WIMAfrica participates in the AU 8th Gender Pre-Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The Members of the Women In Maritime in Africa (WIMAfrica) took part in the AU 8th Gender Pre-Summit on 2016 African Year of Human Rights, with Particular Focus on the Rights of Women.

Under the Presidency of H.E Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the AUC, the 2016 Gender Pre-Summit is jointly organized by the AUC Directorate of Women, Gender and Development; the Gender is My Agenda Campaign (GIMAC), and AU partners from 17th to 20th January 2016 at the African Union Commission headquarters.

More than 50 Delegates from Angola, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Mozambique, Nigeria -African Shipowners Association- and Togo represented WIMAfrica at this Pre-Summit.

WIMAfrica Delegation was conducted by Mrs Teresa Geremias from the Republic of Mozambique, Acting President representing Mrs Rosa Sobrinho from the Republic of Angola, President of WIMAfrica.

Belonging to a sector long time managed by men, the members of WIMAfrica participated in the Conference to express a strong message on the key role of women in Africa blue economy and to encourage the Assembly to pay closer attention to the maritime domain in Africa and its capacity in term of job creation, Fleet development, tremendous natural resources, and wealth creation, at this decisive moment where Africa is implementing its continental long term development program: Agenda 2063.

The Women in Maritime in Africa wanted to meet with their sisters from other domain and discuss how they can contribute in synergy to the wellbeing of African Citizens.

[Description: Description: WIMA5] In margin of the Pre-Summit, WIMAfrica members held their bi-annual general meeting not only to take stock of the progress made so far since last meeting on 25th July 2015, during the Launch of the Decades of Seas and Oceans in Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; but also to work on the way forward particularly the Memorandum of understand between the African Union and WIMAfrica.

Mrs Mahawa Wheeler, the newly appointed Director of the AU Directorate of Women and Gender (WGD) was invited by the members of WIMAfrica to introduce each other, to express the support of WIMAfrica to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission through the Director and to talk about the way forward as well as a closer collaboration in reaching the goals of Africans but particularly the goals of African women.

During this introductory session, H.E. Madam Antonia Florbela de Jesus Rocha Araujo, Secretary of State for Legal Affairs and Judiciary to the Presidency of the Republic of Angola invited alongside with the Director of the AU WGD, expressed her joy to take part in this gathering and encouraged this initiative on Maritime which is considered as a key sector in her country.

In return, Mrs Wheeler expressed her enthusiasm to have WIMAfrica on board and promised to keep the momentum in collaborating with them as key partners in the Maritime domain.