German-Africa Feminist Development Policy: What’s Next?

Описание: After taking office on 8 December 2021, the government of Olaf Scholz, and more specifically, the Federal Ministry for
Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ) under the leadership of Minister Svenja Schulze, announced the
upcoming adoption of a feminist development policy. To this end, in 2022, the ministry engaged over 400 stakeholders
from civil society, academia and multilateral organisations in Germany and abroad. Messaging from the ministry
emphasises that German development policy plays a vital role in defining and realising strong and just societies
worldwide and can, therefore, serve as a leveraging force in advancing the issues at the centre of this new strategy.
In March 2023, The BMZ announced the completion of its new Feminist development policy strategy. The new
guidelines present a broad framework, centring gender equality efforts in the various areas of German foreign policy,
including humanitarian aid delivery, peace negotiations and climate policy. A focal point of the strategy is the 3Rs: CET
rights, resources and representation. In this context, rights refer especially to bodily self-determination, while
resources include access to land, financial systems such as provision for old age, and loans. Finally, representation
indicates the promotion of women's participation in political offices, decision-making bodies, and jurisdiction.
The announcement of the new strategy has been met with a mixed response. Supporters have praised the
participatory consultations the policy designers undertook while developing the policy guidelines. However, observers
noted limitations in the consultation process due to language barriers and accessibility, among other factors. Overlap
with the BMZ’s Africa Strategy, launched in January 2023, can also be observed; calls for more political, social and
economic participation for African women echo the 3Rs outlined in the new Feminist development policy.
There are many questions surrounding the new feminist development policy. What applications and concrete actions
have we seen since the strategy was announced? How has the strategy affected the discussion around feminist
development policy in Africa? How has it affected German-African development cooperation? In what practical ways
can the new strategy help foster equal participation of all people in social, political and economic life - “irrespective of
gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, skin colour, disability or other characteristics”?
The Webinar
To answer these questions, APRI – Africa Policy Research Institute is convening experts to conduct a thorough stock-
take of the year since the new feminist development policy strategy was announced in March 2023. It will discuss and
reflect on the objectives outlined in the strategy and the progress and challenges of implementing the Feminist
development policy strategy in Africa and recommend ways forward.
Agenda
13:45 Login and connect to the
streaming platform
14:00 -14:05 Welcome and
acknowledgements Moderator
14:15-15:15 Panel discussion Moderator:
Ms Memory Kachambwa
Executive Director, FEMNET
Panel:
Prof Josephine Ahikire
Professor, Makerere University
Ms Hala Alkarib
Regional Director, SIHA Network
Ms Barbara Mittelhammer
Independent Political Analyst & Consultant
Ms Verena Wiesner
Senior Policy Officer, BMZ
15:15 Q & A Moderator
15:25 Closing remarks Moderator
Feminist Development Policy event CN