The Gender Equality Network consolidated its relationship with the Women’s Network of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie by representation by the Francophone members as well as the Parliamentary Centre staff at the APF Network’s annual meeting, held July 3, 2004 in Prince Edward Island, Canada. The meeting brought together approximately 30 women MPs from a wide range of countries. Africa was well represented, with delegates from Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Niger, Cameroon, Gabon and Togo.

In its first year of existence, the Women’s Network has been quite active. They prepared reports on key issues (i.e. HIV/AIDS and education, reproductive health) to serve to inform the APF as it deliberates key issues for action and have selected the review of the implementation of the CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) as a major point of action. Although the Convention remains the most important international regulatory instrument concerning women and has been ratified by 177 countries, the CEDAW remains widely unknown and its implementation warrants close monitoring. The APF Women’s Network therefore planned a series of three regional workshops for 2004-2005 to increase awareness and knowledge of the CEDAW. The Parliamentary Centre collaborated on the first of these three workshops held in Mali October 18-19, 2004 and for West Africa.

With APF membership restricted to Francophone countries, attendance by ACPSP countries was only in terms of Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger and Senegal. The workshop was for the purpose of sharing knowledge about the Convention on Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women and to develop a strategy for monitoring implementation of the convention. A topical issue with particular relevance to the West Africa region was the contradiction between CEDAW and Sharia law.

As to the specific objectives, participants certainly increased their knowledge on the CEDAW and were provided with certain tools for the monitoring of the implementation of the CEDAW. The workshop declaration is a clear indication that the women MP members of the APF chapters have taken ownership of the CEDAW. It now remains to be seen what actions they will take to raise awareness throughout their chapters to allow for the widest possible dissemination of the CEDAW and to contribute to making the Convention indispensable for lawmaking.

The workshop resolved that:

• Workshop participants will provide similar training as trainers, on return to their respective countries
• Each chapter will develop a CEDAW monitoring work plan
• Each country’s report to the UN will be examined for additions made after ratification of the convention.

Extensive work is anticipated in view of the request by the APF Chairperson Honourable Viviane Campaoré who is also a member of the Gender Equality Network, for ACPSP to assist with facilitating a forum for chapters to report on progress with respect to monitoring of the implementation of CEDAW. The forum would also provide the APF-ACPSP members with lessons to share with the rest of the gender network. Further collaboration with APF is anticipated for implementation of the work plan.