AfDB Approves More Funding For Women Empowerment Programmes 

Africa’s largest lender, the African Development Bank said its gender strategy will focus on women and girls empowerment over the next five years covering 2021 to 2025.

The gender strategy would ensure the lender accomplishes its goal to promote gender equality and empowerment of women across the full range of its operations and initiatives.

The bank said this on Thursday, adding the board gave the approval on December 11, last year.

The decision would bridge the existing gaps hindering women’s contribution to development of the continent.

The bank’s Director for Gender, Women and Civil Society, Vanessa Moungar, said “This is a significant milestone for the Bank as it will guide our interventions in the next five years as we continue to increase our efforts to achieve outcomes and maximum impact on building gender equality on the ground for women to thrive.”

The Bank also said it would address obstacles to inclusive economic and social transformation for women across Africa.

It noted that the new gender Strategy would be anchored on three pillars which would accelerate the attainment of it target.

Under the first pillar, the lender would pay attention on enhancing access to finance and technical assistance to women entrepreneurs.

The bank disclosed that the second pillar would accelerate employability and job creation for women through skills enhancement.

On the third pillar, AfDB would take a shot in increasing women’s access to social services through infrastructure.

“Through this new Gender Strategy, the Bank will capitalize on its longstanding experience, leadership and convening power as well as building on its comparative advantage to achieve maximum impact on the ground,” it added.