African Debt Conference: Expert Calls for Feminist Approach to Crisis
The conference, focused on Pan-African Feminist and Youth Perspectives, continues through August 30 in Maputo, bringing together experts to discuss solutions to Africa's debt crisis.
MAPUTO, Mozambique — A leading women's rights expert urged the adoption of feminist strategies to tackle Africa's debt crisis, emphasizing the disproportionate impact on women and girls, at a major conference in Maputo on Thursday, writes Winston Mwale.
Wangari Kinoti, Women's Rights and Feminist Alternatives Global Lead at ActionAid, highlighted the interconnected nature of debt, tax, and austerity during her speech at the 4th African Conference on Debt and Development (AfCoDD IV).
"We can't afford to look at challenges or develop solutions in isolation," Kinoti said.
"Our experiences are interconnected, and so must be our solutions."
She stressed that achieving debt justice requires a fundamental shift in the global financial architecture, prioritizing women's rights and recognizing their lived realities.
Kinoti cited estimates that African Union countries lose billions annually to tax avoidance, funds that could finance education for millions of children.
She called for progressive taxation measures to address these inequalities.
The expert emphasized the need to challenge colonial and patriarchal narratives in education systems and redistribute the responsibility of unpaid care labor, which she described as a "structural cause of gender inequality."
The conference, focused on Pan-African Feminist and Youth Perspectives, continues through August 30 in Maputo, bringing together experts to discuss solutions to Africa's debt crisis.