And peaceful africa that was going to rekindle unity and selfreliance among the african nations. And i think all of us are well aware, you cannot accomplish that kind of vision without the full inclusion and participation of women. And so, quite appropriately, the African Union declared 2015 as the year of womens empowerment and development. Which is obviously the right way to kickoff the agenda 2063. And it is a time in which the African Union is calling on all africans to seize the opportunity to focus on Practical Solutions and Measurable Results for women on the continent. So in this spirit, were just delighted to host todays Panel Featuring our ambassadors from rwanda who will highlight womens roles in peace building and development along with our friends from women well, i guess youll do your own introduction. So i wont do that now. But we have an incredible panel who will really focus on all the ways that women are critical agents of change. And understanding that the agenda 2063 is a very important framework to move us forward on this. And 2015 lays the foundations. And from the usip perspective, women are absolutely critical for laying the foundation for peace building and for enabling the vision of the agenda to really come to fruition. And so, its with great pleasure that i welcome you all here today. And with even greater pleasure i turn it over to ambassador, and were also joined here by susan markum from usaid. Delighted to have you, as well ambassador. [applause] thank you so much. Ambassadors, members of the diplomatic core. Friends of africa and distinguished guests. Happy africa day celebration. On behalf of the group accredited to the United States of america in washington, d. C. I seized the opportunity to express our gratitude to the United States institute of peace to host this event on the sidelines of africa day 2015 celebrations. Most especially, i want to thank the president of the u. S. Institute of peace. And the team for this wonderful event organizing in conjunction with our ofafrica day 2015 for organizing the committee. For his excellency, the ambassador of the arab republic of egypt and the team who have worked tirelessly to ensure a successful celebration to africa day 2015. Our topic today, women of africa peace building and Development Supports the overarching theme of the africa union theme of year of the Women Empowerment and the Development Towards Africa agenda 2063. That we as africans particularly women while reflecting on the common challenges we still face in the global environment. African women have made gains in political and social development over the continent. There are still widely marginalized within the corridors of power. And when applying for jobs and continue to face social exclusion from education. The agenda 2063 calls on africa stake holders to Work Together to build a prosperous and united africa. Based on shared values and common destiny. We bow to put all our people starting with women and girls into the center of africa development. In addition to empowering its people, africa seeks to harness the competitive advantages such as history, culture and Natural Resources in order to reposition itself in the world. In order to become a prosperous africa, strong influential and worthy partner, we need to strengthen our institutions. Promote a Good Governance, democracy, human rights, justice and rule of law for daughters and sons of africa. Today, we are standing on the shoulders of the african giants. A timeless legacy, we are called to preserve and expand. The legacy of selfdetermination we claim for African Women was well articulated by our forefathers. Our generation and future generations should for united, democratic and prosperous africa. A way to building inclusive and integrated africa, that cherishes and nurtures the girls and women of our continent. Im honored to represent the country that has taken it to another height of spirit of selfdetermination for all its people. Have more chances of thriving, make me feel compelled to share some of the measurements that supported the acceleration of women progress in rwanda. Strong political will to empower women and girls guided by the solid principle of gender rights is inalienable rights. Social, economic, and political inclusion. And empowerment of women, layers of government and Civil Society. As a country, we adopt did a political inclusion. The creation of a prominent and family promotion coupled with a systemic highlevel campaign and the changing of peoples mind set about the gender rights took us where we are. Where we can claim to have 64 women in our parliament. In Health Care Couple we adopted universal Health Coverage and intentionally invested in promoting general health. If theres one successful factor that we can build on, it has been inclusiveness. Inclusiveness of all fabrics of society. For this particular case, Women Participation in all spheres of government has enabled society to heal faster, develop quicker , and grant sustainable development. Ladies and gentlemen, its women have been regarded as the backbone of africa and societies by and large across the continent. History has taught us that Women Empowerment and the Economic Development are closely related. On the one hand, we know that the development can play immeasurable and reducing inequality between men and women. On the other hand, it translates into development. We must, however, acknowledge that relationships of the Women Empowerment and the development are too weak to be sustaining. And that continues commitment to equality for the sake is the need to bring about the equality between men and women. With women and girls presented the great majority of democracy, its clear that africa can only reach its full potential by fully including them in the Development Agenda. In the quest between empowerment, countries must put in place and promote conducive policies that grant womens rights. Though, we must maintain our culture, we also have to be willing to remove the structural barriers imposed by traditional and oppressive practices against women. For africa, gender is the annual agenda. Our discussion today will focus on role of women in peace building and development. We recognize that women and girls are the first victims of conflict and violence. And any Political Economic and social frigidity is mostly against women. Must empower and support women in the quest to curtail these predicaments predicaments. I thank my sister, amelia who is here from mosembiq and who leads us in this important discussion. Different careers, professions walks of life, races, we can hold hands and committed to further African Unions, founding fathers, legacy, by fighting for womens emancipation. Let us fight discrimination against women and girls and make peace a global priority. And that, all our dedicated leaders that promoted democracy, liberty and justice. Had we understood injustice, anywhere is a threat to justice. Whatever affects women directly affects all of humanity. And we needed to uplift all the people of our humanity. Africa 2063 is intending to have full equality for women and girls and for the whole humanity. So we hope at least 50 of elected Public Officials at all levels are coming from women. The economic and political that political Glass Ceiling that restricted womens progress is going to start being shattered. As i close, theres a young woman from my own country, she said she was talking about Women Empowerment and what it meant for her. She said empowerment is like an engine. You start it and it converts into motion. So what i would ask the audience and for all of us is to empower the African Women and girls to be the premium fuel for our continents sustainable development. I thank you very much for your attention. [applause] so now, i pass the microphone to susan. Thank you so much ambassador. And also, i would like