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Rwanda has provided global leadership in terms of women holding elected office, with more than half of all its parliamentary seats filled by women, says Litha Musyimi-Ogana, director of women, gender and development directorate at the 53-member African Union (AU), the largest single coalition of African nations.
Cape Verde, another African high achiever, has 'had the highest level of cabinet ministers in the world:' at last count, about 12 out of 17.
But still, Musyimi-Ogana points out, the AU is aware that although 70 percent of its members have gender policies, there are 'huge implementation challenges'.
The reason why most of these policies are not implemented is primarily lack of financial resources.
As a result, the AU has set up an African Women's Development Fund to tide over 'resource constraints'.
At the same time, it has also established a protocol - an addendum on the 'Rights of Women' ratified by 27 countries - to the existing African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.
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