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Gender equality and women’s empowerment are essential for achievingsustainable and inclusive development. Promoting women’s educationand training and their access to productive assets such as land,credit, time-saving technology and information and communicationtechnologies (ICTs) could help African countries to scale-up annualgrowth rates in order to achieve the MDGs. ADF VI therefore providesus with an opportunity to reflect on Africa’s progress in achievinggender equality as defined in gender-related MDGs as well as theAfrican Union’s gender instruments. In doing so, however, we mustremain mindful that Africa, like the rest of the world, is confrontingchallenges related to recently historical highs in food and fuel prices,the effects of which have been further compounded by the globalfinancial crisis. All of these, combined with the negative effects ofclimate change, affect women in different ways from men, and havethe potential to deepen and widen existing gender inequalities.The review of the status of implementation of the Dakar and BeijingPlatforms of Action undertaken at the Seventh Africa RegionalConference on Women buttresses earlier remarks that we havemade considerable progress in reducing the gender gap in severalsectors, including education, access to health services, representationin parliament and decision-making positions, and ratification ofthe Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women(CEDAW). However, there remains much to be done, especiallyas recent strong growth of over 5% per annum has not impactedenough on poverty reduction, the achievement of the MDGs, genderequality or on overall social development.There is also clear evidence that policies, legislation and effectivestrategies aimed at promoting gender equality and women’s empowermenthave been adopted in many African countries. Nevertheless,these various measures need to be more effectively implementedand enforced to make a meaningful difference. Importantobstacles remain to women’s empowerment while violence againstwomen and the violation of the human rights of women and girlscontinue to be of major concern. This vulnerable group continuesto be marginalised in the labour markets and has limited access toassets and other means of production. Considering that human beingsare the most precious resource in development, marginalisationof women means that we are locking out more than half of Africa’sresources from the developmental process.238 Part Five