"As Long as Women are Excluded from Economic and Financial Decision-Making, Our Policies will Remain Incomplete and Unjust"
Vanessa Jaravaza, in charge of administration and logistics at Afrodad, emphasized that women's exclusion from economic and financial decision-making processes renders policies incomplete and unjust. She made this statement during the launch of the "Maputo Manifesto" at the 5th edition of Afromedad, an event promoting a feminist approach to debt management and development in Africa.
According to Vanessa, a feminist approach to public debt is necessary, where gender equality and social justice are at the heart of development. This manifesto, adopted in August 2024 during the 4th African Conference on Debt and Development (AfCoDD IV), stresses the need for more inclusive economic governance and calls for profound reforms to ensure fair debt management in Africa.
Among its key recommendations, the text emphasizes the need for debt cancellation and restructuring, deeming the current burden unsustainable and hindering the continent's development. It also calls for a reform of fiscal and budgetary systems to integrate gender-sensitive budgets and ensure increased investments in essential public services such as education and healthcare, sectors often affected by budget cuts.
The manifesto also advocates for the strengthening of women's leadership in economic and financial governance, with quotas and policies promoting their access to decision-making positions. It highlights the importance of care economies, recognizing and valuing the unpaid work of women, which significantly contributes to African economies.
Vanessa Jaravaza underscored that several challenges still hinder women's participation in economic and fiscal governance in Africa. "In this context, major challenges include the reduction of budget allocations in education, healthcare, and public investments, as well as the absence of gender-sensitive budgets and data on women's economic contributions to tax payments," she specified.
It is worth noting that the 5th edition of Afromedad brought together economic journalists from 31 African countries, providing a platform to raise awareness about the importance of integrating a feminist approach in debt management and development in Africa.
