A three-day continental workshop on gender and economic justice in Africa went underway in Yaounde Tuesday.

Women researchers from over ten countries in African are reflecting on ways through which they could change the trend of almost always relegating the womenfolk to the backyard in taking development-oriented decisions and effectively use their prowess and numerical strength in contributing to the socio-economic development of their respective countries. This is within the framework of a three-day continental workshop on gender and economic justice in Africa which began at the Yaounde Meridian Hotel Tuesday September 14.

The women, grouped under the umbrella, “Association of African Women for Research and Development (AAWORD), are reflecting under the theme, “Gender analysis and Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers in Africa: Case of ten countries”. They are examining modalities regarding gender which relate to poverty reduction strategies. Target is to seek ways of integrating gender perspectives in the conceptualisation, budgeting, implementation and evaluation of poverty reduction strategic papers in Africa. Speaker after speaker observed that women constitute about 70 per cent of the global population living in poverty; they contribute about 75 per cent to agricultural activities but paradoxically are sometimes not consulted in determining the market prices of the produce.

According to the Secretary General of AAWORD, Odile Ndoumbé Fayé, what they are experiencing is like a prolonged structural adjustment imposed on countries in the yesteryears by the Breton Wood institutions. “Poverty is still very visible irrespective of the numerous strategies undertaken. It is time we take the development of our continent into our hands”, she said. Mrs Ndoumbé Fayé blamed noticeable weaknesses in PRSPs on their conceptualisation, where women’s preoccupations are not taken into consideration, and even where they are mentioned, they are excluded during budgeting.

Presiding at the opening ceremony of the conclave, Cameroon’s Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa née Obama, said the proportion of women in the world’s population makes their involvement in development decision-making imperative. She however rejoiced that strides are being made by public authorities to bring women onboard the development mainstream of the continent. In Cameroon, for example, she cited the setting up of gender committees and budgetising them in various ministries as steps towards ensuring equity in contributing to nation-building.

At term, participants are expected to indentify and outline solutions to laws which restrain women’s needs in the agricultural sector, identify advocacy and sensitisation tools for key groups like decision makers, private sector, civil society as well as define and share their action plans to realise the dream.