THE UN Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF) yesterday launched the Africa Human Development Report 2016 with a strong call to adopt a political economy approach in addressing gender equality and women’s empowerment in Africa.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of
Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Ms Sihaba
Nkinga, said after launching the report in Dar es Salaam that its
findings were not only timely but also relevant in the context of
Tanzania.
“We have made progress towards gender
equality and women empowerment in a national context. Administratively,
the government has deliberately undertaken efforts at providing
appointments in very senior positions to women at cabinet ministerial
positions, permanent secretaries and managers,” she said.
The report, titled ‘Africa Human
Development Report 2016, Accelerating Gender Equality and Women’s
Empowerment in Africa’, recommends forging stronger alliances among
governments, private sector, civil society organizations and development
partners towards a common gender-focused agenda for action, which
include the establishment of an African Women Investment Bank and
opening Women Investment Windows in national and regional development
banks.
It calls for public and private sector
institutions to implement a Gender Equality Seal certification
initiative to promote standards that foster equality of opportunities
among employees.
In her opening remarks, UNDP Country
Director, Tanzania Country Office, Awa Dabo, highlighted some strategic
pathways that the report offers to accelerate gender equality and fully
integrate gender into broader development agenda that include
prioritising support for the adoption of legal reforms, policies and
programmes for advancing women’s empowerment.
“Others include, prioritising support
for enhancing national capacities to promote and increase the
participation and leadership of women in decision making in the home, in
the economy and in the society. Also prioritizing support for women to
gain ownership and management of economic and environmental assets,’’
she said
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