African women's participation in and contribution to the Global Call for Action Against Poverty/Participation et contribution des femmes Africaines a l'Appel Mondial a l'Action Contre la Pauvrete (GCAP).

The Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) is a worldwide alliance committed to making world leaders live up to their promises, and to making a breakthrough on poverty in 2005. GCAP is an alliance among a range of actors including existing coalitions, trade unions, community groups, individuals, religious and faith groups, and campaigners. Throughout 2005, GCAP planned local, regional and international activities that centered around lobbying world leaders on 3 major issues:

* More and better aid;

* Debt cancellation;

* Trade justice;

GCAP has used processes like the G-8 Summit in Gleaneagles in July 2005 and preparations for the World Summit in New York in September 2005 to push for government commitment to end poverty.

Where are the women's voices in GCAP and what is their contribution to this momentus movement? African women's participation in GCAP has been organized around two major events.

African Women's Millennium Initiative on Poverty and Human Rights (AWOMI), May 2005, Nairobi, Kenya

The first AWOMI conference, held on 9-10 May 2005 in Nairobi, and titled "African Women Speak on MDGs: A Call to Action on Gender Justice and Equality" was a landmark event for the women's movement in Africa. Over 200 women and men attended the conference from 18 African countries and Europe, Asia and North America. Participants included rural women, those from informal settlements, Parliamentarians, activists, media, academics and youth.

AWOMI took advantage of the wide range of participants to reinforce alliances among African women's social justice networks, youth, grassroots women, media, and human rights activists to join the call to end poverty. The conference urged participants to provide gender equality and human rights content to the GCAP messages.

The conference ended with the AWOMI Declaration that set out African women's demands of their governments, the African Union, international financial and trade institutions. The Declaration is available at http://www.igtn.org/page/608/1

Gender and GCAP Africa Regional Consultation, June 2005, Johannesburg, South Africa

The Gender and GCAP Africa Regional Consultation was held on 22-23 June 2005 in Johannesburg. The meeting was organized to address the concern over the lack of women's voices in the GCAP campaign. The Gender and GCAP Africa event was meant to provide an opportunity to help shape the African women's agenda on GCAP and MDGs, provide a road map and issues that will be presented to...