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See also NGO Proposed Amendments to the African Platform for Action, Dakar, November 1994

African Platform for Action adopted by
the Fifth Regional Conference on Women,
held at Dakar from 16 to 23 November 1994

Declaration

We, the Ministers and representatives of African Governments participating at the Fifth African Regional Conference on Women held in Dakar (Senegal) from 16 to 23 November 1994, for consideration and adoption of the African Platform for Action, in preparation for the Fourth World Conference on Women to be held in Beijing from 4 to 15 September 1995,

Having reviewed and appraised the regional implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women to the year 2000,

Appreciative of the fact that there has been an overall sensitization of African leaders, policy makers, development agencies and women regarding the need to incorporate a gender perspective in all activities of the development process,

Conscious that in spite of the progress made, obstacles still remain in the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies,

Reaffirming our commitment to the realization of the Nairobi Forward- looking Strategies for the promotion and advancement of women through accelerated action for equality, development and peace,

Realizing that equality is not only the absence of discrimination but also the equal enjoyment of rights, responsibilities and opportunities by women and men,

Recognizing that there can be no equality and development without peace and that peace can only be achieved with the full involvement of women as equal partners with men at all levels of decision-making, diplomacy and mechanisms for peace and conflict resolution and reconciliation,

Aware that since the adoption of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies, some African countries have undergone a series of crises which combined with several other internal and external factors to impede the effective implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies, especially political instability related in particular to religious extremism, lack of resolute political will and commitment, lack of resources, poor economic performance due to unfavourable terms of trade and ineffective policies, effects of structural adjustment programmes and heavy debt burden, frequent natural disasters such as droughts and famines and the absence of women in decision-making levels, impeded effective implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies,

Recalling the "Abuja Declaration on Participatory Development: The Role of Women in Africa in the 1990s" which assessed the current situation of women in Africa within the context of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies and which noted that the condition of African women has in most cases deteriorated particularly in the field of higher and technical education, health, employment, decision-making and economic empowerment,

Recognizing the crucial roles that women play in the critical areas that enhance their advancement particularly in culture, the family and in the socialization process; ensuring their reproductive rights and improving their health status; in the protection and management of the environment and natural resources; in the quest for peace and in conflict prevention, resolution and management; in their political empowerment and in the realization of their legal and human rights particularly women with special needs,

Determined to implement recommendations for the accelerated advancement of women and the girl-child emanating from recent world conferences, inter alia, the World Conference on Children, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, the World Conference on Human Rights and the International Conference on Population and Development,

Aware of the recent major political changes in Africa, particularly the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa as well as other processes of democratization taking place in the continent,

Aware also of the fact that African women have become more active participants in the development process in various capacities,

Determined to support women fully so that they can contribute to and participate more effectively in all the political and economic changes now taking place in Africa,

1. Declare our commitment to forge a new ethic for sustainable development based on the equal and active participation of women, men and youth as agents of change at family, community, national and international levels;

2. Commit ourselves to integrating women's concerns in:

(a) Balancing political, economic, cultural and social policy options;

(b) Harmonizing and reconciling economic growth with social equity;

(c) Emphasizing the interdependence and partnership of women, men and youth of Africa, in an atmosphere of peace and well-being;

3. Recognize that women have great potential which if mobilized and harnessed will make it possible to overcome the obstacles which have impeded the full and effective implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies since 1985;

4. Uphold the fact that the African Platform for Action is the outcome of a regional country-based review of the progress of the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies, and broad consultations at national, subregional and regional levels, with inputs from grass-roots communities;

5. Recognize that the African Platform for Action provides the African Common Position on the advancement of women, as well as a framework for committed and concerted action at regional, subregional and national levels for the accelerated achievement of the objectives of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies during the rest of the 1990s and into the twenty-first century;

6. Adopt the African Platform for Action as a renewed commitment by African Governments and as a blueprint to further accelerate the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies in line with the Abuja Declaration on Participatory Development; The Role of Women in Africa in the 1990s, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and declarations at international and regional levels;

7. Calls upon the United Nations institutions and international development partners and NGOs to commit themselves to the successful implementation of the African Platform for Action.

I. Statement of Mission

1. The African Platform for Action is a synthesis of regional perspectives and priorities and a framework for action for the formulation of policies and implementation of concrete and sustainable programmes for the advancement of women. It is developed in consonance with the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies, the Abuja Declaration and the Kampala Action Plan. The Platform for Action aims to accelerate the social, economic and political empowerment of all women at all levels and at all stages of their lives under the guidance of the following principles:

(a) The operating principle of the African Platform for Action is the integration of the gender perspective in all policies, plans and actions directed towards the achievement of equality, development and peace. The underlying assumption is that international instruments that have been developed for human rights should be applicable to all sectors of society. To this end, this African Platform for Action aims to establish/strengthen sustainable mechanisms including information systems at all levels for the promotion of legal literacy and the advancement of women;

(b) Equal partnership between women and men is the ultimate goal of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies, the Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and all other relevant regional and international policy instruments on human and women's rights;

(c) To this end, it is important to ensure a fuller and more active participation of women in policy formulation and decision-making processes of government;

(d) There is need to achieve/accelerate the economic, social and political empowerment of women at all levels, enabling them as citizens, on an equal footing with men, to participate