Purpose, Objectives & Outputs

Following the fifteen year review of the BPFA and the adoption of the Banjul Declaration (see annex), ECA aims to provide support to Member States to implement the seven priority areas identified in the Declaration with the support of African gender experts who are elected into the CWD by virtue of their role in the various National Gender Machineries including Ministries. 
The upcoming 7th CWD Session will serve as a platform for Member States to exchange ideas whilst reviewing and providing technical guidance to ECA in its plans to support Member States to take the Banjul Declaration and other processes forward. 

The overarching objective of the 7th CWD Session is to examine and discuss a coherent program for implementing the Banjul Declaration. The session will also discuss the strategy developed for implementation of Beijing +15 recommendations, as well as review the effectiveness of the African 
Women’s Right’s Observatory that serves as a comprehensive source of data and information on research findings, best practices and events on women’s rights in Africa. It tracks the progress of African countries in the area of women’s human rights. Also under discussion will be the E-Network of 
African Gender Machineries, whose major objective is to build the capacity of national machineries for more effective use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), and to create an electronic platform that supports the achievement of gender equality goals of women in the region. The discussions on the knowledge platforms are aimed at ensuring that member States are able to provide input on how the tools can best be utilised.

  • The specific objectives of the meeting are as follows:
  • To review the draft report on recent trends in national mechanisms for gender equality in Africa;
  • To review the draft report on the Beijing +15 Follow-up Strategy;
  • To discuss the African Centre for Gender and Social Development Division (ACGS) 2010-2011 biennial work programme;
  • To review the report on the status of Gender Inequality in Social, Economical and Political Sector: Implication for the implementation and monitoring of relevant international and regional commitments and social protection.
  • To share information on the Africa UNITE Campaign on Violence against Women and the Interregional Project: Enhancing capacities to eradicate violence against women;
  • To review and discuss the E-network of African Gender Machineries as a platform for information-sharing and advocacy;
  • To review the use of the African Women’s Human Rights Observatory (AWRO) as a knowledge sharing tool;
  • To share the Compendium of Best Practices in Gender Mainstreaming: The role of African women in conflict resolution (2010);
  • To hold roundtable discussion on emerging gender issues
  • To brief and experiences sharing by AUC, UN Women, RECs and Member States.