to thank nancy and the u. S. Institute for peace and the republic of egypt for having us here today. Im glad to be here to celebrate africa day in this way. This year marks the midpoint of what the African Union has called African Womens decade. The African Union has also declared, as we have discussed 2015 to be the year of womens empowerment and Development Towards Africa agenda 2063. Africa shares the u. S. Commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls within the post 2015 Development Agenda and the National Action plan for women peace and security. The u. S. Strongly supports the Great Strides and commitments many african countries and the African Union have made to increase women and girls em powerment through steps to promote Good Governance and rule of law, accelerate growth, enhance food security, advance respect for human rights promote peace and security and improve access to services such as health care and education. But African Women and girls still face significant challenges, including high rates of gender based violence Educational Opportunities, difficulties accessing credit and employment. Lack of influence in the Decision Making process. Hiv aids and high rates of maternal mortality. Customary laws, which may disadvantage them. And many cultural norms which may perpetuate discrimination against women. The United States acknowledges these but also, the Critical Role women will have and will continue to play in accelerating africas development and advancing prosperity and security across the continent. To promote and protect womens rights, we within the u. S. Government use our diplomacy and assistance programs to increase political, economic, civic and Educational Opportunities for women. We also remain committed to preventing and responding to gender based violence, the economic barriers faced by women and elevating womens meaningful participation at all levels of Decision Making. Especially during peace and political transition processes and post conflict reconstruction. We know that conflict prevention efforts, efforts to end wars and bring about just and sustainable peace, efforts to protect and hold accountable those who commit war crimes and crimes against humanity. And to u. S. International and national security. Womens political participation can lay a foundation. Mediators, witnesses and signatories and peace processes. At the same time, womens meaningful peace building can help set a standard for their leadership. The u. S. Government has taken deliberate steps to support womens leadership and participation in peace negotiations. Community governance initiatives, Security Sector reform and Transitional Justice and accountability processes. For example, the u. S. Government has developed deliberate multitrack approaches to strengthen the active participation of women in conflict resolution and peace building in sudan and south sudan. In nigeria, the u. S. Government has promoted women in leadership and peacemaking through a series of conferences and workshops. Training exercises encouraging tolerance across ethnic and religious lines through engagement with influential religious, traditional, and Women Leaders. There have also been interfaith media dialogues, discuss how women and other stake holders could prevent electoral violence in the run up to the 2015 elections and how women could contribute to the political and economic process. Last year at the u. S. Africa leader summit, president obama encouraged nations to develop National Action plans on women peace and security. And he pledged u. S. Support for up to three african nations to develop or implement similar strategies. Today, the United States reiterates this challenge to the governments of africa. And we are working with several governments across the continent to answer the president s call to action. Usaid specifically supports Inclusive Development initiatives and Strategic Investments gender and resilience in the crisis. Peace building and political transition and protection and access to justice of survivors of crisis and conflictrelated sexual violence. In addition, the agency will place an acute focus to programming emerging intersections of women, peace and security in Global Climate change and countering violent extremism most notably. The issues of women, peace and security not only stand on their own as important issues but they affect all usaids efforts to support resilient democratic societies. As i said, countries are more peaceful and prosperous and sustainable when women are courted rights. Elected and appointed office and to strengthen the capacity and influence of Women Leaders. Agricultural growth. They also face persistent obstacles and economic restraints. We will continue to focus on these efforts across usaid programming. Gender based violence is a global epidemic that crosses social economic class, religious and education level and transcends international borders. Usaid is working in several countries. Gender based violence and prevention and the Response Program for gender based violence initiative. We are also looking to end child early and forced marriage. We are working in ethiopia specifically to do a Combination Program community outreach. Trying to address the barriers that the cost of education has. And also, help families understand the issue and the importance of keeping adolescent girls in school. Through the Economic Growth programs, were doing in africa its a priority for the United States. And well continue to work because women are the backbone of opportunities. Target this years summit will convene 150 up and coming women in Youth Entrepreneurs from around the world for official presummer event in nairobi. This will connect emerging youth, Women Entrepreneurs and Global Change makers, thought leaders, policy leaders, investors and experts. Africa is a very diverse and large continent. And the work that the u. S. Government does tries to span all the different countries, cultures, and different sectors in which we need to have work. I look forward to this robust panel today, discussing both women, peace and security as a specific issue, but how the process of engaging women in women, peace and Security Issues affects other sectors as outlined below with Global Climate change, early marriage education and Economic Growth. Im turning it over now for this panel and i look forward to it. Thank you. Ambassador lyman thank you very much, and for those remarks, thank you to the organizers and sponsors of africa day, and this panel in particular were really very, very pleased to have anlyman, princeton exceptional group. The groundwork has been set, were going to delve even more deeply in this panel. Into both the specifics of where women have been involved and made a difference or where the obstacles have arisen to them doing so. Im not going to be able to do justice to this panel because if i did in introducing them, it would take the whole time we have. But let me introduce them briefly to you. Amelia matos sumbana, she has a long experience in government, shes worked in agriculture, shes worked in health, shes worked in international cooperation. And she was a member, is a member of the committee on international relations, she has a masters degree in Population Development development. Next to her is kamissa, a Senior Program officer at the National Endowment for democracy. The Senior Program officer for western central africa. She oversees a multimillion dollar portfolio of grants to Civil Society organizations. She works tirelessly, works extensively. Shes in touch on a very personal basis. She also is a founder and cochair of a Strategy Forum which brings together stake holders around the issues in that area. Prior to, she was with the International Foundation for electoral system. She trained people in electoral management in countries throughout africa. She holds a