ACBF provides US$
1.7 million in support of the West African
Women Association (AFAO/WAWA)
 |
Dr.
Soumana Sako (right), ACBF Executive
Secretary, and Mrs. Josephina Chantre
(left), Chair of the Steering Committee
of AFAO/WAWA signing the grant
agreement.
|
On 6 April 2007, the African Capacity
Building Foundation (ACBF) and the West
African women civil society organization
- Association des femmes de l’Afrique
de l’Ouest/West African Women Association
(AFAO/WAWA) - concluded a grant agreement
of US$ 1.7 million in Dakar, Senegal.
The funding, to be disbursed over a four-year
period, aims at strengthening the human
and institutional capacity of AFAO/WAWA,
which comprises 16 West African member
countries, to address issues of gender
equity and equality at the regional level.
The overall goal of the project is to
contribute to the promotion of women
economic empowerment in West Africa,
and the reduction of gender inequalities
in the formulation and implementation
of sub-regional and regional policies
that will contribute to the improvement
of the status and welfare of women and
their communities.
Women economic empowerment and their
effective participation in the economic
integration process in West Africa requires
viable and strong sub-regional women
organizations and networks, which would
represent and defend the interests of
women, and create a platform for consultation
with decision makers. AFAO-WAWA, a prominent
regional player, has the potential of
advancing women’s agenda but it
needs to be capacitated to overcome key
constraints in implementing its programs
and activities. The project is thus designed
to address the capacity needs of AFAO/WAWA
and its member organizations, in order
to make AFAO-WAWA a credible partner
in the formulation of national, sub-regional
and regional policies.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dr.
Soumana Sako, ACBF Executive Secretary
highlighted the crucial role played by
AFAO/WAWA in advocating gender equity
and equality at the regional and sub-regional
levels through institutions such as ECOWAS,
NEPAD and the African Union. He indicated
that, over the last decade, the advancement
of women gained momentum with the ratification
of the Convention for the elimination
of discrimination against women by 51
African countries. In this regard, he
noted ACBF’s conscious and sustained
commitment to women’s agenda, mainly
through the strengthening of women’s
organizations across Africa. Since 2000,
ACBF has contributed more than US$ 7
million to support women’s organizations
in the formulation of gender policies,
the building of capacities and the promotion
of the role of women in decision-making.
In concluding, he stressed the need to
integrate gender concerns in capacity
building efforts and expressed the hope
that the project would contribute to
the overall poverty reduction and regional
integration efforts.
In her opening remarks, Mrs. Josephina
Chantre, Chair of AFAO/WAWA Steering
Committee, thanked ACBF for the funding.
She indicated that ACBF’s support
to AFAO/WAWA dated back to 2005, and
since then, AFAO/WAWA had become a key
partner of ACBF in its efforts to address
gender issues in Africa. She expressed
the hope that Senegal, the host country
for the regional institution, would seize
the occasion to become a member of AFAO/WAWA.
She concluded by giving her assurances
that AFAO/WAWA would ensure the efficient
use of ACBF funding, the compliance to
ACBF’s rules and procedures, and
the implementation of the project.
The project is expected to impact positively
on AFAO-WAWA and its member associations,
particularly in their capacity to participate
in policy-making process and oversight
regarding the advancement of women’s
agenda. It would promote gender equity
and equality in the implementation of
development programs, thereby contributing
to the improvement of the lives of marginalized
groups of women, and to the overall poverty
reduction and sustainable development
process in West African countries.
