5TH GIMAC MEETING: Young Women Advocacy Training

Recap from Paul Okondo

5th GIMAC strategic engagement with AU

July marked a significant time in history in the fight for women’s rights.it is a time to commemorate 20 years since the protocol to the African charter on human and peoples right of women in Africa (the Maputo protocol) was adopted. The protocol is one of the most progressive women’s rights treaties. it addresses the many legal, cultural, and societal impediments that characterized various Africa women’s limitations to achieving their full potential. It demonstrated African willingness to protect, promote and fulfil women’s rights. Achieving full agenda equality in all spheres of life is a critical element of the ‘aspiration of the Africa we want ‘articulated in agenda 2063 of the AU.

The celebration of Maputo was said to have come at the right time as gender inclusivity in the deliberation and tracking of the progress in this year’s theme for the AU on Accelerating implementation of AfCFTA. The Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is one of the agenda 2063, which aims to create a single market for goods and services, facilitate free movement of people and capital, and promote industrialization and sustainable development across Africa this was to boost intra African trade, increase competitive, diversity exports, attract investments, jobs and reduce poverty in Africa and to make women in African continent to interact free.

GIMAC Young Women Network of youth below the age of 35 was formed in 2018 to recognize and amplify vulnerable young women’s voices and their advocacy efforts in their communities. The network was made up of passionate young women and male champions who push the rights of young girls and young women in their different regions around Africa and it was also the women advocacy work seeks to address gender equality and equality for women empowerment and active participation of the 6 thematic areas of GIMAC

The outgoing chairperson Ms. Karen Ondwasi Olaka, and Ms. Melissa Ruvimbo Kubvoruno, incoming Chairperson, GIMAC Young women network said there opening remarks and show cased a video “I belong to me’’ to the participants Dr. Nyaradzayi Gumbonzavanda and Dr. Helene Yinda, GIMAC Thematic heads for young women said their remarks to the to the participants a welcomed to the GIMAC meeting

The expected out come of the meeting and the training was said that the training will be a set of key recommendation that will be utilized in advocacy toward AU summit and for the GIMAC network to outline its roadmap strategies with specific action points to inform effective coordination and implementation of AU declaration at the RECS and national level

Image of WREPA Team members at the event

Another expectation of the meeting was youth capacity to understand, advocate, monitor and evaluate in the implementation of the AfCFTA is enhanced

A set of concrete and actionable recommendation for mainstreaming gender in AfCFTA implementation at a national region and continental levels, based on evidence-based research and based practices, as documented in a report policy brief disseminated to relevant actors within three months after the event.