The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development has launched the #HaveHerBack campaign which, according to the institution, is “an exciting initiative to mobilize male leaders and members of the public from across Africa to make concrete pledges to advance gender equality”. The campaign has also been enlisting the support and cooperation of prominent leaders, both present and past African leaders tagged “male champions “to realize the objectives of the project.
According to a tweet received by this paper from Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development, the #HaveHerBack campaign calls upon men across the continent to make concrete pledges to further women’s leadership in their spheres of influence. The #HaveHerBack campaign also provides an opportunity for women to recognize the men who have supported them over the course of their careers – and encourage other men to follow their lead. “With men holding the majority of leadership positions, they play a critical role in championing women’s advancement”, the Center said.
The tweet further said the #HaveHerBack campaign further calls upon men across the continent to make concrete pledges to further women’s leadership in their spheres of influence adding that it also provides an opportunity for women to recognize the men who have supported them over the course of their careers—and encourage other men to follow their lead.
The tweet added that these commitments are part of a game-changing bid to shift perceptions of African men’s support for gender equality, and to simultaneously making strides in addressing and breaking down barriers to women’s participation.
Giving background of the extent of the under-representation of women in leadership positions on the African continent, the EJS Center said, “African women remain underrepresented in leadership across the public and private sectors. There are just five women serving as Prime Ministers and two serving as Presidents across the continent. Only one out of every four members of parliament is a woman. And women remain significantly outnumbered in the top ranks of African businesses”.
The Center, which is a brainchild of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf – Africa’s first democratically elected female President, announced that it had received the commitments of the Presidents of South Africa and Cote d’Ivoire Cyril Ramaphosa and Alassane Ouattara to support the initiatives, and shared video recordings of the two African leaders.
President Ramaphosa said in a terse message: “I will #HaveHerBack. I pledge to improve the representation of women in senior management position levels in the public sector towards overall gender parity. I pledge to improve the representation of women in senior management position levels in parastatals towards the overall gender parity and also pledge to ensure that the government identifies obstacles to women representation in senior management positions in the public sector”.
President Ouattara who went much in details to explain what his government had done to promote women in leadership position has this to say: “Since assuming Cote d’Ivoire’s highest position, I have taken steps to create a legal and institutional framework which favors women’s autonomy as well as their greater involvement in the development of my country. So as of 2021, around 50 bn CFA francs have been allocated to women through the support fund for women of Cote d’Ivoire, created in 2012 to encourage income generating activities.
“I provided guidance for the creation of a compendium of Ivorian women’s skills with the aim of strengthening the visibility, participation and leadership of Ivorian women.
“In addition, I have undertaken reforms with the government which have allowed women to join the national gendarmerie and girls to join military training academy which previously only accepted boys.
“Secondly, I have enacted a law calling for all elected bodies to be made up of at least 30% women. And finally, I have adopted a pro-gender constitution. This is why I welcome and wholly support the “HaveHerBack campaign” initiated by the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Center for Women and Development. I am committed to giving my full support to all initiatives which aim to promote female leadership.
“I encourage leaders at all levels to commit themselves through concrete actions in the same way. Thanks”
The Center said besides the two African leaders, two other former presidents, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and Mr. Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone as well as businessman and philanthropist, Dr. Mo Ibrahim, among other high-profile leaders are on board to support the project.
It can be recalled that at the just concluded Cohort 2021 conference of Amujae Women leaders, participants stressed the need to enlist the support of the men in order not to see the crusade for women to play a more leadership role in Africa to be a one-sided pursuit.
With men in dominant within the leadership space of both the public and private sector, according to the Amujae women leaders, their support and cooperation to partner with the women will be a big boost to the project. There Amujae group called upon all men of good faith not to relent to assist women reach their goals with their potentials.
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