Brussels, 10/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - Women as vectors for peace, stability and development in the Sahel was the subject of a high-level UN/EU conference on Women's Leadership in this impoverished and unstable region of sub-Saharan Africa, which was held in Brussels on 9 April (see EUROPE 10822). The recommendations of this conference will feed into the conference of the donors for the development of Mali, to be hosted by the EU in Brussels on 15 May.
Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and recipient of the recommendations made on this occasion by some 40 female figures from the Sahel (representatives of civil society, experts on peace and security matters, peace activists, government figures and gender equality activists) to increase women's involvement, their political and economic emancipation and role in favour of peace and economic rebalancing, made the following statement after the debates.
“All over the world where women prosper, societies prosper; where women suffer, so do the societies they live in. This is also true for the Sahel and this is why we met today to listen to women leaders from this region, where both African and international efforts are crucial to bring a solution to the crisis. Today's discussions helped shape a common vision on how we can empower women to help political stability and economic prosperity in the Sahel. It is an important step towards the High-Level Donors' Conference on Development in Mali which the EU, France and Mali will convene on 15 May in Brussels”.
Romano Prodi, Special Representative of Ban Ki-moon for the Sahel region and Lakshmi Puri, Acting Director of UN Women, also received copies of the recommendations made at the conference, which was also attended by members of the European Parliament, African and European ambassadors and representatives of the African Union and ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States). (AN/transl.fl)