Luanda - The Speaker of the National Assembly Carolina Cerqueira on Wednesday defended in Brasilia gender equality as essential to secure equal opportunities, rights and responsibilities for women and men.
Speaking at the G20 Parliamentary Forum, on the theme “Women in Power: Expanding Female Representation in Decision-Making Spaces”, the lawmaker emphasized that on the African continent, especially in rural areas there are still barriers to the exercise of citizenship by women and girls for reasons of culture and tradition.
These facts, the lawmaker said, prevent them from access to school education and technical and vocational training, which has a huge negative impact on the future generations.
Carolina Cerqueira presented proposals to increase the participation of women in decision-making positions, having urged women to continue to use their voice and inspire girls, young women and adolescents to follow good examples and firmly follow the path of their own dreams.
In front of the Speakers of Parliaments of the G20 member countries, Carolina Cerqueira also shared the case of Angola in the gender equality field.
The Speaker pointed out that more than half of Angola's population is made up of women, adding that the country has made significant progress to increase female representation in leadership positions, reinforcing its commitment to a balanced and resilient society.
Carolina Cerqueira cited her own as an example, as she is the first female parliament Speaker in the country, which represents “a significant and unprecedented evolution” in the history of Angolan parliamentarianism.
The lawmaker stressed that the Angolan parliament has 39.5% female representation and is in 25th place in the ranking of representation in the world parliamentary forum.
According to the parliament leader, Angola has made efforts to increase the participation of women in decision-making positions, either by ratifying instruments that promote gender equality and the rights of women and girls, or by defining policies and strategies aimed at ensuring greater equality of opportunity and representation between men and women.
The politician said that, in the case of Angola, the introduction of a gender-sensitive budget represents a solid commitment to gender inclusion in public finances, promoting not only transparency and equity, but also an allocation of resources that meets the needs of all citizens.
During her speech, Cerqueira defended the approval of parity laws that introduce gender quotas in political and administrative appointments, both at local level and in the leadership of large state companies and strategic sectors.
The lawmaker also suggested the establishment of a robust implementation mechanism, such as “zebra rules”, which is an alternating sequence that guarantees the equal presence of men and women on party lists, as well as the creation of training programs for women candidates.
The 10th G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit runs until Friday under the slogan “Parliaments for a just world and a sustainable planet”,
The event, which is taking place at the National Congress Palace in Brasilia, with the participation of around 36 countries, is debating issues related to combat against hunger, poverty and inequality, socio-environmental development promotion and a fair and inclusive ecological transition, as well as building global governance adjusted to the challenges of the 21st century.
Participants will also reflect and discuss how parliaments can help define policies that guarantee the population's food and nutrition security.
At the end of the work, a joint statement should be produced, based on consensus between the parliamentary representatives, which will be delivered to the G20 Leaders' Summit, scheduled for November 18 and 19 in Rio de Janeiro.
Created in 2010, the group of parliaments from the world's richest countries, called the P20, will debate proposals that help contribute to global issues.
The P20 works to guide governments through inter-parliamentary cooperation and the exchange of information.
The 10th Summit is a joint event of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies and the Brazilian Senate, and has the partnership of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
With two thirds of the planet's population, the G20 accounts for 85% of the world's gross domestic product and 75% of international trade.
Angola is represented at the highest level by a delegation led by the National Assembly Speaker, Carolina Cerqueira, and MPs Vigílio Tyova, Aia-Eza Troso and Ariane Nhany.ART/TED/AMP
