The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma called on women of Africa to craft, and make their own contribution to Africa’s Agenda 2063, and not wait to make input on a draft document that they would have been presented. She spoke during the opening of a two-day Stakeholders’ Consultative Conference on Women holding on the theme: “Pan-Africanism, Renaissance and Agenda 2063.” The Conference was organized within the framework of the OAU/AU 50th Anniversary celebrations. It brought together women stakeholders working for, and on the African continent, including those from Governments, RECS, Civil Society, Academia, Business and UN agencies. SADC Secretariat was represented at this important meeting.
Over 150 delegates attended the consultative conference from 12-13th May 2013, contributed inputs on behalf of the rest of the women in the continent. They organised in-depth discussions in various areas with the aim of making concrete contributions to defining what they would want Women to be and to do in the next 50 years.
“The African agenda for 2063 cannot be defined by governments alone; it must involve all of us – in every sector of society. All of us must have a say on the African dream into the next five decades. If we don’t do that, the narrative from Africa will come from other people. It is critical that the narrative and agenda come from us; so that our friends know where we want to be and can help us in that agenda.” Dr. Dlamini Zuma reiterated during her opening remarks. During the course of the two-day Conference the delegates framed discussions around: Pan-Africanism and Renaissance: Situating African Women in the Debate past and Present; A Vision for African Women; and the interface between the Millennium Development Goals Agenda and the Agenda 2063.
Also attending the conference was the Vice President of The Gambia, Mrs. Isatou N. Saidy and the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Mrs. Thokozani Khupe, as well as some Founding Mothers of the Pan-African Women’s Organisation (POWA). The POWA was founded 1962, a year ahead of the founding of the OAU.
