31 OF JULY THE AFRICAN WOMAN'S DAY

During the comemorating period of the African Countries Union, we take the oportunity to relevate the importance of the efforts done by african women for Africas general development.

This reminds us of July 31 st ., the celebration of the African Womens International Day, originated during the West African woman´s Conference in 1961. The idea of such celebration came up during the event, and a year after, in July 31 st . Of 1962, was created in Dar Es salam the Panafricana Organisation for the women. Panafricana aims mainly at the struggle for the promotion of all african women.

It´s well known that the oldest skeleton of the human species in the world belongs to a 35 million years african woman, as it was discovered by Professor Leakey in East Africa , given the name Lucy. So to speack one concludes that the first human on Earth, the so called Eva was a woman and african.

Among the key factors which inhibited the economical and social qualitaive growth of Africa , afecting particularly women´s development, stand out:

1- slavery 2-social seclusion, familly and cultural violence, 3-lack of acces to education, 4-refusal to the right to vote or to own property, 5- genital mutilation, violation, stoning as death penalty, womans traffic, the use of burka, ond so on.

MEMORY OF MANY CONQUESTS

Since long agothe african womenhave known how to face an enourmous struggle, as a result of various reasons. She has been fighting against the colonial opression, hunger and misery, had to migrate from place one region to another, searching for survival, and hear the the horrors of civil wars among many african cowntries.

African women have tirelessly struggled to win the battle over the wrong social concepts related to the rights of women. They have been demonstrating n impresive courage, even along all the immense dificulties which they have been facing they did not loose their joy. They demonstrate an implacable power to achieve their main goal : equal rights and a more equitable society.

From the performed activities during the woman´s decade of 1975/1985, participating in countless conferernces, specially at the very important Beijing Conference in 1995 where it was issued the Action Platform, women got a back up to reinforce their conscious notion of the wome´s role in society and many advances have been verified.

Many africa women have been on the lime light at all levels, from culture to war, they even reached the Nobel Prizes.

They have done many conquests. It would an excess to number them but we want to give some examples of a few which we consider really importantsuch as their integration in the Woman´s March that started in Filadelfia in October 1997.

A LONG WAY TO GO

Even if women have been taken many steps ahead there is still along way to go: the number of women victimised by social exclusion is high, such as cultural violence and agression within within the familly unit, and the refusion of esntial human rights. But the courage and and the capacity of resistance of women will give them hope to step ahead towards a future of more Dignity, Justice and Peace.

The struggle for equality and development goes on, knowing that until the final victory, there will be the need to instruct millions and millions of women and children, chiefly the men in need, until the present societies will progress.

Such is our struggle .

Even it may seem strange, there could be a lot written about the work and education of endless african women.

THE GREAT BATTLE

-Sida and malaria
-The struggle for equal rights, poverty and famine, eradication active developments of rural areas.
-Extintion of excision, the silent holocaust of women, the violence.
- There are still cruelties done to women as lapidation, for ex. Amina of Nigeria.
-Prostitution net works, sexual tourism etc.
opefeully soon may came to facts the resolutions of those last conferences specially the important CREST of African Unity Countries, realised in Maputo from 10 to 13 of July for a lift in woman´s problems