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WOMEN



WOMEN












Promoting the role that can be played by African women in all UNESCO activities in Africa, and in particular their contribution to promoting a culture of peace, has always been central to the concerns of the Africa Department.

After the fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, a follow-up unit for sub-Saharan Africa was established to advise UNESCO on implementing the recommendations of the Beijing Conference. This opened up the way to new possibilities for cooperation between UNESCO and African civil society at the subregional and regional levels, since the members of the group are at the centre of a vast network of specialists and NGOs working in the field in various sectors. This enables women, within a subregion or across several subregions, to exchange information and experience, promote their acquired expertise and explain their vision of the world.

One of these initiatives was the organization of the Pan-African Women’s Conference entitled “Women organize for peace and non-violence in Africa” (Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania), held from 17 to 20 May 1999, for which the Priority Africa Department provided special support.

The work of the 300 or so women participants concluded with the adoption of the “Zanzibar Declaration: The Women of Africa for a Culture of Peace” and a Women’s Agenda for a Culture of Peace in Africa, dealing in particular with :

    Launching a pan-African movement of women for peace to put an end to violent conflicts and war and an appeal to women on other continents to join forces with them. They undertook to promote the resolution of conflicts by non-violent means and also to promote African values for a culture of peace.

    As regards women’s participation in promoting peace, the Declaration notes that African women request governments, OAU and the United Nations system to take urgent efficient measures to ensure that women are effectively and equitably represented in peace negotiations and in conflict prevention and resolution. They appeal to governments to demilitarize and disarm the African continent with a view to redirecting those resources to development for the peoples of Africa.

    Recommending the networking of movements of African women and international movements, the Declaration stresses the need for African women to have effective access to appropriate communication media and technology, and to be taught to use them, so as to strengthen such networking by means of a pan-African radio programme on women and peace-related issues. The full text of the Declaration can be found at ZANZIBAR DECLARATION






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