Features

The benefits of empowering women to participate in the digital economy are obvious. The key to success will be initiatives to teach digital literacy and expand access to Internet-enabled devices, as well as efforts to boost the confidence of women and girls, who have long been discouraged from competing against…

The international community will Tuesday commemorate the World Hepatitis Day (WHD) 2020, which is an opportunity to educate the public about the burden of hepatitis as a preventable, treatable, and in the case of Hepatitis C, a curable disease, under the theme “Find the Missing Millions”.     WHD is…

The African Union recently launched the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Consortium for COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trial (CONCVACT). CONCVACT aims to secure more than 10 late stage vaccine clinical trials on the continent and is being implemented as part of the Africa Joint Continental Strategy for COVID-19.   According…

2020 is the year the AU declared the period of ‘Silencing the Guns in Africa’, and expectations are high. Let the silencing start with Mali with solutions that put the welfare of Mali’s citizens above any other political or non-political consideration.     Recent developments in Mali have brought international…

Globally, women have only three-quarters of the legal rights afforded to men, with the worst inequalities relating to family relationships, employment, control of economic assets, and violence. Ensuring that the current pandemic does not deepen these disparities is therefore crucial.     Worldwide, an estimated 1.5 billion people face legal problems they…

The global community will Saturday celebrate the Nelson Mandela International Day, in commemoration of the life of Nelson Mandela –  a fierce advocate for equality and the first black president of South Africa – for his deep commitment to justice, human rights and fundamental freedoms, under the theme; “Take action,…

In March, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 in Africa, the AU Economic, Social and Cultural Council (AU-ECOSOCC) and African Development Bank’s Gender, Women and Civil Society Department (AfDB-AHGC), initiated a webinar series aimed at raising awareness and sensitizing African citizens about the pandemic.     The webinars bring together…

The global community is Wednesday commemorating the 2020 World Youth Skills Day (WYSD), aimed at recognising the strategic importance of equipping young people with the appropriate skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship, as well as highlighting the crucial role of skilled youth in addressing current and future global challenges.…

African leaders have shot themselves in the foot by postponing the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) until 2021.   Sub-Saharan economies are already minor players in global trade. COVID-19 has further marginalized them by cutting links to China, Europe and North America. That makes internal integration and…

The short-term shock of the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout will have a significant impact across Africa. But the continent has a newfound resilience and will come back stronger, especially if African governments seize the current opportunity for effective leadership.     Despite apocalyptic predictions, Africa may be better…