President John Dramani Mahama has called on African governments to significantly increase financing for gender equality, warning that the continent’s development and economic transformation will remain incomplete without sustained investment in women and girls.
Delivering the keynote address at a high-level breakfast meeting on financing and reaffirming Africa’s gender commitments in Addis Ababa, Mr Mahama said gender equality is central to Africa’s long-term prosperity and the effective use of its human capital, particularly women, whom he described as the continent’s most underutilised resource.
He noted that despite years of policy declarations, Africa’s gender agenda continues to suffer chronic underfunding, with gender-responsive programmes often becoming the first victims of fiscal tightening and austerity measures.
The President further lamented that women’s organisations are expected to deliver far-reaching results with limited resources, while the care economy, largely sustained by women remains largely absent from national budgets. He added that programmes aimed at preventing and responding to violence against women and girls are severely under-resourced.
Mr Mahama stressed that African leaders must match their commitments on gender equality with concrete and adequate financial support to achieve inclusive and sustainable development.