What's new? Femnets programmes & projects.

* African Union and the Optional Protocol on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of African Women

FEMNET's advocacy programme has been involved with the ongoing elaboration of the Optional Protocol on African Women's Human Rights to the Afdcan Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and in regional consultations for a cohesive response by African women to the Optional Protocol.

* New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD)

FEMNET in partnership with the Association for Progressive Communications (APC Africa Women), will host an e-mail discussion on African Women and NEPAD. The discussion will focus on African women's concerns around NEPAD, the NEPAD Initial Action Plan, the G8 Initial Action Plan for Africa, the NEPAD Declaration on Political, Economic and Corporate Governance, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and priorities for a NEPAD for African women (Shadow NEPAD).

If interested in participating please contact FEMNET at: femnet@africaonline.co.ke

* African Women's Access to and Control over Land

FEMNET has just completed editing research and analysis from cultural, religious and human rights perspectives on issues relating to women and land. This research was carried out in seven African countries--Ethiopia, Cameroon, Mozambique, Rwanda, Nigeria, Senegal and Uganda. The research is being published in a book by Zed Publishers in October 2002.

* Gender Mainstreaming with respect to the Implementation of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs)/(PRSP)

FEMNET is working on the production of an analysis of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper formulation process in Africa, with lessons learnt, to strengthen civil society's capacity to influence the budget in support of alleviating poverty of African women. FEMNET will also document the experiences of gender lobbies in the PRSP process and will provide an analysis of women's poverty in direct relationship to the national macroeconomic policy.

In order to gain insights on how to build women's capacity in influencing resource allocation at national level in Africa, FEMNET has been closely engaged with the PRSP process in Kenya through the Gender Thematic Group (GTG) and the Civil Society Consultative Working Group (CSO-CWG). A PRSP effort for women in Africa is critical. African women, who experience higher poverty levels than men, are desperately poor. There is therefore a need to analyse the PRSP process comprehensively in Africa and use the lessons learnt to strengthen...