Hon. Kawooya, who was speaking at the 12th Pan African Parliament Women Conference, said several resolutions adopted at the end of conferences are meant to improve the lives of women in Africa.

“We have many nice laws about women in most countries in Africa, like Rwanda, Ethiopia and Uganda is also following them. We have spoken and now should start acting,” she said.

The two day conference under the theme: 2019, the year of refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons: towards durable solutions to forced displacement in Africa, was held at the Pan African Parliament headquarters in Midrand, South Africa from 14 to 15 October 2019.

The session discussed ‘Promoting women rights, strategies for the implementation of women’s rights in particular reference to the Maputo Protocol, the situation of women refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons.’

Hon. Kawooya decried the lack of government commitment and political will, which are required to advance the rights of women.

The conference, held annually during the October session of the Pan African Parliament, brings together women legislators and individuals from the civil society mostly involved in promotion of women rights.

She urged governments to consider women refugees taking up jobs in fields where their skills are applicable.

The 2nd PAP Vice President, Hon. Haidara Aichata Cisse, who opened the conference advocated for the teaching of peace in schools for children to grow up with knowledge and desire of peaceful resolution of conflicts. She also called for cultural diplomacy as an approach to resolving conflict through acknowledging and appreciating the cultural differences among communities.

Hon. Aichata Cisse said that PAP had established committees comprising MPs and persons from the civil society to follow up on resolutions and laws in the different countries, but were hampered by lack of funds. She promised that the Bureau would consider how to reconstitute and fund the committees.

Recommendations made at the end of the conference noted with regret that women bear much more of the burden of poverty because of their limited access to decision-making, finances and means of production.

They urged member states to include the concerns of displaced persons on the agenda of the African Union Peace and Security Council, regional economic communities and relevant bodies and strengthen mediation and peace-building mechanisms, including the full participation of women in all peace-building activities and processes

As regards the Decade of African Women 2010/2020, it was recommended that members of the African Union sign, ratify and incorporate in their national legislation the AU, legal instruments on women's rights.
The media was also encouraged to lead the campaign for a change of discourse on African women's rights through advocacy, promotion of laws, policies and good practices.

A delegation of the Panafrican Women Journalists which is composed of 200 women journalists from the 54 African countries was also invited for the first time to the conference to throw more light on the objectives and works of the movement and especially on their work on migration and the displaced in Africa.

The Pan African Parliament is a consultative assembly of the African Union which brings together deputies of member countries on the continent.

BusinessGhana with excerpts from www.newvision.co.ug