High-level Generation Equality Africa Regional Meeting concludes with strong commitments on financing for gender equality.

The High-level Generation Equality Africa Regional Meeting, hosted in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, convened Ministries of Finance and Gender along with their technical teams from 21 African countries.

At this gathering, officials firmly committed to boosting financial support for gender equality, aligning with the goals of the Generation Equality commitments.

Emphasis was placed on the necessity to improve the implementation of gender equality action plans by embedding them comprehensively within national budgetary cycles.

Building upon the momentum of the Generation Equality’s Midpoint Summit in New York held in September 2023, the high-level meeting in Dar-es-Salaam that was held from November 15 and followed by a two-day-workshop during November 16-17 was convened by the Government of Tanzania with support from UN Women and IMF Africa Regional Technical Assistance Center for East Africa (AFRITAC East). Tanzania has committed to the Generation Equality Initiative and made significant progress under the Action Coalition on Economic Rights.

The 2023 UN Women UN DESA Gender Snapshot report, reveals persistent gender disparities: women dominate the informal sector, spend three times more on unpaid domestic tasks, earn less than half of men for comparable work, face maternal health risks, and experience high rates of gender-based violence. Global challenges, such as COVID-19 and climate change, exacerbate these inequalities.

Speaking on behalf of the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. Hussein Mwinyi, President of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, highlighted the urgency of addressing the macroeconomic consequences of gender gaps through gender-responsive fiscal policies to promote inclusive growth and sustainable development.

“This high-level Generation Equality meeting reflects the commitment of African governments to work together towards achieving the regional and global commitments on gender equality,” he added.

“Gender equality is not a women’s issue, it’s a development issue,” said Dr. Maxime Houinato, UN Women Regional Director for East and Southern Africa and Regional Director for West Africa, highlighting that providing women with equal opportunities boosts the productivity of countries, and the region.

Antoinette Monsio Sayeh, Deputy Managing Director of the IMF, said that closing gender gaps in labor market participation can significantly increase GDP in Sub-Saharan African countries. “Addressing macro-critical disparities requires applying a gender lens to the full range of economic and financial policies – from tax administration to budget processes, so that countries can better understand the gender impacts of their policies,” she stated.

Through a Communiqué, participating governments summarized recommendations on enhancing women's access to resources and fair employment conditions, investing in feminist technology, bolstering women's involvement in peace and security efforts, prioritizing funding for women's health, and addressing gender-based violence.

The meeting concluded with a commitment to sustained action, ensuring greater availability to gender data, accountability, and transparent reporting to achieve the goals set by the Generation Equality Forum, providing a roadmap to guide future efforts to transform the economic and social status of women and girls in Africa.