The African Women's Forum

Remarks by Mr. Alan Doss, President, Kofi Annan Foundation, on the occasion of the African Women’s Forum

 

I am honoured to be with you today for this tribute to Kofi Annan. On behalf of his wife, Nane, and the Kofi Annan Foundation, I would like to thank the Crans Montana Forum for awarding the prestigious Prix de la Fondation posthumously to Kofi Annan. Mrs. Annan, who cannot be with us today, has asked me to express her deep gratitude for this gracious act honouring the legacy of her late husband.

In the course of his remarkable life and career, Kofi Annan, as Secretary General of the United Nations, Nobel peace laureate and later as Chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation energetically pursued his vision for a fairer, more peaceful world. “Healthy societies”, he would say, “are built on peace, inclusive development, and human rights.” But he recognised that women must play a central and critical role in building healthy societies. Allow me to quote him again: “When women thrive, all of society benefits, and succeeding generations are given a better start in life”.

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goal on gender equality is thus not only deeply valuable in its own right but one of the best means of securing progress on all the other SDGs. That is why the Women’s Forum provides such an apt venue to honour Kofi Annan. He recognised clearly the link between gender equality and peace and sustainable development, particularly for Africa, for which he naturally felt a personal responsibility. He would be especially pleased that the theme of the Forum is the role of women in agriculture.

Kofi Annan was convinced that the development of African agriculture, and securing food security, was the best way to address poverty and spur growth in Africa. Here too he argued that empowering and aiding women farmers is one of the best ways to end poverty on the continent. For Kofi Annan, the struggle for gender equality and the eradication of hunger were vital complementary steps on the road to creating a better world.

Now that he is no longer among us, it is up to all of us to ensure that Kofi Annan’s ideals live on. Such was his wish and such is our mission at the Kofi Annan Foundation. This award will serve as a powerful reminder of Kofi Annan’s quiet wisdom, the depth of his compassion, and the clarity of his vision. As we look to the future, we should draw inspiration from his life and continue his tireless quest for a fairer, more peaceful world.

Thank you.

Alan Doss
President, Kofi Annan Foundation

Opening remarks by Mr. Michael Møller, Director General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, on the occasion of the African Women’s Forum

Prime Minister,

Excellences,

Ladies and gentlemen,

A very warm welcome to the Palais des Nations. It is indeed a pleasure to join you today.

We are meeting three years into our collective journey to make the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development a reality. Our ambitions are crystal clear: a world free of poverty and hunger; a fairer, more equal world; a world that respects the limits of nature.

We are making progress, embracing change, and increasingly working together and learning from each other across regions and disciplines.

But we also know we are not moving fast enough. In some areas, we risk backsliding.

And just as progress in one area supports progress in the other, so too does failure in one force failure in the other.

This interdependency is true across the full spectrum of the 2030 Agenda, but it is particularly pronounced in the links between empowering women on the one hand and eradicating poverty and ending hunger on the other, the focus of our discussion today.

Let me approach this in the context of a broad picture. And let’s be clear. We’re failing women the world over, in rural and in urban areas, in the Global North and in the Global South - to the detriment of us all.

Just 5 percent of heads of state and government are women. Just 5 percent of women lead the world’s largest companies.

These abysmal numbers are the result of practical and cultural obstacles women face at all levels, from lack of opportunity to lack of basic human decency, from explicit legal barriers to implicit attitudes and cultural norms.

Things are changing of course, with inspiring trailblazers all over the planet, in Africa in particular. Just yesterday, I was excited to see my former colleague Sahle-Work Zewde elected Ethiopia’s first female president. 

And I was encouraged to learn that the highest share of women in the workforce globally is found in Africa.

But the pace of change is too slow. Just think that it would take another 217 years to achieve gender equality if we don’t accelerate our efforts.

Promoting equality is a fundamental goal in itself. But more than this, we simply cannot address the complex and growing global challenges of our day without the full capacity of half of our population. 

Women’s equal participation in the labour force would unlock trillions for our global economy - in London as much as in Lagos, in rural Africa as much as in America’s corn belt.

Women are proven agents of sustainable development, investing salaries and profits into their families and communities, with benefits for health, education, and stability.

With benefits, crucially, for food security.

For in our world of plenty, one person in nine still does not have enough to eat. Most of them are women.

And it could yet get worse. From overcultivation to overgrazing, from deforestation to desertification: once fertile soils turn into barren land, triggering humanitarian and economic crises.

