President John Dramani Mahama has called on African leaders to make gender equality financing a priority, cautioning that without sustained investment, the continent’s development will remain incomplete.
Speaking as keynote at the High-Level Breakfast Meeting on Financing and Reaffirming Africa’s Gender Commitments in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, President Mahama underscored that gender equality is central to Africa’s economic transformation. He emphasised that advancing Agenda 2063 and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals depends on fully harnessing Africa’s human capital—particularly women, whom he described as the continent’s most underutilised resource.
“Despite decades of declarations, Africa’s gender agenda remains chronically underfunded. Gender-responsive programmes are often the first casualties of fiscal constraints; when austerity measures are implemented, these programmes suffer the most.
“Women’s organisations are expected to deliver transformational outcomes with minimal resources. The care economy, largely sustained by African women, remains invisible in national budgets. Efforts to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls are severely under-resourced,” President Mahama said.
He urged governments to commit adequate resources to gender-focused initiatives, stressing that proper financing is vital to empowering women, strengthening the care economy, and ensuring Africa’s development agenda is both inclusive and sustainable.
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