REFELA and UCLG Africa launch the African Cities for Women's Economic Empowerment Campaign

REFELA and UCLG Africa launch the African Cities for Women's Economic Empowerment Campaign

The Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA), which brings together women members of political bodies responsible for the governance of African cities and regional authorities, has launched a call to action with the intention of acting with the African Cities Campaign for Women's Economic Empowerment which was approved during the last General Assembly of the network held in November 2018 at the Africities meeting in Marrakech.

In a preliminary phase, the campaign calls for expressions of interest to leaders and councils of African cities and local authorities to voluntarily join the campaign. This call for expressions of interest is addressed to cities and local authorities in Africa, their national associations, and members of UCLG Africa, whom are concerned with the entrepreneurial and economic potential of women in their local communities and are in favor of acting with REFELA-UCLG Africa in undertaking actions for change and the economic empowerment of women. The call for expressions of interest will be launched for a period of 4 months, August-November 2020.

REFELA has developed a campaign framework with analyses and documents to convey the importance of joining the campaign. It highlights the objectives, mechanisms, stages and lines of action to be carried out. In addition, the analysis emphasizes the current economic empowerment of women, as well as the advances and limits that exist to date in the different sectors of the economy. This report and analyses will serve as a Memorandum of understanding between the Network of locally elected women of Africa, REFELA-UCLG Africa and the Andalusian Fund of Municipalities for International Solidarity (FAMSI). It will enable local and regional cities and territories to address and remedy this immense shortfall and the economic exclusion of the majority of African women.

The inclusion and access of women to economic opportunities is undoubtedly one of the most important bases on which to build local, stable and sustainable development, in accordance with Vision 2063 of ''The Africa We Want'' and the global agendas, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls (SDG5) and making African cities just, safe, inclusive and sustainable human settlements (SDG11) by 2030.

Interested cities and local authorities must return the completed membership form below, signed by their respective mayors, to the REFELA Secretariat at the UCLG Africa headquarters, no later than 30 November 2020.

Please send the completed forms to:

REFELA Secretariat team
Dr Malika Ghefrane Giorgi,  REFELA Special Advisor : [email protected] ·
Mme Souad Bendimya,  UCLG Africa Member Manager: [email protected] ·
M Drissa Keita, Assistant coordinator of  REFELA :  [email protected]

About REFELA:

The Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA) brings together women members of political bodies responsible for the governance of cities and regional authorities in Africa. REFELA works for the development of women's leadership in African cities and local communities and for the definition and implementation of local policies and strategies in Africa.

REFELA was launched in Tangier, Morocco in March 2011. It is headed by an Executive Board of fifteen members representative of the five sub-regions of Africa It constitutes the permanent committee on gender equality of UCLG Africa and includes national chapters which are standing committees on gender equality of national associations for local authorities, members of UCLG Africa.

More information: 
  • To join the campaign here.
  • Read more information on the website of UCLG Africa. 
  • Read the analysis report on the current situation of women's economic empowerment in Africa here.
  • As a reference document of the campaign, see the article that appeared in the press review of UCLG Africa here.
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