Meanwhile, food demand only grows - in Africa, by over 50 percent in the coming years.

Clearly, we need to redouble our efforts promoting and applying sustainable agricultural practices.

But thinking about the right answer to this challenge also brings me back to the interdependency I mentioned at the outset.

And it reminds me, as so often, of Kofi Annan, who saw this earlier than most. Over a decade ago, he told us that, and I quote him “no tool for development is more effective than the empowerment of women…no other policy as likely to raise productivity…and no policy as sure to improve nutrition and promote health.”

And we have since found powerful evidence that there is also no policy more important in sustaining peace. In fact, peace agreements are 30 percent more likely to last when women are meaningfully represented at the negotiating table - instead of routinely excluded.

All of which is why Kofi Annan used to say that we are not facing “problems in search of a solution…We know what works, and what doesn’t.”

“What doesn’t work” is continuing business as usual, with all its short-sightedness and power imbalances.

“What works”, by contrast, is challenging convention, is taking the holistic view, is acting sustainably. “What works”, above all, is women’s empowerment at all levels.

Which is why your theme today - “African women, the driving force for economic and social development” - is spot on.

All across the continent, women are taking charge, as entrepreneurs, as innovators, as pioneers - they are the ones paving the way towards an Africa that is inclusive and integrated; prosperous and vibrant.

Today’s Forum is a chance to move ahead in the fight for gender equality, to keep the ambition high and work together in our collective endeavour for a better, more just future.

I wish you every success in your discussions.

And I thank you very much for being here today.

Songstress and NEPAD Goodwill Ambassador, YVONNE CHAKA CHAKA, Member of the AFRICAN WOMEN’S FORUM HONORARY COMMITTEE

 

 

Just a few weeks after being appointed NEPAD Agency Goodwill Ambassador, Yvonne Chaka Chaka joins the Honorary Committee of the Crans Montana African Women’s Forum.

Yvonne Chaka Chaka, famous South African Songstress & Founder of the Princess of Africa Foundation actively participated to the 2017 Forum on Africa & South-South Cooperation in Dakhla (Morocco).

On this occasion, she received the Forum’s Gold Medal and accepted to close the Official Award Ceremony with two of her iconic songs « Amazing Man » and « Pardon Me ».

We are delighted to add her name to the list of prominent personalities who are already part of the Honorary Committee, chaired by Mrs. Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO (2009-2017).

Yvonne Chaka Chaka is a champion for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, the United Nations MDG Envoy for Africa, and the Goodwill Ambassador for the Roll Back Malaria Partnership. She was chosen by Nelson Mandela as the first ambassador for his children's fund, and has also established her own charity, the Princess of Africa Foundation, a partner of the ACTION global health advocacy partnership.

DR. OBY EZEKWESILI joins the AFRICAN WOMEN'S FORUM HONORARY COMMITTEE

 

 

The Crans Montana Forum is very pleased to announce that Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, Senior Economic Advisor at Africa Economic Development Policy Initiative (AEDPI), has accepted to join the African Women’s Forum Honorary Committee.

Former Vice President of the World Bank Africa and Federal Minister of Education in her Country, Nigeria, Dr. Oby co-founded Transparency International and took part in the international mobilization following the kidnapping of 276 girls from Chibok’s High School (Nigeria), creating the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls.

The Crans Montana Forum has kept fond memories of her active participation during the 2018 Forum on Africa & South-South Cooperation in Dakhla (Morocco), where she made a moving intervention during the African Women’s Forum special Programme and received the Forum’s Gold Medal for her actions and exceptional career path.

A few months later, the Crans Montana Forum offered her to join the Honorary Committee of the Crans Montana African Women’s Forum.

Her personal life-long commitment towards Women is a strong signal and inspiration for all of them. We have no doubt that she will provide valuable support to our Initiative.

SAVE THE DATE : Réunion exceptionnelle de l'African Women's Forum à l'Office des Nations Unies à Genève

 

  

Dans le cadre de la 20ème session annuelle du Homeland & Global Security Forum, la réunion exceptionnelle de l’African Women’s Forum se tiendra le vendredi 26 octobre, au sein de l'Office des Nations Unies à Genève.

Femmes Chefs d’Etat et de Gouvernement, Premières Dames, Ministres, Parlementaires, Femmes d’affaires, Militantes et Responsables d’organisations internationales venues du Monde entier sont invitées à cette occasion. 

