The recent signing of a 5-year agreement between the Government of Spain and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) worth 50 million Euros for the implementation of the NEPAD Spanish Fund for African Women Empowerment is a landmark development.
Under this agreement, according to a news release from the NEPAD secretariat, the government of Spain through the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECID) will provide 10 million Euros every year for a period of 5 years to NEPAD Secretariat. This money will be used for the implementation of the NEPAD Spanish Fund for African Women Empowerment programme.
The NEPAD Spanish Fund for African Women Empowerment is an annual competitive fund that provides grants to various organisations for the implementation of activities that will lead to empowerment of women and promotion of gender equality in the Sub-Saharan Africa.
It is said that in 2008, 46 women organisations across the continent benefited from this programme. There is no doubt that this new agreement will focus on institutional strengthening, civil society empowerment and enterprise development (economic empowerment) for women. We encourage other developed country to emulate the good gesture of the Spanish Government.
