ARUSHA, Tanzania, 8 March 2015 / PRN Africa / — The EAC Secretariat celebrated International Women’s Day as part of its strategy to increase the participation of women in the EAC’s regional integration process. Under this year’s theme ‘Make it Happen,’ the Deputy Secretary General, together with the Arusha City Council, Women Organisations, Staff members of the EAC and other invited guests, took part in a ‘Walk for Gender Equality’ around designated areas in Arusha town, visited the Maternity Unit of Mt. Meru Regional Hospital, launched the EAC International Women’s website, and benefitted from various presentations and key note addresses on women’s rights and gender equality.

“International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on the achievements that women in the EAC have attained in the last 20 years, as well as to identify the challenges that still impede their full potential,” said Hon. Jesca Eriyo, EAC’s Deputy Secretary General, Productive and Social Sectors.

“We recognise that women make a significant contribution towards the process of economic transformation and sustainable growth, and that is why we want to emphasise the importance of their effective participation, empowerment and development in EAC’s integration process,” she said.

‘Make it Happen’ stands as a global call for women and men to concretize Gender Equality, which is a follow up to the prepositions from the 20th Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995.

Gender equality can only be attained when women and men enjoy the same rights and opportunities across all sectors of society, including economic participation and decision-making, and when the different behaviours, aspirations and needs of women and men are equally valued and favoured.

On average women are paid lower salaries than men for the same work. Women also continue to be victims of violence, with rape and domestic violence listed as significant causes of disability and death among women worldwide.

As a way of fulfilling their commitment to an East African Community where women are able to participate as equal partners, decision makers, and beneficiaries of the sustainable development of their societies, the EAC has created a Sectoral Council on Gender to handle gender issues by proposing legal and policy frameworks accordingly.

To this end, this would make meaningful and sustainable changes for women and girls.

Captions

The Arusha City Council, Women Organisations, Staff members of the EAC and other invited guests partaking in a ‘Walk for Gender Equality’ around designated areas in Arusha town during EAC’s International Women’s Day celebrations.

EAC’s Deputy Secretary General, Productive and Social Sectors, Hon. Jesca Eriyo (second right) and Mr. Bernd Malthup Head of EAC/GIZ Programme, Arusha (far left), donating hospital equipments to the Maternity Unit of Mt. Meru Regional Hospital in Arusha.

EAC’s Deputy Secretary General, Productive and Social Sectors, Hon. Jesca Eriyo (first left) and Head of EAC/GIZ Programme, Arusha (second left), held a special tree planting event at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha to mark International Women’s Day.

EAC’s Deputy Secretary General, Productive and Social Sectors, Hon. Jesca Eriyo (centre right) and Mr. Bernd Malthup Head of EAC/GIZ Programme, Arusha (centre left) sitting in for a group photo with designated guests and EAC Staff members who are attending EAC International Women’s Day celebrations.

Source: Star Africa

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