INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

East African Community

MEDIA ALERT

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Dear members of media

International Women’s Day is annually held on March 8 to celebrate women’s achievements throughout history and across nations. It is also known as the United Nations (UN) Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace. The UN drew global attention to women's concerns in 1975 by calling for an International Women's Year. It also convened the First World Conference on women in Mexico City that year. The UN General Assembly then invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for Women's Rights.

The United Nations theme for International Women’s Day, 2017, focuses on “Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030”.

The EAC Partner States recognise that women make a significant contribution towards the process of economic transformation and sustainable growth and that it is impossible to implement effective programs for the economic and social development of the Partner States without the full participation of women.

To this end, the EAC has put the inclusion of women and girls at the centre of the development programmes with Partner States ensuring affirmative action, constitutional and legal reforms, development of national gender policies; institutional mechanisms for implementation and accountability; economic empowerment measures; and sector-specific policies.

The EAC Secretariat is therefore committed to ‘Be Bold for Change’ to ensure an East African Community where women can participate as equal partners, decision makers, and beneficiaries of the sustainable development of their societies.

To mark International Women’s Day, tomorrow 8, March 2017, EAC Secretariat has organized a special events  to celebrate the International Women’s Day as follows;

Events

1.     Walk and trees planting

·         Together with the Arusha City Council, Women Organizations’, East African Women in Business Platform, Staff of the EAC Secretariat and other guests, the Secretary General will lead all women and men in a ‘walk for gender equality’.

2.     Presentations:

·         By Women Leaders in the EAC – Topic: Be Bold for Change

·         On Opportunities for Women in Business in the EAC

·         Presentations from the IIDEA projects that focus on women

·         Moderated interactive session.

3.     EAC and East African Women in Business Platform (EAWiBP) MOU signing.

4.     Launch of the Simplified Guide for Micro and Small Scale Women Cross Border Traders and Service Providers within the East African Community (EAC).

Attached is draft program for your information

You are kindly invited to attend  this event. Please confirm your participation for this event latest by  4pm Today