 |
Women take lead in AU
14 July 2003
African women have scored big at the African Union summit after seven of them were elected commissioners to head several portfolios, including the political affairs, trade and industry portfolios.
Heads of state elected five of the seven commissioners at the summit held in the Mozambican capital of Maputo.
This brings the number of women to seven, following the earlier appointments of two women onto the AU's commission on human and peoples' rights and the committee of experts on the rights of the child.
The commissioners, who will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, will run the daily affairs of the 53-nation organisation for four years.
The five new commissioners, who will sit on the AU commission that is headed by newly-elected chairman Alpha Konare and his deputy, Patrick Mazimhaka, come from Cameroon, Gambia, Namibia, Tanzania and Tunisia respectively.
Gambian-born Julia Dolly Joiner will head the political affairs portfolio,
Cameroonian Elisabeth Tankeu will be in charge of trade and industry, while Bience Gawanas from Namibia will take care of the social affairs portofolio.
Human resources, science and technology will be headed by Saida Agrebi from Tunisia, while Rosebud Kurwijila from Tanzania will be in charge of the rural economy and agriculture portfolio.
The women are joined by two men - Algerian Said Djinnit, who takes charge of the peace and security commission, and Bernard Zoba, who will be responsible for the infrastructure and energy portfolio - bringing to four the number of men on the AU commission, including the chairman and his deputy.
Joaquim Chissano, the AU's new chairman, welcomed the women commissioners, urging member states to give them the necessary support.
Source: BuaNews
| |
 |
|
|
|
|
Challenging stereotypes of women and Africa - Gertrude Mongella, first president of the Pan African Parliament (Photo: Kepa) |
|
Features on South African women, SA's women of the year, SA's push for gender equity, gender update, links & more. 
|
|
|
