Gadhaffi Pledges to Empower African Women

The visiting Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gadhaffi on Tuesday pledged to ensure the empowerment and emancipation of women in Africa whom he described as mothers of the entire human race.

Col. Gadhaffi said he will help ensure that African leaders implement the Accra Declaration which emphasizes respect for women and the family.

Addressing women leaders in Kampala at the merge of an Islamic meeting, Col. Gadhaffi said the African woman still remained vulnerable in every aspect.

He pleaded that appropriate policies be implemented in the domain of education, economy and social affairs to improve their situation.

The Libyan leader said that though Africa is steadily progressing, the pace of development was slow and attributed it to bad governance.

Leaders on the continent think more about the next elections than about the needs of the people, he said and urged women leaders in every domain to press the political leaders to prioritize the needs of women and not politics.

The Minister of Gender, Labor and Social Affairs, Ms. Syda Bumba, commended Col. Gadhaffi for his commitment to the emancipation of the African woman.

She said that the struggle for emancipation of women in Uganda started over 60 years ago and was becoming a reality with the increase of the number of women in higher positions in government as well as the higher enrollment of girls in schools.

Mrs. Bumba expressed regrets that poverty was the major challenge facing women because of the of low access to credit facilities.

The meeting was attended by several Ministers, MPs, leaders of women councils and women in the civil society.

Source African Press Agency

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