The Women, Gender and Youth Directorate of the African Union Commission, in collaboration with the Republic of Ghana, convened a High-Level Breakfast Meeting on the margins of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Addis Ababa.
Organised by H.E. John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana and AU Champion for Gender and Development Issues, the meeting brought together Heads of State and Government, policymakers, development partners, financial institutions, private sector leaders, and civil society representatives to revitalize the AU Gender Champion’s Agenda and mobilize political and financial support for the Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion 2030 initiative.
President Mahama outlined a renewed strategy built on five core pillars: political leadership, resource mobilization, policy coherence, accountability, and strategic partnerships. He emphasized that while progress has been made, the pace of change must dramatically accelerate to meet continental and global goals.
“Advancing gender equality is not merely a moral obligation; it is a strategic imperative for Africa’s sustainable development and inclusive growth,” President Mahama stated.
In his remarks, President Mahama emphasized the need to move beyond policy declarations and ensure that commitments are matched with concrete budgetary allocations, measurable targets, and transparent accountability mechanisms. He underscored that advancing gender equality is both a moral obligation and a strategic imperative for sustainable development, inclusive growth, and long-term stability across the continent.
The meeting reaffirmed that Africa’s path to achieving Agenda 2063 is closely tied to unlocking the economic potential of its women and youth. Participants acknowledged that despite the existence of strong continental frameworks, including the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol), the AU Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls, and the African Women’s Decade on Financial and Economic Inclusion 2020 to 2030, implementation gaps persist.
Structural barriers, including limited access to credit, land ownership, markets, and digital innovation, continue to impede women and youth from fully participating in economic life. Delegates also noted that recent economic shocks and climate related crises have slowed or reversed progress on gender equality in several regions.
The High-Level Meeting focused on four strategic objectives:
- Secure renewed political leadership for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in line with Agenda 2063.
- Advocate for increased and targeted financing to bridge gender gaps in financial and economic inclusion.
- Strengthen and reposition the AU Gender Champion’s Agenda as a robust continental accountability and visibility mechanism for implementing gender commitments. and
- Promote strategic partnerships with the private sector, financial institutions, and civil society under the Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion 2030 initiative.
The meeting concluded with a strategic panel discussion focused on strengthening stakeholder collaboration for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE). The session aimed to catalyse partnerships to translate high-level commitments into tangible, scalable outcomes for Africa’s women and youth through the WYFEI 2030 Initiative.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).
