STATEMENT ON THE OCCASION OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

Dear Women parliamentarians,

People of the African continent,

On 8 March, we will celebrate International Women's Day, officially established by the United Nations (UN) in 1975 to celebrate women's political engagement and economic progress in their fight for equal pay.

This year, in 2026, this day is being celebrated around the world under the theme: ‘Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.’

For us, the Caucus of Women Parliamentarians of the African Parliamentary Union (APU), this date is also an opportunity for deep introspection on the performance and responsibilities of African women parliamentarians.

Recalling one of the key points of our Resolution 18/47/ (2025), entitled ‘Good digital governance for women's rights’, adopted at the 47^th Conference of the Union in 2025, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, we reiterate the need to combat gender-based violence facilitated by technology and to ensure women's participation in the co-definition of inclusive governance policies, by putting in place mechanisms against online violence in order to guarantee a safe digital space for women.

This violence (online harassment, surveillance, etc.) has physical, psychological and economic consequences and causes women to withdraw from digital spaces, particularly journalists and activists. Only 14% of victims report violence to the authorities.

As women legislators, we reiterate that the greatest challenge is not to occupy seats in our parliaments, but to ensure that these seats also serve as a platform for women who do not have a place in our societies, particularly rural women, women working in the informal sector and those fighting illiteracy, lack of access to basic healthcare and the digital world.

Thus, the major challenges lie in the imperative need for our laws to facilitate women's access to land and financial credit, reduce the digital divide that excludes our girls from the economies of tomorrow, and protect women in conflict zones, as they are among the main victims of the crises ravaging certain regions of the continent.

Similarly, we cannot talk about progress as long as motherhood continues to endanger lives and girls' childhoods are cut short by forced marriages.

As women parliamentarians, we strive to ensure that, in our institutions and organisations, women's interventions are given greater consideration and that gender representation is increased, with the aim of achieving greater social justice and dignity.

Finally, we urge every African woman parliamentarian to renew her commitment to the common good and, above all, to be at the forefront of our institutions on behalf of the most disadvantaged women and girls.

For equality, progress and a prosperous Africa.

Long live African women!

Foudda Arada Izzedine

Chair of the Women Parliamentarians' Caucus of the African Parliamentary Union (APU)

Member of the National Assembly of Chad