Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor has addressed the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) conference on women and youth scheduled for September 12-14, 2022 in Dar Es Salaam, the United Republic of Tanzania.
The Vice President called for the creation of the AfCFTA Secretariat for Gender Mainstreaming of women and youth, which will focus on the formulation of specific policies to enhance the empowerment of women and youth.
According to a dispatch, she emphasized the compelling need for a hands-on approach and collaboration necessary to ensure the actualization and subsequent transformation of the lives of the largest segment of Africa’s population, the women and youth.
The Vice President then commended the visionary decision of African leaders to collaborate and diversify economic acceleration through the intra- Africa trade.
She further argued that the success of AfCFTA will not be solely assessed on its impact on trade, but also, on how it has improved the development trajectory of the African continent relative to the empowerment of its women and youth.
Vice President Howard-Taylor further intimated that the provision of affordable and accessible credit to women and youth, the removal of general stereotypes to engender micro-credit facilities, and the free movement of goods and persons across Africa are amongst the most critical issues required in drawing up the final resolution for the implementation of AfCFTA as it relates to women and youth.
She also commended the adoption of AfCFTA which is the largest trade pact to take effect since the establishment of the World Trade Organization, covering more than a billion people across the African continent.
While in Dar Es Salaam, Vice President Howard-Taylor held discussions with Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of the AfCFTA Secretariat centered on exploring the possibilities of establishing an AfCFTA Secretariat in Liberia and the promotion of intra-Africa trade.
The Vice President therefore committed to ensuring that the Legislature ratifies the AfCFTA.
The Vice President also met with Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania and the two leaders agreed on the need to strengthen bilateral relations between both Nations and peoples.
