By Michael Oche
African Women Network on AfCFTA (AWNA) has called for the elimination of all gender barriers that discriminate against the full participation and benefits of women in the African Free Continental Trade Agreements (AfCFTA).
This position was canvassed at a workshop and formal launch of the African Women Network on AfCFTA (AWNA) in Abuja with support from the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES).
Participants at the workshop said there’s a need to make AfCFTA work for women, noting that barriers such as access to finance, information, and low representation of women in decision-making positions should be addressed
Speaking during the lunch, Marie Thiam, AWNA President for Africa said African women have been trapped in cycles of poverty due to several underlying factors, including unequal access to education, production factors and market facilities; unfair labour; underpaid or unpaid labour, harmful cultural practices; and limited legal protection against entrenched gender-inequitable practices.
She said with the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) launched in January 2021, expectations are high for expanded prospects for women-led businesses.
She said, “AFCFTA will unleash the potential for African women to develop their businesses from micro-enterprises, to macro-enterprises.”
Our Correspondent reports that the agreement establishing the AfCFTA recognizes the need to build and improve the export capacity of formal and informal service providers, with particular attention to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in which women and youth actively participate
“In addition, the AfCFTA Protocols on Trade in Goods, Trade in Services, Investment, Intellectual Property Rights and Competition Policy provide clear guidelines to ensure the protection of emerging businesses and infant industries. ,thus giving impetus to the Agenda 2063 goals of gender equality, women’s empowerment and youth development,” Thiam said.
She explained that AWNA was created out of the desire to break the cycle of poverty and inequality, by advocating for the development and implementation of gender-sensitive public and legal policies, frameworks that will create a wider range of opportunities for women, and that will lead to their economic empowerment at the national, sub-regional regional and continental levels.
She said AWNA will also train the women on other issues such as banking, credit access, and climate change, among others.
Also speaking, Comrade Hauwa Mustapha, the Nigeria National Coordinator of AWNA said there is a need to promote opportunities and benefits for women in Africa within the context of trade.
She explained that the implementation of AfCFTA will impact on men and women differently, and there is a need to remove barriers that will prevent women from fully benefiting from the AfCFTA.
John Odah, Executive Secretary of Organisation of Trade Unions of West Africa (OTUWA) in his goodwill message said his organisation will collaborate with the Network to promote the issues that affect women in trade.
