Gender Mainstreaming in the African Union

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Gender Mainstreaming in the African Union

• Presented by Kemi Ogunsanya
• African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of
  Disputes (ACCORD)
• at the
• Gender and ESDP Course
• Budapest, Hungary
• 19 April 2007

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Transition from OAU to AU

• The Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was
  created on May 25, 1963 by Pan-African leaders to
  combat colonialism and imperialism in Africa.
• African leaders saw the OAU had fulfilled its
  objectives, as many countries were now
  independent and liberated.
• The cold war was over and this left the Continent
  with insurmountable intra-state violent conflicts
  and civil wars.
• Over 30 countries out of 53 African states have
  experienced war or violent conflict in the 1990s.
• The African Union (AU) was created in 2001 to
  deal with the new challenges facing the Continent.

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Africa Conflict Map 1990-2005
W. Sahara
Algeria
Eritrea
Mauritania
Mali
Niger
Djibouti
Sudan
Senegal
Chad
Somalia
Guinea B.
Nigeria
Ethiopia
CAR
Guinea
Uganda
Togo
Cote dIvoire
Kenya
DRC
S. Leone
Rwanda
Liberia
R. Congo
Burundi
Angola
Comoros
Mozambique
Madagascar
Lesotho
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Purpose of the AU

• The African Union was launched in Durban on 9
  July 2002, by its first President, Thabo Mbeki of
  South Africa.
• The purpose of the Union is to help secure
  Africas democracy, human rights and a
  sustainable economy.
• The AU intends to have a single currency,
  integrated defence force and an effective common
  market.
• The AUs first military intervention was in
  Burundi (AMIB), followed by Sudan (AMIS), and
  most recently Somalia (AMISOM).
• The New Partnership for African Development
  (NEPAD) is an economic development programme of
  the AU, with its headquarters in South Africa.

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Overview Official Bodies of the AU

• The AU is governed by the Assembly of Heads of
  State and the Pan African Parliament.
• Assembly of the African Union is composed of
  Heads of member States and Governments, and is
  the supreme governing body of the Union.
• Pan-African Parliament is the highest
  legislative body of the AU.
• African Commission is the secretariat of the
  AU, composed of ten commissioners and support
  staff based in Addis Ababa. Responsible for
  administration and co-ordination of AUs
  activities and meetings.
• Executive Council is composed of ministers
  designated by governments of member states and is
  accountable to the Assembly. Oversees matters of
  foreign trade, social security, communications,
  food and agriculture.
• Permanent Representatives Committee consists
  of nominated permanent secretaries of member
  states. The committee prepares the work of the
  Executive Council.

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Overview Official Bodies of the AU

• Specialised Technical Committees addresses
  specific matters on rural economy and
  Agriculture monetary and financial affairs
  trade, customs and immigration transport,
  communication and tourism health, labour and
  social affairs education, culture and human
  resources.
• African Court of Justice is composed of eleven
  judges to rule on human rights abuses in Africa.
  The Court will be situated in East Africa, Kenya
  and Uganda have expressed interest to host the
  Court.
• Economic, Social and Cultural Council is an
  advisory organ composed of professional and civic
  representatives.
• Peace and Security Council composed of 15
  members responsible for monitoring and
  intervening in conflicts, with an African Standby
  Force operational by 2010.
• Financial Institutions African Central Bank,
  African Investment Bank, African Monetary Fund.
• For more information on the AU, please visit
  www.africa-union.org

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What is Gender Mainstreaming?

• Mainstreaming a gender perspective is the
  process of assessing the implications for women
  and men of any planned action, including
  legislation, policies or programmes, in any area
  and at all levels. It is a strategy for making
  womens as well as mens concerns and experiences
  an integral dimension in the design,
  implementation, monitoring and evaluation of
  policies and programmes in all political,
  economic and societal spheres so that women and
  men benefit equally and inequality is not
  perpetuated. The ultimate goal is to achieve
  gender equality (UNECSOC 1997)

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Gender Mainstreaming in the AU

• Durban Declaration 2002 facilitated by ACCORD
  and Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS)
• The Document was presented to the Committee of
  Ambassadors and Council of Ministers.
• This Council adopted the establishment of a
  gender machinery in the AU.
• The Chairperson of the AU Commission is
  responsible for mainstreaming gender in all
  programme activities of the Union.

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Gender Mainstreaming in the AU

• At the session of Heads of State and Government,
  chaired by President Thabo Mbeki, President
  Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal put forward the
  Consultations recommendations to the Assembly.
• The Assembly unanimously adopted gender parity
  (50 per cent representation of women) in the AU
  Commission.
• Five of the 10 Commissioners from each of the
  five regions is a woman.
• Specialised Technical Team on Gender was
  established under Article 14 of the Constitutive
  Act for effective mainstreaming of gender at all
  structures of decision-making in the AU.

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Gender Mainstreaming in the AU

• The Protocol on Womens Rights in Africa was
  adopted in Mozambique, July 2003.
• At the first AU Conference of Ministers
  Responsible for Gender Affairs held in Dakar,
  Senegal in October 2005, two documents were
  adopted to assist in responsible reporting on
  gender equity
• The implementation Framework for the Solemn
  Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (SDGEA)
• Guidelines for Monitoring and Reporting on the
  SGDEA.
• The AU Commission develops composite reports
  based on the reports submitted by member states.

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Gender Mainstreaming in the AU

• Election of Gertrude Mongella as first female
  President of the Pan African Parliament in 2004,
  and Alpha Oumar Konaré, first Chairman of the AU
  Commission.

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Gender Mainstreaming in the AU

• The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) was
  established in 2001 to fulfill the commitments of
  NEPAD.
• Balanced representation in APRM appointments in
  2003.

• Ms. Graca Machel, Mozambique
• Amb. Bethuel Kiplagat, Kenya
• Ms. Marie Angelique Savane, Senegal
• Mr. Chris Staals of South Africa
• Ms. Dorothy Njeuma, Cameroon
• Prof. Adebayo Adedeji, Nigeria

• 27 countries currently participating in APRM
• 6 countries have completed their review
• Thematic Areas
• Democracy and good governance
• Economic and corporate management
• Socio-economic development

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President Abdoulaye Wade with Chancellor Angela
Merkel

• Presidents Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal and Thabo
  Mbeki of South Africa were the first recipients
  of the Award in 2005.

Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa
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ACCORD received the TOMBOUCTOU AWARD in June
2006, in recognition for its contribution to
gender and security on the Continent, and gender
mainstreaming in the African Union.

Vasu Gounden, Founder ED of ACCORD
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Gender Mainstreaming in the African Union
Presented by Kemi Ogunsanya African Centre for
the Constructive Resolution of Disputes
(ACCORD) at the Gender and ESDP Course Budapest,
Hungary 19 April 2007