Download Speech of Hon Mrs Mireille Martin, Minister of Gender Equality

Speech of Honourable Mrs Mireille Martin
Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare
Workshop on African Union Framework
Thursday 30th May 2013- 9.30
Gold Crest Hotel
Quatre Bornes
Ms How Fok Cheung, Permanent Secretary of my Ministry
Prof Sheila Bunwaree
Mrs Bali, Head Gender Unit
Participants, Representatives of Ministries
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased to be in your midst this morning for the opening ceremony of this
workshop on African Union Framework.
I am also pleased to welcome Prof Sheila Bunwaree, who has agreed to act as
facilitator for this workshop.
As you know, Prof Bunwaree is a lecturer at the University of Mauritius. She is
also a member of various gender networks in the African region and has wide
experience in the field of Gender and Development.
Aside from having been a consultant for various international and regional
institutions, she has occupied the position of Director of Research and
Documentation at the CODESRIA, the Council for the Development of Social
Science Research in Africa, based in Dakar.
I am sure that her input during this workshop will prove quite valuable to all of
you. So do not hesitate to ask her questions. I am certain she will respond to them
with enthusiasm.
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Speech of Honourable Mrs Mireille Martin
Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare
Workshop on African Union Framework
Thursday 30th May 2013- 9.30
Gold Crest Hotel
Quatre Bornes
Last year, you would recall that my Ministry held two similar workshops in the
context of our senior officials empowerment programme, … regarding the
dissemination of knowledge on international and regional human rights
instruments.
We had a first seminar on CEDAW- the Convention on the Elimination of All
forms of Discrimination Against Women and the second one was on the SADC
Protocol on Gender and Development.
This year, the Ministry pursues its action. The framework on which we are
proposing to empower you further, relates to the provisions of the African Union
policy on key African Human Rights documents on Gender and Development.
Thus this third activity aims at further consolidating the capacity of major
stakeholders.
As you may be aware, 2013 has been declared as the year of Pan-Africanism and
the African Renaissance… which marks the 50th Anniversary of the African Union.
In this context, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and
International Trade has requested my Ministry to propose activities to be organised
during the month of May.
We consider at the Ministry that the celebration of this anniversary provides a
timely opportunity, to accelerate the implementation of provisions contained in
various African instruments.
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Speech of Honourable Mrs Mireille Martin
Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare
Workshop on African Union Framework
Thursday 30th May 2013- 9.30
Gold Crest Hotel
Quatre Bornes
In the course of the seminars that we have planned for senior officials of ministries,
you will be familiarized with:
 the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights;
 the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the
Rights of Women in Africa;
 the AU Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality and
 the AU Gender Policy.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This initiative of the Ministry aims at providing senior officials of line ministries
with the necessary knowledge to sustain the actions of Government towards
women’s empowerment and gender equality.
The knowledge of these instruments will enable you to grasp their strategic
importance and subsequently help you in devising appropriate policies,
programmes and projects in your respective Ministries.
As you are well aware, my Ministry is mandated to ensure that we work effectively
towards making gender equality a reality in our Mauritian society.
Dissemination of the provisions of the African Union Framework can ensure
progress in that direction.
The African Union gives a prominent position to the gender equality agenda.
Africa and its people represent a dynamic and strategic force in the global arena.
Africa is on the rise and to move the African continent agenda forward, … our
people should be empowered to play a more active role in the attainment of
different set targets.
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Speech of Honourable Mrs Mireille Martin
Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare
Workshop on African Union Framework
Thursday 30th May 2013- 9.30
Gold Crest Hotel
Quatre Bornes
We know that transformation of the Organisation of the African Unity into African
Union in 2002…aims at promoting an integrated, peaceful and prosperous Africa
driven by its own citizens.
Ownership of the gender equality agenda can thus constitute an additional
advantage for the actors who seek to further the transformation of the African
continent and region.
The adoption of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights ….
 followed by the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s
Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa in 2003;
 the AU Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in 2004;
 the AU Gender Policy in 2009;
 followed by the report of the Extraordinary Meeting of African Ministers
in charge of Gender and Women’s Affairs in 2008,
 and the declaration by the Assembly of the African Union of the period
2010-2020 as the African Women’s Decade, … bear testimony to the desire
of Africans to stand on their own feet and mainstream gender into their
respective societies.
These frameworks have served as basis for many of the Member States of the
African Union… to consolidate their actions … with regards to women’s
empowerment and gender equality.
Many countries of the region have set up institutional mechanisms to monitor
gender mainstreaming and implementation of gender policies and programmes.
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Speech of Honourable Mrs Mireille Martin
Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare
Workshop on African Union Framework
Thursday 30th May 2013- 9.30
Gold Crest Hotel
Quatre Bornes
The challenge is also to effect constitutional and legislative changes …
acknowledging the centrality of gender equality in the achievement of socioeconomic and political development.
These institutional mechanisms are pivotal to bring about a change in mindset and
significantly close gender gaps.
It is, therefore, crucial that all existing institutional mechanisms be fully exploited
to provoke transformational changes and that gender equality permeates all levels.
Hence, the need to ensure that each one of you present here today, be fully
acquainted with AU’s frameworks on gender.
Given that there are four sizable documents which we want you to familiarise
yourself with … we have decided not to overload you with all the information in
one day. A second workshop has thus been scheduled on the 4th of June, for the
two remaining instruments.
Today’s workshop will focus on the African Charter on Human and People’s
Rights and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on
the Rights of Women in Africa .
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your dual responsibility as members of gender cells of your respective ministries
as well as of the National Steering Committee on Gender Mainstreaming, …
confers upon you the task to mainstream gender in sectoral policies and
programmes.
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Speech of Honourable Mrs Mireille Martin
Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare
Workshop on African Union Framework
Thursday 30th May 2013- 9.30
Gold Crest Hotel
Quatre Bornes
I am glad to inform you that the Gender Unit will shortly come up with a
Compendium on key documents related to gender and development.
It will be a comprehensive document to be used as a reference on gender equality
issues.
It will also enable you to assess the degree of implementation of the different
provisions of the instruments by Mauritius regarding the promotion of gender
equality.
I therefore strongly encourage you all…. to take full advantage of today’s
workshop. I urge you to be equally present for the next workshop.
Your presence here this morning is already a testimony of the importance which
you attach to understanding the implications of the different protocols.
We, at the Ministry, are convinced that mastering the various international and
regional provisions related to gender equality, can increase the effectiveness of
your actions.
We really want you to be the best agents in the implementation of the contents of
the different protocols to which Mauritius is party to.
As high level policy makers, I thank you for helping us in achieving a more gender
responsive society.
Thank you for your attention and I now have the pleasure to open this workshop.
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Speech of Honourable Mrs Mireille Martin
Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare
Workshop on African Union Framework
Thursday 30th May 2013- 9.30
Gold Crest Hotel
Quatre Bornes
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