Presented by Mary Ayen Mayardit, First Lady of South Sudan, Juba
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Today 8th March, on the heels of the 59th Commission on the Status of Women, the international Women’s day, gives us an opportunity to create a strategic moment to reflect on and celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women worldwide as well as put a spot light on the challenges and strategies to overcome them.
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The recommendations and declaration from the review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action At the 59thSession of Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) offers us an exceptional prospect to meaningfully contribute to gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls and the realization of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls throughout our life cycle.
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The 2015 priority area for OAFLA and HLTF is to work towards’’ ending AIDS by 2030 as well as improve women and young girl’s Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights” complementing the African Union’s priority area of 2015 which is ‘’ Year of Women Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063’’.
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This is the time to remind ourselves that Women and girls still continue to suffer disproportionately from poor health. Many girls and young women in Africa still do not have access to education or have higher dropout rates. Particularly adolescent girls are forced to leave school because of marriage at a young age and as a result are victims of gender-based violence, early pregnancies, sexual exploitation, unsafe abortion and the resulting risks for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Their future is therefore jeopardized in many ways, which remains a major challenge in achieving higher education levels and economic development in Africa.
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Evidence shows that support to women leads to improved health status and increased income levels in both households and communities resulting in economic development. The fact that our governments and communities are facing challenges to address gender based violence is undermining African and global development goals for Girl Child Education; HIV, Sexual reproductive health, Maternal and Child Health, Cervical Cancer, and Mental Health of Women amongst other health issues – and undermining Women’s Economic Empowerment, Political Representation, and overall Poverty Reduction.
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African First Ladies members of the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA), working jointly with the High Level Task Force on Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV have shown a strong commitment towards the achievement of gender equality and Women empowerment in all spheres.
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I would like to point out four challenges that women and children face in our continent that need the urgent attention of our people, governments, and the regional and international development communities.
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- Ending AIDS BY 2030 In 2013, almost 60% of new HIV infections among young people (15–24 years) occurred among adolescent girls and young women. Every hour, 50 young women are newly infected with HIV predominantly through sexual transmission. The end of AIDS will only happen if we focus on transformative and innovative interventions for young women and girls. Country challenges and recommended actions (including pediatric HIV treatment)
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- Elimination of Mother to Child transmission of HIV In 2013 Sub-Saharan Africa had 2.9 million children living with HIV, 2 million of them in Eastern and Southern Africa. Out of the 210,000 new infections among children in Sub Saharan Africa 120,000 children were in Eastern and Southern Africa. That notwithstanding due to the concerted efforts globally, regionally and nationally, Africa has seen a tremendous decrease in new infections among babies from 2005 and seems to be on the right trajectory to reach the elimination targets for 2015. However, to completely eliminate new infections among babies by 2030 we still need to ensure all HIV positive mothers have access to health care services including Treatment for HIV and AIDS.
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- Country challenges and recommended actions (including pediatric HIV treatment Availability of youth friendly services for evidence based, tenderized sexual reproductive health information and services coupled with deeply ingrained socio-cultural issues that often increase the vulnerability of girls and women. Involvement of traditional leaders and faith-based organs in addressing gender and negative socio-cultural matters is key.
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- Cervical cancer Women living with HIV face a heightened risk of cervical cancer – 4th commonest cancer. Majority of the global burden(around!85%)occurs in resource poor settings East Africa 43% Southern Africa 32%., Middle/Central Africa 31% and West Africa 29%. Women living with HIV face a heightened risk of cervical cancer.
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Gender based Violence
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In 2015 we are reminded of the fact that … 20 years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – for Gender Equality; 15 years of Millennium Development Goals; 10 years after the entering into force of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights – on the Rights of Women in Africa , Over 30 years in the HIV epidemic and; 5 years into the AU African Women’s Decade 2010-2020:Epidemic levels of violence against girls and women – the most stark, blatant, brutal, unambiguous and dis-empowering manifestation of gender inequality – has not been eradicated – but rather institutionalized, and profoundly entrenched across Africa.
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There is urgent need to address gender inequality which is the root cause of GBV, bearing in mind that GBV is a cause and consequence of HIV as likewise, HIV is a cause and consequence of GBV.
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Country challenges and recommended actions:
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While women generally know that abusive environment is detrimental to own and family health, girls have less neither knowledge nor do they know where to access remedial action. The police gender desks that are now a feature in all police stations of Tanzania help in having police officers who have been sensitized to recognize, and investigate GBV as well as refer to the nearest service point.
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Early Child Marriage
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Over 67 million women (20-24 year old) in 2012 had been married as girls, one-fifth in Africa. In the next decade 14.2 million girls under 18 years will be married every year; that is 39,000 girls married each day. 15 out of the 20 countries with the highest rates of child marriage are in Africa. 39% of girls in sub-Saharan Africa are married before their 18th birthday; 13% are married by their 15th birthday.
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There is no THEM Only US. Let’s work together to meaningfully contribute to gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls and the realization of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls throughout our life cycle.