Resolution number: 11
Title:

Make African Women Agents of Change towards Strong National Economies

Submitted by: International Network of Liberal Women (INLW), endorsed by the LI President

The Congress of the Liberal International, convened in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on 20 October 2012

Recalling:

• LI Resolutions “Is Gender Equality a Dream?” (2011), “Women’s Participation in the Economy for Sustainable Development” (2006) and “Equal Opportunities for Women and Men in Politics”

Considering:

• The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against women

• The Millennium Development Goals

• The African Women’s’ Decade: Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, a Bottom Up Approach and Road Map 2010-2020

• The adoption by the African Union of a legally binding protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the rights of women

Noting:

• that as elsewhere in the world, women in Africa are struggling for their fair share of political power and economic opportunity;

• that, as elsewhere, gender inequalities remain deeply entrenched in many African societies;

• that Africa is shaking off its legacies of autocratic rule, social marginalization and economic disarray, while women demand and are entitled to full participation;

• that in Africa Ministries or Bureaus for Women’s Affairs, women’s NGO’s as well as the thousands of informal women’s groups serve women’s needs;

• that women play a key role in promoting economic growth, reducing poverty and
• improving social welfare and in pursuing sustainable livelihoods for both rural and urban poor;

• that hard work and commitment of grassroots women can make the difference: women farmers, traders, entrepreneurs and activists who struggle every day to better their lives and improve the prospects for their families, communities and nations;

• that gender mainstreaming of the economy should become an integral part of the process of building strong sustainable economies, which are based on equal rights for men and women.

Liberal International calls upon governments, in particular those in Africa to:

• seriously build good governance and real democratic systems, so women participate equally in these systems. Systems bringing about inclusion, pluralism and diversity rather than patronage which upholds old systems and prevents women participating fully;

• Train, equip, encourage and enable for women to participate equally in all spheres of society, including institutions where key political and economic decisions are made, such as central banks, ministries of finance, planning and trade;

• provide the conditions for women to become the agents of change through providing education and skill training, trade and women’s know-how, adequate access to productive resources and access to finance;

• foster private sector development, domestic and foreign investments;

• recognize that men must and do play an integral role in shaping possibilities for women to participate in the aforementioned processes.