Ce sera-là l’occasion d’engager une grande réflexion sur les Femmes africaines, au coeur du développement économique et social du Continent.

Ce Programme spécial mettra notamment l’accent sur :

 

• Femmes Africaines & Sécurité Globale
• Le Rôle des Femmes rurales pour une Agriculture durable et solidaire

 

Plus d'informations sur www.cmf.ch 

 

Article : Yvonne Chaka Chaka appointed NEPAP Goodwill Ambassador

Yvonne Chaka Chaka, singer and Founder of Princess of Africa Foundation, attended the 2016 Crans Montana Forum on Africa & South-South Cooperation in Dakhla, where she received the Forum's Gold Medal for her actions in favor of Public Health and Women's Rights.

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SONGSTRESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST YVONNE CHAKA CHAKA APPOINTED NEPAD GOODWILL AMBASSADOR

Legendary and internationally-renowned South African singer and humanitarian Yvonne Chaka Chaka, has been appointed as the NEPAD Agency’s Goodwill Ambassador for TB and nutrition.

AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINI

Considered a role model throughout the African continent, Yvonne has demonstrated compassion for others throughout her career. She has promoted literacy, women and children’s rights, and is also a champion in the fight against malaria, a statement from NEPAD states.

As the implementing body of the African Union, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Agency’s strategic impact areas are industrialisation and wealth-creation; shared prosperity and transformed livelihoods; human capital development and transformed institutions; and environmental sustainability. Given Yvonne’s strong commitment to the values and principles of the NEPAD Agency, she will be an excellent and eloquent advocate of the continent’s development agenda, it added with Dr Ibrahim Mayaki, NEPAD Agency’s CEO stated  adding:

“I am pleased to confirm your appointment as NEPAD Agency Goodwill Ambassador with effect from 1 August 2018. Your commitment to supporting the NEPAD Agency through advocacy and communicating to a broad public will undoubtedly raise the profile of our continental projects,”

Yvonne established the Princess of Africa Foundation in 2006 to complement her humanitarian work. Through this non-profit organisation, she has continued to advocate for various causes and mobilise resources towards projects for people in need.

As Goodwill Ambassador for the NEPAD Agency, Yvonne Chaka Chaka’s public policy advocacy focus will especially be the promotion of food security and good nutrition as key response components in the fight against TB, as well as public awareness on the challenges and solutions to ending TB in Africa.

 

Article : https://nawmagazine.com/songstress-and-human-rights-activist-yvonne-chaka-chaka-appointed-nepad-goodwill-ambassador/ 

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde won the best actress award in a Drama/TV Series at the 2018 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards

 

Nollywood star actress, Mrs. Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde is this year's Best Actress in a Drama/TV Series at the 2018 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards.

Omotola Ekeinde won the coveted award for her lead role in the movie 'Alter Ego'. This marks the first time she is winning an AMVCA in her long and illustrious career.

Omotola Ekeinde attended the Crans Montanan Forum on Africa & South-South Cooperation in Dakhla (Morocco) in 2017 & 2018.

We extend our warmest congratulations to her for this prestigious and most deserved award !

 

Source : https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/movies/omotola-jalade-ekeinde-odunlade-adekola-win-at-amvca-2019-id8800297.html 

Article : Mrs. Aisha Bagangida, speaker at the last African Women's Forum at the European Parliament

 

Mrs. Aisha Babangida, Chair of the Better Life Program for the African Rural Woman, attended the last meeting of the African Women's Forum held at the European Parliament on the occasion ofthe 29th Annual Session of the Crans Montana, last June in Brussels.

She gives her impressions of the Forum in an article published on Medium.

 

A Recap After the Crans Montana Forum 

 

This past June, I joined the Crans Montana Forum and European Parliament to address a subject very close to my heart. People frequently frame Africa in negative light or diminish the promise of the continent by only discussing the problems, when in fact, like every area, with its problems, Africa also holds a wealth of potential. As a Nigerian, I know the potential my friends, family, neighbors and community members hold. Even still, some of that potential still goes unused or wasted. I think it’s important for everyone to begin to focus on how we tap into that untapped potential.

To overcome the social, economic and political problems that plague areas all over Africa, I think we need to reconfigure the way we approach problem-solving so that rural Africans in particular, can also benefit from this new wave of progress. The simple solution, the key to the puzzle for me, has always been empowering women and rural women in particular.

