The board and staff of the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) welcome the appointment of H.E. Mary Robinson as the United Nations Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa. It is our belief that she will bring her passion for human rights and strong sense of integrity to work for the benefit of women in the region.
In her position as the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997-2002), Mary Robinson demonstrated commitment to issues of human rights, women’s rights and climate justice. Her support of the African Women’s Movement is commendable. In 2009, Mary Robinson in her foreword to ‘The Compendium of Key instruments for Women’s Human Rights in Africa‘ published by AWDF stated:
“This Compendium is unique in providing all the international instruments which speak to African women’s human rights, including instruments written by and for African women. This includes the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa and the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa.”
Mary Robinson is also a member of the ‘Gender is my Agenda‘ campaign, an advocacy initiative for African Union Heads of State to implement the ‘Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa‘ . This campaign has the support of the AWDF.
AWDF looks forward to supporting Mary Robinson in her new role as the United Nations Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa.
