Date: Wednesday, August 4, 2021

Media Contacts: theresponse@forequalityafrica.org

For Equality, launched the first edition of ‘The Response’, yesterday. The Response is a new monthly publication written by young women and emerging feminist leaders and gender equality activists. The launch, which was graced by the Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare in Malawi, Honourable Dr. Patricia Kaliati, was marked by passionate pleas for collective action to accelerate progress towards attaining gender equality.

The Response comes as a campaign driven by the urgent need to ensure that women and girls are not left behind in the pandemic response i.e. their voices are heard and needs prioritised.  This will be done through the provision of systemic feminist analysis of emerging and pressing global issues and context specific responses to mitigate the adverse impact of the pandemic and to inform policymakers, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the private sector on effective pathways to socio-economic recovery while placing the shared experiences of African women and girls at the forefront of the ‘build back better’ discourse.

Speaking at the launch were various experts in human rights and gender equality including the Honourable Minister of Gender, Dr Patricia Kaliati, the Malawi Human Rights Commission CEO, Mme Habibah Osman, Founder of the Youth Against Slavery Movement (YASM), Racha Haffar and the CARE Regional Advocacy Advisor, Chikondi Chabvuta.

The distinguished speakers and guest discussed various issues affecting women and girls globally with a focus on emerging issues brought on due to COVID-19, which related to the some of the key action coalitions from the Generation Equality Forum i.e. Economic Justice, Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights (SRHR), Ending Violence Against Women & Girls (EVAWG).

The first issue of The Response features a plethora of young feminist writers, artists and thought leaders from Malawi, Kenya and Zimbabwe under various topics including Social and Economic Justice, SRHR, EVAWG and Accountability for Gender Equality advocacy.

In closing, the speakers emphasized the need for accountability structures for decision makers and nation leaders on the enforcement of Gender Equality policies and legal instruments and close monitoring of the $40 Billion global commitments toward Gender Equality, to ensure that these funds reach the women and girls who need them the most.

The Response monthly publication is the first product of a series of productions under this campaign. Other offerings will include a Podcast and a Webinar series.

The Response is a free monthly publication that is available for download via different channels. It is available on different websites and will be shared through Email, Whatsapp and Telegram, making it accessible to thousands of people.

To receive your copy of The Response, subscribers can email ‘SUBSCRIBE’ to theresponse@forequalityafrica.org; join our Telegram Channel t.me/theresponse_africa  send us a message on WhatsApp on +265 990 161 996

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