Victoria Falls: The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Regional Group of Women Parliamentarians called on Thursday, in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, for the need to strengthen policies for women’s economic empowerment, gender equality, and sustainable development through financial inclusion.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the appeal is part of the group’s report presented by Angolan MP Luisa Damio during the 57th Plenary Session of the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF). The parliamentarians highlighted the challenges faced by women in the region and called for urgent advocacy for the promotion of gender-sensitive laws and policies to increase women’s economic empowerment and financial inclusion in Southern Africa.
The parliamentarians also pointed to legal and socio-cultural constraints that restrict women’s access to financial services and noted lower levels of financial literacy among women compared to men, which limits their ability to use financial services.
Policies and initiatives need to be created to promote gender equality, and capacity and skills need to be developed and enhanced to support women parliamentarians’ advocacy and their global influence in promoting women’s empowerment and gender equality.
The MP Group noted that despite a significant growth rate, the African continent has not seen shared prosperity and improved living conditions for the majority of its population. They regret that, despite progress in promoting financial inclusion and economic empowerment, women in Africa continue to face socio-economic barriers that hinder their ability to contribute meaningfully to their communities, countries, the continent, and the world.
The SADC parliamentarians advocated for political and legal protection, capacity building of women entrepreneurs, and the use of public procurement as an instrument for women’s development. They also promoted business linkages in line with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade to ensure trade is not dominated by large corporations.
The group encouraged SADC governments to ensure greater accountability of financial institutions in meeting the financial needs of women entrepreneurs.
Angola is participating in the 57th Plenary Session of the SADC-FP with a delegation led by the National Assembly Speaker, Carolina Cerqueira, including MPs Ruth Mendes, Teresa Neto, Lusa Damio, Pedro Sebastio, and Diamantino Mussokola.