Abuja, June 28, 2013 (SPS) - A very high-level Saharawi delegation, led by the Minister of Culture Ms. Khadija Hamdi, participated Thursday at work of the Second High Level Meeting of GlobalPOWEr Women Network Africa, convened in Abuja, in the presence of heads of several African states, ministers, parliamentarians and international partners, notably Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
The Saharawi Minister of Culture is accompanied by a delegation comprised Ms. Fatma Al-Mehdi, Secretary General of Saharawi Women Union, Ms. Sukeina Larabas, Advisor to the Presidency of the Republic, Mr. Abbi Bachraya Bachir, SADR Ambassador in Nigeria,in addition to Mr. Wadad Mustapha, charged with a mission in SADR embassy in Abuja.
Heads of the state of Liberia and Malawi, deputy president of the Republics of Gambia, deputy prime minister of Zimbabwe, First Lady of Nigeria, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, as well as UNAIDS Executive Director intervened during the opening of the high-level meeting.
As a guest of honor at the meeting, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Mr. Goodluck Jonathan renewed, on behalf of African leaders, commitment to promote the African woman, as to achieve the objectives of the African Union (AU) in the fight against deadly diseases and in the spread of the right to education, health and the integration of women and minors, who are victims of violence in Africa.
He stressed, in his speech, the need to take advantage of the second high-level meeting to address the delay and make the Abuja Declaration a milestone in this path.
This session focused on African women’s health status, second millennium goals in the field of the fight against Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It, moreover, studied the ways to reduce violence against minors and women in conflict zones.
GlobalPOWER Women Network Africa is a network of women elected and appointed representatives which seeks to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment. It promotes discussion of accelerated action for women empowerment and gender equality in the area of HIV and Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights, in Africa, focusing on the vulnerability of girls and young women. (SPS)
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