Africa Focus: African first ladies vow action on maternal health, gender violence

The wives of African presidents on Saturday vowed to rejuvenate the fight against maternal health, gender violence and discrimination to ensure women are critical players in the continent's development.

Speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing AU summit in Addis Ababa, the first ladies endorsed a raft of strategies to promote women's health and economic empowerment.

"We will rededicate efforts towards maternal health and lobby for legislation to eliminate practices that violates women's rights and dignity,"said the First Lady of Chad, Hinda Deby Itno.

During her address to the 14th session of the Organization of African First Ladies (OAFLA) general assembly, Itno noted that preventable diseases, violence and discrimination had undermined African women's potential.

The current president of OAFLA revealed that presidential spouses will team up with international partners, governments and grassroots organizations to promote maternal health, education for girls and female enterprises.

"The African first ladies will lobby policymakers and legislators to safeguard the rights of women and girls. We are advocating for resources to empower women," Itno noted.

African women have borne the brunt of health challenges that have been worsened by poverty, cultural beliefs and lethargic policy attention.

The World Health Organization (WHO)contends that half of the 800 women who die every day from pregnancy related complications are from Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Chadian First Lady noted that limited access to family planning services, unsafe delivery and domestic violence have undermined the capacity of African women to contribute to the continent's socioeconomic progress.

"We are concerned about high maternal mortality rate on the continent occasioned by malaria, HIV/Aids and cancers. Governments should strengthen health systems in rural areas to reduce disease burden among poor women,"Itno said.

The African First Ladies in a joint communique resolved to enhance partnerships to eliminate HIV/Aids by 2030.

"There is need to sustain the current progress in reducing HIV/ Aids transmissions among mothers and newborns. We commit to end the epidemic by 2030," read the communique.

The international community will partner with African First Ladies to accelerate progress towards attainment of gender related millennium development goals.

Ban Soon-Taek, the spouse of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said that First Ladies were critical players in women empowerment across Africa.

"As opinion shapers and national leaders, you are better placed to advance the welfare of women and girls. We are behind you in the campaign to end child marriages, female genital mutilation and outdated practices that relegate women to the periphery," Soon- Taek said. Endi