From the 31 January to 2 February 2021 GIMAC convened its 37th Pre-summit meeting virtually under the theme: “Advancing Africa’s Commitment to Gender Equality and Women’s Rights through Arts, Culture and Heritage.”
The Pre-summit meeting aimed to consolidate CSOs reviews of the AU legal and strategic framework on arts, culture and heritage focusing on the achievements and critical gaps towards implementation. Furthermore, the meeting aimed to strengthen intergenerational, feminist, and women’s right approach towards the transformation of culture for greater protection of women’s rights, ending violence against women and girls, especially child marriage; and to provide space for African CSO’s strategic engagement with the AU, RECs, UN Agencies, International Organisations and other stakeholders.
The meeting highlighted the need to create an enabling environment for women to play more decision-making roles in peacebuilding and conflict resolution, including the structural challenges women face. Furthermore, the participants noted that arts and culture should form part of a broader peace and reconciliation strategy alongside traditional peacebuilding processes and interventions. During the meeting, participants recommended that there be processes to capture and document the role of women in peace and security processes, including highlighting their leadership in peacebuilding, dialogue and reconciliation.
Ms Nontobeko Gcabashe Operations Programme Officer represented ACCORD.
