DECISION ON THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SOLEMN DECLARATION ON
GENDER EQUALITY IN AFRICA (SDGEA)
Doc. EX.CL/789(XXIII)
The Executive Council,
1. TAKES NOTE of the Eighth Report of the Chairperson together with the synthesis of 2012 Reports of Fourteen Member States on the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (SGDEA);
2. STRESSES the importance for Member States to report regularly on the implementation of the SGDEA;
3. COMMENDS Member States that have been regularly reporting on the implementation of the SDGEA and to urge those Member States that have not yet done so to report as required. In this regard the Commission should undertake capacity building activities towards Member States to enable them to report appropriately;
4. CONGRATULATES in particular those Member States that have taken concrete measures to significantly promote gender balance in their various institutions;
5. REQUESTS the Commission, in consultation with Member States, to update and broaden its database so as to accurately report on the status of implementation of the SDGEA, in all relevant sectors, including the evaluation of the role of women in the media;
6. REQUESTS the Commission to implement the Decision of the Executive Council to ensure that the contribution to the Fund for African Women is based on the staggered implementation modalities of 1% of Member States’ assessed contributions to the AU budget in accordance with Assembly Decision (Assembly/AU/Dec.277(XVI) and Executive Council Decision EX.CL/Dec.539(XVI);
7. EXPRESSES great concern on the prevailing violence perpetrated against women, including domestic violence and calls on Member States to exchange best practices to effectively combat such violence;
8. COMMENDS the efforts of the Commission in spearheading the 53 projects including training programmes in favour of rural women through the Fund of African Women and REQUESTS the Commission to report regularly on the implementation of such projects and their impact on the ground;
9. CALLS FOR increased efforts towards economic empowerment of women and gender mainstreaming at all levels and REQUESTS the Commission to report regularly on the results in this regard;
10. REQUESTS the Commission to increase its support to Somalia especially in training and capacity building for women in its reconstruction efforts so as to have an impact on the ground.