African Development Bank Joins Women Deliver 2023 Conference to Promote Gender Equality & Inclusive Growth in Africa

The conference in Kigali, Rwanda brings together leaders from various sectors to foster solidarity for sustainable solutions on gender equality.

The Women Deliver 2023 Conference, centered around the theme of "Spaces, Solidarity, and Solutions: Enabling Inclusive and Co-created Spaces that Foster Solidarity for Sustainable Solutions on Gender Equality," has garnered support from the African Development Bank. The multi-sectoral conference, which is making its debut in Africa, has brought together 6,000 attendees in person and a remarkable 200,000 participants online.

The African Development Bank has allocated $300,000 to support the Women Deliver 2023 Conference, emphasizing its commitment to advancing development objectives throughout Africa and the Global South through investing in women. The conference, to held in Kigali from July 17 to July 20, serves as a platform to highlight effective initiatives and regulations, explore innovative concepts, and foster partnerships to achieve gender equality.

Led by Malado Kaba, the Director for Gender, Women, and Civil Society, the Bank's delegation is actively participating in four Women Deliver 2023 Conference activities as a Visionary Sponsor. Aissa Toure, the Bank's Rwanda Country Manager, expressed delight in Rwanda being the host country, acknowledging its significant strides towards gender equality in various spheres.

The conference features several events co-hosted by the African Development Bank, including a lunchtime event in collaboration with the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Centre for Women and Development and Women in Finance Rwanda, discussing "Promoting Women's Leadership in Financial Sector Inclusion and Innovation." Former Liberian president and Nobel Prize winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf delivered a compelling speech during the occasion.

Another notable plenary, "Maputo@20: Bridging the Gap Between Policies and People," was jointly presented by the African Union and the Bank. Celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, the plenary showcased Africa's efforts and goals to enhance gender equality and women's empowerment. Director Kaba highlighted the Bank's commitment to prevent gender discrimination and promote women's access to education, training, and economic rights, among other objectives of the Maputo Protocol.

The Bank, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, organized a private ministerial discussion on "accelerating inclusive economic growth by advancing women's economic power." Government ministers, multilateral institution leaders, and donors engaged in cross-sectoral discussions on how promoting gender equality contributes to nations' economic growth objectives.

On July 19, the Bank's African Leaders for Nutrition project joined a global coalition of over 40 organizations in launching the "gender nutrition gap" campaign. Championed by Ghana's first lady, Rebecca Naa Okaikor Akufo-Addo, the initiative seeks to address nutritional disparities faced by women and girls worldwide. Additionally, the Bank's team engaged in one-on-one discussions with ministers of state, financial institution executives, NGOs, and charitable groups during the conference.

The Women Deliver organization's collaborative efforts with the African Development Bank span six years and align with the Bank's Gender Strategy 2021–2025, aiming to accelerate inclusive growth by investing in women across Africa. The conference serves as a crucial platform for promoting gender equality and empowering women to foster sustainable development throughout the region.

As the Women Deliver 2023 Conference continues, attendees anticipate fruitful discussions, transformative ideas, and collaborative efforts to further advance gender equality in Africa and beyond.