Trade deal: Women voice out concerns at AU Summit

Removal of non-tariff barriers, creation of financial policies responsive to women and linkage between trade, peace and security in fragile states are key issues heads of State must address, a trade summit heard.

Heads of State are meeting in Addis Ababa Ethiopia to discuss a continental trade deal dubbed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

According to the African Women's Development and Communications Network (FEMNET), a key player in the Gender is my Agenda Campaign steering committee, AfCTFA needs to look at the socio-economic barriers that look beyond trade.

"We must address all the trade barriers to realise the change that we have been demanding for so long," said Memory Kachambwa FEMNET Executive Director.

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While speaking at a high-level panel, Kachambwa insisted that AfCTFA needs to look at the socio-economic barriers that look beyond trade because of the cross-cutting issues.

She said: "If we had an eco-system of start ups to help African women jumpstart their businesses with reliable capital, we would be a step ahead."

AfCFTA is a key project in the implementation of the AU Agenda 2063; The Africa We Want.

The negotiations started in June 2015 with the agreement entering into force in May 2019. As of November 2021, AfCFTA has been signed by all African countries, except Eritrea.

Maria Andrea Echaz from the UN Human Rights, Office of High Commissioner said the inclusion of women and girls in AFCFTA processes must be central.

She said the role of women who make up the majority of the informal economy, agriculture, and cross-border trade in Africa remain overlooked.

"Worse, most economic policies are drafted in gender-neutral language, which ignores the differentiated impact of policies on women," said Echaz.

She urged policymakers to analyse the impact of the AfCFTA on women, design measures and trade agreements that do not lead to a rise in commercial sexual exploitation of girls and child trafficking.

"The informal economy is driven by women yet their urgency and intellectual might are often overshadowed. Unless this is amended it may be challenging for Africans to realise their full potential," said Munnira Katangole, a 19-year-old gender activist.

The AfCFTA is designed to boost intra-African trade by up to 52.3 per cent and it is expected to expand Africa's economy to $29 trillion dollars by 2050.

Informal and cross border trade accounts for 70 per cent of the economy in sub-Saharan Africa, and is a source of income for 43 per cent of Africa's population. Women in Africa constitute 70 per cent of the informal cross-border traders.

However, according to Lina Asimwe from the Eastern African Sub-regional Support Initiative two scenarios confront the AfCFTA.

Borders across stable nations where women trade with ease and those that are problematic manifest in abrupt border closures, gun-trotting armed groups and untrained customs officials.

"Women in unstable borders often seek alternative routes to ply their trade at the risk of abuse, sexual harassment and violence. When such incidents happen, it becomes hard to track and take legal actions against perpetrators since most tend to be militias of vigilantes armed to cater to the interest of warlords in control of these borders," she said.

Asimwe challenged the AU Heads to consider peace, reconciliation and justice as a key component that would facilitate the free movement of trade, as they remain a constraint to women traders across borders.

Liz Guantai, a legal advisor at the UN also noted that women need information on rules, which tend to differ from one country to the other, procedures as well as taxi regimes. "We must acknowledge the political is needed for positive change."