What does Africa have to drive its development? Hafsat Abiola, President of Women in Africa Initiatives, an organization that supports African women鈥檚 economic empowerment, asked the question at a gender empowerment event in New York recently. The event was organized by UN Women and the UN鈥檚 Department of Global Communications.
Ms. Abiola was not referring to Africa鈥檚 natural resources; rather, her focus was on what should be Africa鈥檚 organizing principle around which socioeconomic development must revolve.
Her answer: 鈥淲e can compete through our community鈥� African communities get together to establish schools, put children in school if parents don鈥檛 have enough money to pay. We have a true spirit of support, inclusion and generosity.鈥澨�
To put her idea in context, Ms. Abiola explained that the West鈥檚 economic success is private sector driven: the states provide an enabling environment for companies to make profit and expand operations鈥攁 kind of trickle-down economics in which the prosperity of the private sector benefits the society in the long term.
On the contrary, she added that the East鈥檚 development model is led by the state. 鈥淎frica cannot compete with the states of the East or the companies of the West. We can compete in another field: the community.鈥� Africa has a rich history of community-led development. She recommended that such a model now needs to be developed.
Development that depends on a sense of community consists of educating the grassroots population and giving them microfinance opportunities based on a strategic intent, not just as a casual stimulus package. That way, she insisted, 鈥淲e will be able to colonise our [Africa鈥檚] wealth.鈥�
Education needs to be reformed to fit the needs of Africa in today鈥檚 world. Ms. Abiola further advised: 鈥淓ducation has to be relevant for us, it has to be useful for us. And it also must be practical鈥� so that Africans can have choices: if they cannot go this way, they can go the other way.鈥�
Strengthening Africa鈥檚 educational system will also allow the youth to understand what is unique in Africa. Ms. Abiola鈥檚 perspective on development paradigms reflects her stays in the US and later in China, living and studying.
鈥淢y professor in China once told me, 鈥榯he Chinese way cannot be your way because the Chinese way is based on what works for China. You must look at what can work for you in Africa.鈥欌��
A women鈥檚 rights activist, Ms. Abiola pointed out that empowering African women in a way that leads them to capture Africa鈥檚 wealth is a smart thing for leaders to do.
UN Women Adviser on Africa Tolulope Lewis-Tamoka said that although progress is being made regarding women鈥檚 empowerment in Africa, more needed to be done. Ms. Lewis-Tamoka commended the activism of Ms. Abiola and other women鈥檚 rights advocates. 鈥淐hallenges to gender equality are many but all hands must be on deck as we dismantle all the obstacles,鈥� she said.
