28 Sep, 2024
African Development Bank Group
(Source: One Page Africa)
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, was named a HeForShe Champion by UN Women for his contributions to promoting gender equality in Africa. This recognition was announced at a UN General Assembly side event in New York, where he was celebrated alongside other global leaders—Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans, and Movember CEO Michelle Terry—who have committed to institutional changes and setting new standards for gender equality.
Dr. Adesina emphasized that “Africa can maximize its development potential when opportunities are exponentially expanded for women,” highlighting that gender equality and women’s empowerment are core priorities for AfDB. He also expressed a firm commitment to advancing gender equality and improving African women entrepreneurs' access to funding.
AfDB integrates gender considerations into all its investment projects and operations, tracking gender equality outcomes through gender-responsive indicators and a gender marker system. Under Dr. Adesina’s leadership, the bank’s gender strategy positions gender equality as a critical element of economic growth. By doing so, AfDB is setting new financial standards for gender equality, establishing a benchmark for international development finance institutions.
AfDB's AFAWA (Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa) initiative has secured $1.8 billion in funding for women entrepreneurs, with $1 billion already disbursed through 172 financial institutions across 43 countries, supporting over 18,000 women-led SMEs. Additionally, AfDB has advanced its commitment to gender equality with the Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE) certification, recently achieving Level 1 certification to promote a fair workplace for both men and women.
This HeForShe Champion award coincides with AfDB’s 25th anniversary of integrating gender mainstreaming into its operations and celebrates the 10th anniversary of the HeForShe initiative.
Akinwumi Adesina is the recipient of the 3rd Sunhak Peace Prize. For more details about Adesina, please refer to the link below. ↓↓↓ |