European Union in partnership with the African women’s development and communications network FEMNET have urged African governments to strengthen collective capacities that will ensure increased gender equality and women’s rights in Africa.
At the same time, the Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Youth & Gender Affairs Professor Magaret Kobia has lauded the EU/FEMNET partnership calling it a “critical and sustainable approach to gender equality”.
At a dinner gala on Tuesday, the EU and FEMNET launched a 4-year partnership project titled “A Strengthened Women’s Network for Greater Impact”. The project funded by the European Union will be implemented by 14 African FEMNET Member organizations in seven African Countries.
Speaking at the launch, attended by women’s rights organizations participants from diverse African countries as well as members of the Diplomatic Corp, the European Union Chargé d’ Affaires Mr Hubert Perr expressed optimism that the partnership will go a long way in transforming the lives of women in Africa.
“When we launched the “She is We” in Kenya last year, we were categorical that governments cannot speak of addressing inequalities without ensuring that there is gender equality. This is what this partnership today pushes to achieve in not only the seven selected countries but all across the whole of Africa and globally”. Said Mr Perr.
Professor Margaret Kobia, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Youth & Gender Affairs reiterated this call. The CS urged that the FEMNET/EU partnership should manifest even beyond Africa’s borders to maximize its impact: “The gender agenda is a global agenda; we should not feel that it is only a struggle for women in Africa. We must in our pursuit for gender equality connect these issues to what is happening globally and thus be present in all platforms and processes that seek to address it”. Said CS Professor Kobia.
Also present at the launch was Her Excellency Ambassador Mette Knudsen of the Embassy of Denmark who took the opportunity to reinforce commitment to the upcoming International Conference on Population Development (ICPD) that will be held in Nairobi later in the year.
“It is our strong belief that we cannot achieve a successful ICPD without consolidating greater government commitment on improving gender equality. Many countries have so far committed to participating in the ICPD and we are certain that gender equality will feature greatly in that commitment”. Said Ambassador Knudsen.
