Africa Today
Women in Africa
Following the African Union Gender Policy adoption in 2009, African leaders launched the African Women’s Decade 2010-2020 and the Fund for African Women to accelerate the implementation of all commitments on gender equality and women’s empowerment on the continent. These continental frameworks complement important global frameworks, to which many African Governments are signatories, including Ghana, Rwanda, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Burundi, just to name a few.
With the help of these intervening policies, we have seen women empowered and are able to rise into positions of government. According to the 2021’s edition of the African Barometer on Women’s Political Participation, some African countries have surpassed the 50% mark of women in the political decision-making process with some even being president like Her Excellency Dr. Joyce Banda, former and fourth president of the Republic of Malawi.
With respect to the sports industry, there has been a seamless integration of the female gender to the point where it is normal for females to participate in male-dominated sports such as football and other athletic events. As part of efforts to drive equality in sports for women, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization UNESCO, structured three main interventions. The first is to enforce the rights of girls and women to participate in physical education and sports at all levels. Another is to protect participating girls and women from harassment and the last is to use sport to promote gender equality and empower girls and women.
Lastly, in the area of entertainment, women are neck and neck in the entertainment industry. There is no question about the second nature of how the feminine gender has so well integrated into the entertainment industry. Notable ones include Efya and Yemi Alade.
It can confidently be said that the average african woman today is placed in the point of history that is engineered to offer equality between genders to a very high extent. The importance of recognizing women as equal partners in development, peace, and security should be seen in the lenses of a discerning African; an African open-minded and ready to question the status quo.
References
1 International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. (2021). Women’s Political Participation ~ Africa Barometer 2021. International IDEA publications. https://www.idea.int/sites/default/files/publications/womens-political-participation-africa-barometer-2021.pdf
Africa Union Commission. (2019). CONTINENTAL RESULTS FRAMEWORK MONITORING AND REPORTING ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY AGENDA IN AFRICA (2018 – 2028). The Office of the Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security of The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC). https://au.int/sites/default/files/documents/35958-doc-continental_result_framework_on_wps_agenda_in_africa.pdf
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