cc MaristellaWith Sirte, Lybia, hosting the 13th African Union summit this week, Lyn Ossome of
Solidarity for African Women's Rights (SOAWR) challenges African heads of state to keep women's land rights on the developmental agenda. At a time of marked global economic difficulty, women remain acutely vulnerable to unstable food prices and restricted access to land, meaning that African governments must now more than ever challenge discriminatory laws and customs, Ossome argues. If the AU's summit is offer progress, Ossome contends, African heads of state must make strong commitments to policies favourable to women's empowerment such as subsidising non-industrial agriculture and securing women's land tenure.
Heads of African states and governments must recommit themselves to honouring the dignity of women’s work and their contributions to economies in ways that work for our people on the continent.