD Agency, I bring you greetings as well as gratitude to Equality Now and SOAWR for the invitation to this landmark event which brings together such distinguished personalities concerned with gender equality, women’s empowerment and human rights on our continent.
- I also commend Equality Now for the important role the organization plays in advancing gender equality and the rights of women.
- This occasion represents the greatest honour to me as an African woman, as I pay tribute to African women who are confronted with institutional, socio-economic, legal and political constraints such as lack of access to basic rights, resources and livelihood opportunities.
- The tenacity of the African woman is exemplary because in spite of numerous challenges, women refuse to be simply passive recipients of development. Instead, they strive to empower themselves and improve their lived realities, albeit within limits.
- I also pay tribute to gender and development practitioners, human rights advocates, academics, NGOs, civil society and many others, as we collectively journey towards achieving gender equality and human rights for all in Africa and beyond
- In light of the potential and dynamism of women and men in improving their living conditions, concerted efforts are required to empower them further.
- It is within this context that the NEPAD Agency through its gender programme and the NEPAD/Spanish Fund works with stakeholders towards unlocking the potential of African women and strengthening communities, nation states and RECs.
- A case in point is the financial and technical support provided to Equality Now and SOAWR in developing the “Guide to using the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa for Legal Action”.
Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen; at this juncture I wish to provide a brief background of the NEPAD Agency.
NEPAD and AU Integration Process
- The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) is a programme of the African Union (AU) which was adopted in Lusaka, Zambia in 2001.
- The former NEPAD had a Secretariat, which was the driving vehicle of the initial NEPAD vision
- In February 2010, the 14th AU Assembly established the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD Agency) with a new mandate to coordinate and facilitate the implementation of regional and continental programmes
- The main goal of NEPAD Agency is to reduce poverty and increase growth and sustainable development across Africa.
Mandate and Core functions of NPCA are as follows:
- Facilitate and coordinate the implementation of continental and regional priority programmes and projects
- Mobilize resources and partners in support of programmes and projects implementation
- Conduct and coordinate research and knowledge management
- Monitor and Evaluate the implementation of programmes and projects
- Advocate on the AU and NEPAD vision, mission and core principles/values
Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:
The mandate given to development agencies at the Beijing Platform for Action was to provide opportunities for women’s empowerment and mainstreaming of gender into development policy and practice. In this respect, I am pleased to report that this mandate has acted as a catalyst for a number of activities undertaken by the NEPAD Agency at the policy, programmes and institutional level.
- First of all, the mandate has enhanced the commitment of NEPAD Agency to gender equality and women’s empowerment.
- The gender framework of the Agency underscores mainstreaming a gender perspective in all policies, programmes and projects in order to facilitate a dynamic and central role for women.
- At the policy level for example, the NEPAD Agency clearly identifies poverty reduction and sustainable development as the primary development challenge facing Africa, which is a priority area of concern in the Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action.
- The Agency considers women’s economic empowerment, in particular, as an important tool in the fight against poverty and contribution to growth and sustainable development.
- Hence the utilization of the Agency’s resources are crystallized around four themes that are central to women's empowerment, namely Agriculture and Food Security, Climate Change & Natural Resources Management; Regional Integration and Infrastructure; Human Development, and Economic and Corporate Governance.
Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:
- Under the NEPAD Secretariat the gender programme operated within a limited mandate
- However, since the integration of NEPAD Agency into the AU, the gender programme is broadening its activities.
- The NEPAD Agency’s gender programme aims at working together with the AUCWGDD to achieve the objectives of the two institutions in achieving gender equality in Africa
- The Agency now underscores the autonomy and central role for women in the economy.
- The Agency’s gender programme has adopted a two-pronged approach, namely sectoral interventions through financing and technical support for programmes/projects that contribute to women’s empowerment and gender equality in Africa
- In this respect the Agency created the NEPAD/ Spanish Fund as an important component of its strategy in achieving this goal
The NEPAD/Spanish Fund
- The NEPAD/Spanish Fund for African Women’s Empowerment was created by the former NEPAD Secretariat, now NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency, and the Government of Spain in June, 2007.
- The goal of the NEPAD/Spanish Fund is to promote gender equality, and increase the capacities and autonomy of African women in sub-Saharan Africa.
- The implementation of the Fund is achieved through three processes as follows (i) a call for proposals (ii) the establishment of business incubators for women and (iii) provision of technical assistance.
- 2.000.000 Euros dedicated to the implementation of the BIAWE projects
Key Outputs during 1st call for proposals
- During the 1st call for proposals between 2008 and 2010, the NEPAD/Spanish Fund supported 43 gender-related projects in sub-Saharan Africa, and a total amount of 6.2 million Euros was disbursed to the approved projects.
- Targeted projects focused on the following areas: agriculture including agro-processing, research on issues affecting women, microfinance and capacity building, education, vocational skills training, training for women entrepreneurs, advocacy for gender and human rights, promoting the participation of women in key decision-making processes and advocacy efforts on issues affecting women (political participation, constitution reform, human rights, and peace-building).
- The NEPAD/Spanish Fund is delighted to have provided financial support to Equality Now towards developing the “Guide to using the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa for Legal Action” during the 1st call for proposals – a worthy cause indeed.
The 2nd Call for Proposals
- The NEPAD Agency launched the 2nd call for proposals in Namibia on 9th April 2011 during the 6th Africa-Spain International Meeting “Women for a Better World” in three strategic sectors as follows: women’s economic empowerment; strengthening civil society and women’s community-based organizations (CSOs and CBOs); and institutional strengthening.
- The NEPAD/Spanish Fund will disburse an amount of Euros 8.2 million during the 2nd Call for Proposals.
Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:
- The NEPAD Agency congratulates Equality Now, SOAWR and other stakeholders who have contributed to developing the “Guide to Using the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa for Legal Action”.
- The guide constitutes an important tool (i) in assisting women to know their rights better (ii) serves as a legal source for women’s and girls’ rights defenders in Africa (iii) provides a better understanding of, and an effective use of the Women’s Rights Protocol.
- It is the hope of the NEPAD Agency and its NEPAD/Spanish Fund for African Women’s Empowerment, that through an effective use of the Guide and the combined strategies of all relevant actors: (i) there will be an increased awareness and efforts to eliminate violence against women and all forms of discrimination; and (ii) lastly that women and men, girls and boys will enjoy equal access to livelihoods opportunities and increased respect for human rights.
- I wish to conclude by reaffirming the commitment of the NEPAD Agency to promoting gender and development issues in Africa.
Congratulations once again to EQUALITY NOW and SOAWR for a job well done!!
Thank you all, and have an enjoyable evening.
Click here [2] to download the speech.
