INTERNATIONAL: Five Hundred Women Leaders Participate in the Fifth Meeting of Spanish and African Women for a Better World

More than five hundred women leaders from five continents participated in the Fifth Meeting of Spanish and African Women for a Better World, hosted by the Government of Spain in Valencia on 27-28 March, with support from UNIFEM. The participants adopted a ten-point declaration, committing to move forward on improving gender equality and promoting women's economic and political capacities.

The Network of Spanish and African Women for a Better World is made up of hundreds of organizations and provides a platform for dialogue on the empowerment of women as active development agents. The meeting brought together high-level representatives from most African countries, along with women leaders from Spain and other countries.

Among the participants were Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf; Nobel Peace Price Laureate Wangari Maathai from Kenya; human rights activist and former First Lady of Mozambique and South Africa, Graça Machel; the President of Finland, Tarja Halonen; former President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson; former President of Chile Michelle Bachelet; and UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman appeared in video messages.

Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain presided over the opening session of the meeting, in which the First Vice President of the Spanish Government, Maria Teresa Fernández de la Vega, also participated. Discussions followed on the themes of women's human rights and citizenship, economic challenges and growth in Africa, women's health, and education and culture.

UNIFEM Executive Director Inés Alberdi addressed the meeting and highlighted UNIFEM's work to end violence against women and girls. “Despite its harmful effects, violence against women has long been regarded as essentially a private issue. Today, after decades of struggle by women's rights activists, ending violence against women is positioned high on policy-making agendas,” said Alberdi.

On the second day of the meeting, the Spanish Minister of Equality, Bibiana Aído, presented a draft Women for a Better World Strategic Plan, aiming to consolidate the work done since the first meeting in 2006 and define future goals. The final version of the strategy will be presented at the Sixth Meeting to be held in Namibia next year.

In a final declaration, participants proposed measures to promote the advancement of women in various areas, including the establishment of a permanent programme to support women's political leadership in the Regional Training Centre in Bamako, the strengthening of programmes for reinforcing democratic institutions, the creation of two regional centres to promote women's leadership in business, and to move forward in women's access to micro-finance, education and health services.

The meeting was concluded with an address by the Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. The First Meeting of Spanish and African Women for a Better World was held in Mozambique in 2006, followed by meetings in Madrid in 2007, Niger in 2008 and Liberia in 2009.