Luanda - National Assembly Speaker Carolina Cerqueira Monday in Luanda encouraged women MPs to defend the values and principles of the democratic rule of law, constitutional order, a just society and legitimate and democratically elected bodies. 

Carolina Cerqueira made the call while speaking at the seminar on African Women's Day under the motto "sharing the wisdom and strength of women for peace building and accelerating the implementation of the African continental free trade zone".

The Speaker  said that the preservation of peace, tranquility and the healthy co-existence of all Angolans will contribute to the progress and harmonious development of Angola. 

In her speech, the MP also said that, in order to meet the challenges of sustainable development, efforts must also be focused on strengthening women's capacities and recognising their skills in the political, economic, social and cultural areas. 

Carolina Cerqueira also stressed that creating an equal space of opportunity for women is important for raising their social status, reaffirming their dignity and empowerment to face the fight against poverty, illiteracy, violence, violation of women's rights and their marginalisation and exclusion, among other dramas that essentially have the face of women in communities. 

According to her, the African Union (AU), together with UN Women, is promoting initiatives to include women in peace processes. And Angola has been encouraged to create the national network of women engaged in peacemaking processes, bringing together in a heterogeneous group several generations, political sensitivities and social actors, committed to equality, education for peace and development, not only in a national but also in a regional context. 

Carolina Cerqueira expressed satisfaction that the Angolan Parliament is involved in the peacemaking process in the Great Lakes Region through female parliamentarians engaged in favour of regional peace, stability and security. 

She spoke of working hard on the education and vocational training of women and young girls, access to primary health care, new technologies, land, credit and basic essential social services. 

As for the aspirations of agenda 2063, she said they aim at creating a continental market with free movement of people, capital, goods and services crucial for deepening economic integration and promoting regional development. 

"Agenda 2063 emphasises the need for gender equality, parity and empowerment so that rural women have access to productive assets such as land, credit, fertilisers, inputs and financial services. Only then will women be able to integrate more effectively into agribusiness and the value chain, as well as participate in high-level micro and macroeconomic businesses", she  said. 

Carolina Cerqueira said that the Continental Free Trade Area can offer new opportunities for the creation of a single continental market for goods and services characterised by the free movement of business people and investments, factors that could facilitate the acceleration of the intra-African market through better harmonisation and coordination of trade policies. 

She also said that the creation of the continental free trade area will allow for an expanded market with very ambitious economic growth prospects, fundamental for improving the living conditions of populations in which women will be the main beneficiaries, as they are the guardians of families. 

"Our reflection on this topic leads us to conclude that States must invest heavily in strategic communications infrastructure between economies, in the reduction or progressive elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade and public and private investment.

On the other hand, there is also the need to establish clear and harmonised rules to govern trade in goods and services, competition policy, investment plans and intellectual property, matters for which young people must be prepared and interested in order to increase their skills and be able to compete on an equal footing", she said. 

According to Carolina Cerqueira, the structural transformation of the economic fabric of each member state is of great relevance for strengthening economic competitiveness at the level of the region and the world market. 

"In this way, the continent can constitute a true single market for goods and services, facilitated by the movement of people and goods, in order to deepen the economic integration of the African continent in accordance with the pan-African vision of Agenda 2063 of a peaceful, prosperous and integrated Africa," she said. 

She also said that, the global political tension and the permanent food crisis, especially for African countries, forces reflection on the weaknesses and the urgent need to strengthen food security strategies, policies and programmes. 

Carolina Cerqueira added that the fight against hunger and poverty is increasing because of the proliferation of armed conflicts in all regions of the continent and climate change, which are factors of instability on the continent that jeopardise sustainability and peace. 

"These are the necessary premises for the establishment of the foundations that will support the creation of a continental union that will promote and achieve sustainable, inclusive and gender-equal socio-economic development," she said. 

Carolina Cerqueira expressed pride that in the African region there are currently 12 female Speakers of national parliaments, representing women's commitment to strengthening democratic institutions, peace and political stability. 

She called on women's networks and associations on the continent and similar civil society organisations to continue with determination the fight for the dignity, valorisation and defence of the rights of African women and for their recognition as guardians of peace, family values, reconciliation and good customs. 

"To all African women, who are increasingly called upon to intervene for the inclusive and sustainable development of their societies, I encourage you to continue working selflessly to leave a fruitful and remarkable legacy for our future generations," she emphasised. 

In the current legislature, women represent more than 38 per cent of the members of the National Assembly (220), holding positions such as president and vice-presidents, chair of the board of directors and chairs of committees. 

In the executive branch, more than 39% of management positions are held by women at all levels, with 5 women provincial governors. 

Women are also represented at around 40% in diplomacy, 38% in the judiciary, 34.4% in the public prosecution service, 31% in the legal profession and 11% in the national police. It is also proportional to the representation of Angolan women in civil society organisations and religious leaders. VM/DAN/NIC