Africa’s pivotal moment: Ushering in a more determined era of gender equality at CSW69

As the 69th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) commences, Africa is poised to illuminate the global dialogue on gender equality. This year’s session, scheduled from 10 to 21 March 2025, represents a remarkable milestone, the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

“The main focus of CSW69 will be on reviewing and appraising the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, as well as the outcomes of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly. The review will assess current challenges affecting the implementation of the Platform for Action, gender equality, women's empowerment, and contributions to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

As the world reflects on the strides taken since the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action, Africa’s voice must emerge with power. We must showcase our commitment to creating an environment with no violence against women and children, and our contributions to the CSW69 must be compelling.

Part of the work of the CSW69 must be to explore the modern challenges that affect the realization of the Beijing Platform for Action and the pursuit of gender equality and women's empowerment. With only five years remaining until the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals deadline, the global community must unite more than ever to tackle the enduring disparities in gender equality. Africa must internalise the call for intersectionality and inter – generational solidarity and collaboration if we want to improve our pace for building equality across our nations. 

African nations should emphasize the critical need for swift action to bridge the existing gaps towards gender equality. We are firmly advocating for stronger investments in education, health, leadership, and economic empowerment initiatives that uplift women and girls across the continent. 

As we begin this vital commission of the CSW69 in 2025, we are reminded that the quest for gender equality is not merely a moral obligation, but also a crucial economic and social necessity. When women and girls are uplifted, entire communities thrive. This should be the appreciation in all sectors of society. 

We are calling for the swift implementation of the AU Convention on ending violence against women and children. It is essential for African governments to unite in the noble endeavour of enacting the Convention. The realities of young women and girls on our soil are depressing. African girls and young women face alarming rates of GBVF which affects their health, dignity and potential. 

It is them that are subjected to child marriages, Female Genital Mutilation, Sexual Violence, human trafficking, hunger, cyber crimes, and other forms of violence. These forms of violence also perpetuate vicious circles of poverty, inequality and social injustice. It is essential that our leaders rise to the occasionthrough this convention and create safer and more equitable nations for us to thrive.

African governments hold the vital duty to craft and execute action plans that propel advancement in essential areas like education, health, leadership and economic empowerment like the Beijing+30 Action Plan and now the AU Convention to end Violence Against Women and Children. We need steadfast dedication to gender equality where our governments, civil society, and the private sector unite to harness resources and provide support. It is essential that we persist in amplifying the voices of African young women and girls, ensuring that their perspectives and experiences are cherished in decision-making processes.

By uniting our strengths and concentrating on what takes our continent forward, we possess the power to craft a great future for the young women and girls, a future where we can thrive and realize our utmost potential. The journey ahead may present obstacles, yet with Africa’s participation at CSW69, we have an opportunity to usher in a more determined era of gender equality. 

The biggest thing for us in Africa is that we must leave no one behind in our engagements on the CSW69. We must also use the IWD and month to celebrate the unseen Pillars of Africa who are women by honouring their unwavering Strength and resilience. In the heart of Africa, where the savannahs stretch far and wide, and the rhythms of life beat strong, there exists an unbreakable spirit embodied by the women who toil, labour, and persevere against all odds.

These are the “hewers of wood" and "toilers of the land,". Theones who still walk very long distances not by choice, symbolizing the resilience and determination of African womenwho, despite limited resources and infrastructure, persevere to access basic necessities like education, healthcare, and economic opportunities like markets and selling places. The mothers who carry our continent and raise giants, the pillars of our families and communities, nurturing and guiding the next generation of leaders, innovators, and change-makers and these are the countless African women who, driven by economic necessity, migrate to foreign lands in search of greener pastures, often facing exploitation and hardship along the way.

The street vendors, selling goods to make ends meet. The informal traders, working tirelessly to provide for their families. The domestic workers, often toiling in the shadows without recognition or protection. The rural women, living in isolated areas with limited access to basic services. The women with disabilities, facing additional barriers and discrimination. The refugees and internally displaced women, struggling to survive in the face of conflict and displacement and those living in extreme poverty, struggling to access basic necessities like food, water, and shelter.

These women young and old, are the unseen pillars of Africa, holding up the fabric of our communities with their unwavering strength and unrelenting spirit. They are the guardians of our heritage, the nurturers of our children, and the backbone of our economies. Let us honour their struggles, their sacrifices, and their contributions. Let us recognize their value, their worth, and their dignity. Let us celebrate their strength, their resilience, and their unwavering commitment to building a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities in ways unimaginable. They are the true heroes of Africa, and their stories deserve to be told.

If deliberations at the CSW69 firmly captures the imagination of all these diverse women of our Continent, we will never be the same again moving forward. Aluta Continua

 

Precious Banda 

President of the Young Women Of Africa 

Former National Political Commissar of the ANCYL