The Kenyan government’s Office of the President’s Advisor on Women’s Rights partnered with the Baha’i International Community (BIC) on Wednesday 13 March  in hosting an event parallel to the 68th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

Titled “The Future of Africa: An Intergenerational Dialogue on Strengthening Institutions to Catapult Financial Inclusion for Women's Rights and Equality,” the event (see recording) drew over 150 participants and focused on themes of financial inclusion, gender equality, and institutional transformation, with an emphasis on women and youth. It was co-sponsored by NGO CSW, the civil society umbrella for NGOs participating at the Commision, and the Kenya-based youth empowerment Andaa Vijana Initiative.

BIC Representative Liliane Nkunzimana, who moderated the event, highlighted the key role of youth in the region, noting that some 70% of sub-Saharan Africa’s population is under the age of 30. “This is an opportune moment to assess the role of societal institutions in creating just and inclusive societies,” Ms. Nkunzimana said, “as well as thinking about how we create a foundation for the continent’s well-being today, but also into the future.” 

The event featured the Honorable Harriette Chiggai, the Kenyan president’s Women’s Rights Advisor. In her keynote address, Ms. Chiggai emphasized the importance of collaboration among diverse partners and of translating plans into practical action. “In this room, you are not just participants in a dialogue, you are the architects of change,” she said. 

Respondents from a range of backgrounds commented on themes related to the future of Africa. Among them was Dr. Atieno Mboya, a scholar of international environmental law and gender jurisprudence, and a member of the BIC’s delegation to the Commission, representing the BIC’s Regional Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“We need to unpack and understand the harmful attitudes and habits that are keeping women subordinate to men,” said Mboya, giving a historical overview of developments in the advancement of women in Africa, and specifically in  Kenya, since the country’s 1963 independence. “It's really around a moral attitude, and one that should come from a peace-inducing foundation for advancing equality, not one of violence and adversarial positioning."

Kenyan Member of Parliament Gathoni Wamuchomba highlighted the continued need for the inclusion of youth in policy-making, alongside electing leaders who want to invest in youth. With an expected population of 2.5 billion by 2050, Africa today has the world's youngest population, Wamuchomba noted, stressing that continued investment in younger generations is essential to ensure the continent's future is shaped by those who live in it.

Other respondents described diverse approaches to social and economic development undertaken in African contexts, such as the Financial Inclusion Fund of the Kenyan Government, which works to improve financial access among youth and the creation of generational wealth for women. 

The event was one of many organized by the BIC delegation alongside the formal Commission on the Status of Women. The BIC’s overall statement to the Commission can be found here.