Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Pan African conference on overcoming harmful traditions affecting children, women kicks-off

(October 5, 2011, Addis Ababa, ENA)--A Pan African conference which discusses the harmful traditions affecting children and young women kicked off here on Wednesday, a press statement AU sent to ENA on Wednesday said.

The objective of the conference is to contribute to continental efforts for the promotion and protection of the rights of women and girls and highlight aspects of African culture, customs and traditions which impede the advancement of women and children.

It will advocate for the ratification and domestication of the AU Protocol to the Charter on Human and People's Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the Charter on the African Cultural Renaissance.

The conference is expected to increase commitments by national structures, regional, continental and international institutions, civil society organizations and development partners to enhance partnerships in efforts to bring an end to harmful traditional practices (HTPs).

It will further advocate for strategies and actions to combat HTPs and promote behavior change, focusing on best practices and success stories.

African ministers and experts from selected AU Member States, parliamentarians, traditional and religious leaders and representatives of international and civil society organizations are attending the three-day conference.

The African Union Commission in Collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) organized the conference held under the theme: “Celebrating Courage and Overcoming Harmful Traditional Practices”.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency

No comments:

Post a Comment