Africa-Press – Angola. Deputy Ruth Mendes monday defended the need for women parliamentarians to design laws that can contribute to their empowerment as well as to the acceleration and implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Speaking at the round table under the motto “Sharing the wisdom and strength of women to build peace and accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)”, he underlined that the commitment to empowering women will contribute to the improvement of conditions of over 70% of women working in cross-border trade.
The also president of the Commission for Defence, National Security, Internal Order, Former Combatants and Veterans of the Homeland of the National Assembly, acknowledged that cross-border trade is indeed a reality, citing the example of Luvo, Santa Clara and some trade in eastern Angola .
“The issue of cross-border trade is starting to emerge now with the free market that Angola joined, but, with regard to policies aimed at women who practice cross-border trade, there is still no concrete policy in relation to the work that should be done with them” , he said.
The deputy said that gender equality is a process that in recent times has begun to gain more space, with the appearance of women in decision-making bodies.
The president of the Women Parliamentarians group, Teresa da Silva Neto, stresses that, within the scope of gender policy, there have been several advances in favor of the protection of African women, with emphasis on the Maputo protocol, adopted in 2013 by the African Union.
He also cited the Solemn Declaration of Gender Equality in Africa and the Protocol on the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, adopted in 2016.
“Despite these advances, the promotion of African women still faces several challenges, as they are still subject to various types of discrimination”, he stressed.
According to her, the GMP hopes to be able to create a platform for discussions and reflection on the heights already reached by women in Africa, in Angola in particular.
The round table under the motto “Sharing the wisdom and strength of women to build peace and accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)”, aimed to solemnly commemorate African Women’s Day, meet women who work for the empowerment of women in Angola and Africa, reflect on existing policies and how they can be enriched in favor of African women.
During the round table, the president of the National Assembly, Carolina Cerqueira, was honored, as well as the presidents of parliamentary groups and the oldest deputies to the National Assembly.
Available data indicate that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) represents a huge opportunity for African countries to lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty and to increase the incomes of another 68 million who live on less than $5.50 a day .
With the implementation of the AfCFTA, trade facilitation measures that reduce bureaucracy and simplify customs procedures would generate about US$300 million of the US$450 million in potential revenue gains.
The implementation of the AfCFTA would help set in motion the many profound reforms needed to increase long-term growth in African countries.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement will create the world’s largest free trade area measured by the number of participating countries. The pact links 1.3 billion people in 55 countries with a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of USD 3.4 billion.
For More News And Analysis About Angola Follow Africa-Press
