African Union.

One of the historic decisions taken at the inaugural summit of the African Union (AU) held in July 2002 in Durban, was that five out of the ten commissioners of the AU (Secretariat) would be women. The five women commissioners will be drawn from Africa's five regions.

The summit also endorsed the creation of a Gender Equality Promotion Directorate under the Office of the Chairperson of the Commission to mainstream gender in all the organs and activities of the AU. While ultimate responsibility for promoting gender equality rests with the Chairperson, the Deputy Chairperson of the AU's Commission, Commissioners, senior management and officers will be assessed on the basis of their gender performance with the support from the Gender Equality Promotion Directorate.

All this widening of responsibility for gender performance is critical and will call for co-operation with the wider women's movement in Africa.

The Protocol to the Treaty establishing the African Economic Community, relating to the Pan African Parliament, also stipulates that at least one woman from every country should be represented in the proposed Pan African Parliament, one of the 17 institutions of the AU. African women have to rise up to the challenge and ensure that those competent and credible women are found to lead the AU.

Union Africaine

L'une des decisions historiques qui ont ete prises lors du Sommet inaugural de l'Union Africaine a Durban en Afrique du Sud, est que 5 commissaires sur 10 de la Commission de L'Union Africaine (Secretariat) seront des femmes. Les cinq femmes...