As many know, my late mother Dr. Maryam Babangida began our NGO the Better Life Program for the African Rural Woman because she saw the untapped there. She wanted to enable these women to actively participate in their local economies, speak up on social and political issues and help them soar to these unsaw heights. Her vision and inspiration is what now inspires me today as the Chairman of the Better Life Program.

If we can develop these women’s capacity and opportunity in their communities through education initiatives, skills training and cottage industry development, we all benefit. If they improve themselves, they will also improve the lives of those around them, and their nation as a whole. I am privileged to be able to see this transformation take place on a regular basis. With help and support from businesses and policymakers alike, we have been able to bring about a new generation of empowered women through access to education, health services, and an introduction into the agriculture industry.

Our programs build the capacity contained in each of these women and help foster a sense of independence. Strong, independent women support a strong sustainable economy. While our efforts may seem modest, we are pioneering a new approach to problem-solving, a new economic model based on holistic development. In creating a system where empowered women are the foundation rather than the exception, I think we will see a shift and sustainable change.

The fact of the matter is, our old model of government-led aid was not effective at developing an independent society, because I believe they were too far removed from the issue. I myself spend a lot of time speaking at events about rural women knowing full-well that neither I, nor those in the crowd, can truly understand the issues unless they have seen them firsthand. For us to make informed and effective decisions in developing a strong development model, we need to turn our attention toward those on the ground that have an in-depth understanding of what we want to achieve and how to achieve it. Together we can support them in becoming agents of their own betterment.

We cannot see the impoverished as a plight, but rather a wealth of potential. In my experience, smart, progressive and profit-oriented companies have managed to turn poverty and a lack of financial access into new market opportunities. So how do we implement similar practices, on a wider scale? I’d like to quote one of my fellow panelists, Mrs. Malika Laasri Lahlou, Advisor of the Phosboucrââ Foundation. She said, “If a woman succeeds, the whole ecosystem around her follows. If you ask them what would be helpful, they answer that they need support to make their children graduate from school. But women are too devoted: that’s why we should be focusing at least part of our work on them.” We need that kind of selflessness and devotion. If women are devoted to their children, our next generation, then we need to become equally devoted to helping these women succeed at their goals.

• Governments need to actively support female empowerment, especially in rural communities where many women are more vulnerable, by supporting increased legislation that guarantee women education, pensions, land and property rights. In writing history, the government has the power to stimulate great change or prolonged inactivity. We need to push for progress rather than languish in waiting.
• Businesses can stimulate change by providing support and inclusion for women in the workplace and mentoring female entrepreneurs. Eliminate occupational segregation that prevents women from working in fields previously dominated by men and honing their technical skills. At the end of the day — companies should want the best person for the job, unbiased by gender stereotypes.
• Community members can support empowerment and development by supporting local cottage industries spearheaded by women who are able to open their own businesses through financial inclusion programs like microfinance banks. Prove our dedication to a prosperous future with our actions and not just our words.

 

The ‘Africa problem’ can often feel like it is a step removed from the rest of the world, but the Crans Montana Forum reinforced the idea that Africa’s main concerns are the world’s main concerns. In order to achieve our goals for 2030, as cliche as it may sound, it needs to be a team effort. If Africa is struggling to overcome the obstacles before them, the world struggles. That being said, the effort Africa puts forth to overcome those struggles is compounded by the world’s efforts to support Africa in overcoming.

 

About Aisha Babangida: Aisha Babangida lives in Nigeria where she works to better the African Community, specifically the lives of rural women and children. She believes in the power of education and financial inclusion as exhibited by her work with the Better Life Program and the Egwafin Microfinance Bank. You can hear more from Aisha on her blog.

 

Source : https://medium.com/@AishaIBabangida/a-recap-after-the-crans-montana-forum-dfd7102fe528 

Tribute to Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations - Palais des Nations, Geneva on October 26, 2018

On the occasion of its African Women's Forum meeting, the Crans Montana Forum will pay tribute to a Man of Peace, the late Secretary-General of the United Nations on Friday October 26, 2018 at 9:30 a.m. at the United Nations Office of Geneva.
 
Mr. Kofi Annan recently left us. The world has lost an inspiring Leader and a great advocate of universal human values. He was awarded with Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 for his outstanding commitment and actions towards a fairer and more peaceful world.
 
He devoted all his energy to the promotion of human rights as the cornerstone of international legitimacy and multilateralism.

Rev. Jesse Jackson, Founder of Rainbow Push Coalition and Vice President of the African Women's Forum Honorary Committee pays tribute to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin