Following a string of milestones, African women are now facing an incredible opportunity to effect positive change on their continent. Following the "Durban Declaration on Mainstreaming Gender and Women's Effective Participation in the African Union" signed in June 2002 by the African Civil Society Organisations, a gender parity policy was unanimously adopted in the African Union Commission thanks to the joint efforts of President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal and President Thabo Mwulyelwa Mbeki of South Africa. This resulted in the election of five female Commissioners out of ten and in the adoption of the "Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa " by the African Union in July 2003.

A year later, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia , under the leadership of African Union Chairperson, H.E. Alpha Oumar Konaré, the relentless efforts of women resulted in the African Heads of State adopting the "Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa ". The African Heads of States had proposed to monitor themselves on gender mainstreaming.

In 2005 in Dakar, Senegal, to build upon the above initial hard-won advances, the PanAfrican Centre for Gender, Peace and Development, in conjunction with its partners, initiated the African Gender Forum and Award as a way to encourage accountability on the parity decision and on the "Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa".

FAS participation in the African peace movement     full texte >>