A series of dialogue sessions reflecting on the progress of women on the African continent took place in recognition of International Women’s Day celebrated annually on the 8th of March. The African Union Commission (AUC) specifically, convened a talk under the theme “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow: Innovative Solutions for Financial and Economic Inclusion for African Women”. The hybrid talk took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
A high level panel of speakers representing the AUC, Pan African Women’s Organisation, and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, among others contributed to the discussions which unpacked gender equality as an enabling factor for the financial and economic inclusion of women. The platform also provided an opportunity to look into how financial services, a progressive business environment, access to funding, and digital technology factor into promoting the financial and economic inclusion of women.
The panel shared information on ways in which financial services and frameworks have evolved to promote the inclusivity for women in the business economy. The conversations delved deeper into the assessment of challenges that women face when accessing funds and possible scenarios for improvement. Further to this, the panel talked through mobile and internet banking and how these financial technology services have and can contribute towards women’s financial and economic inclusion.
ACCORD’s Strategic Pillar 3 prioritizes the advancement of women in peace processes. ACCORD’s participation links to a key lesson from the talk, in that the economic advancement of women will also have a positive impact on their role in peace processes.
