IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE
2 October 2009
BOOK LAUNCH: “GENDER BUDGETING AS A TOOL FOR POVERTY REDUCTION”
The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) in collaboration with the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) is pleased to announce the launch of a research book “Gender Budgeting As A Tool For Poverty Reduction” - Concepts, Practices & Capacity Implications.
The publication marks an important chapter in the African Capacity Building Foundation’s contribution to the discourse and funding initiatives on gender budgeting. The book not only identifies areas of possible capacity development in support of the development processes on the Continent, it also highlights capacity weaknesses in gender budgeting that need to be addressed by different stakeholders, in order to raise the standard of accountability and transparency in budgetary processes. Drawing on the Convention on Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) framework, the publication further highlights national and sectoral gender budgeting experiences in three African countries – South Africa, Rwanda and Uganda – to showcase best-practice models for other African countries.
Findings from “Gender Budgeting As A Tool For Poverty Reduction - Concepts, Practices & Capacity Implications” indicate that:
“Budgets are not gender neutral. They affect women and men in different ways, reflecting the uneven distribution of power within society as economic disparities, different living conditions, and ascribed social roles. Despite being signatories to the major international agreements that call for gender equality, most African countries have fallen short of their promises as their gender initiatives are facing a host of challenges relating to policy implementation, program design, management and tracking, and capacity building issues.”
ENDS
About ACBF
The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) is an independent, capacity-building institution established on February 9, 1991 through the collaborative efforts of three multilateral institutions -the African Development Bank (AfDB), the World Bank, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), African governments and bilateral donors. ACBF has 48 full members comprising three sponsoring Agencies (AfDB, UNDP and the World Bank), the IMF and 44 African and non-African countries, namely, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (DRC), Côte d'Ivoire, Denmark, Djibouti, Finland, France, Gabon, Ghana, Greece, India, Ireland, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, The Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Rwanda, Sao Tomé & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Tanzania, Uganda, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Zambia and Zimbabwe. ACBF’s mission is to build sustainable human and institutional capacity for poverty reduction in Africa.
About AWDF
The African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) is a grant-making foundation, which supports local, national and regional organizations in Africa working towards women’s empowerment. AWDF through institutional capacity building and program development seeks to build a culture of learning and partnerships within the African women’s movement.
The vision of AWDF is for African women to live in a world in which there is social justice, equality and respect for women’s human rights. To this end, our mission is to mobilize financial resources to support local, national and regional initiatives led by women, which will lead to the achievement of this vision.
Press Enquiries
Nana Sekyiamah – Programme Officer (Fundraising & Communications)
Thelma Owusu-Boakye – Programme Assistant (Fundraising & Communications)
African Women’s Development Fund
Plot 78, Ambassadorial Enclave, East Legon, Accra
Tel: + 233 21 521257
Fax: +233 21 521257
Email: nana@awdf.org or thelma@awdf.org
Website: www.awdf.org
Rutendo Kambarami
Communications Officer
The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF)
Tel: +263-4-700208/790398/9
Fax: +263-4-702915, 792894
E-mail: r.kambarami@acbf-pact.org
Website: www.acbf-pact.org
Showing posts with label africa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label africa. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Corruption in Africa and the role of accountants
I have been the Finance Manager of the African Women’s Development Fund since August 2007 and despite all the challenges that come with this job, I have enjoyed every day with this organisation. I started my accounting profession working for an audit firm and I had the opportunity of learning at first hand what all the business sectors in Ghana have to offer. It was during this period that I decided that I would like to work with an NGO that is engaged in community service. Of course I was also certain that I would only work with an NGO with a vision and mission that meets my own career aspirations and AWDF is just the right organisation.
Over the years I have developed a keen interest in the issue of corruption in Africa. Our governments continue to promise zero tolerance for corruption in their various manifestos and campaign messages but are unable to translate this into a reality. I was expecting the NPP government in Ghana for instance to have done far more to fight the corruption in Ghana than they did in their eight year term in office.
There are various types of corruption but the one I want to dwell on is where individuals inflate prices on contracts and get huge “kick backs” or payments are made to beneficiaries who have not rendered any service to the state. This has led to situations where the state has lost huge sums of money. Money which could other wise have been used to develop the education and health sector; the key areas of importance in any developing country. Experts have linked the poverty levels in the country to the extent of corruption within both the state and the private sector.
The role of an accountant is very critical in ensuring good governance and accountability in any organisation. The accountant is the one whose primary responsibility is to ensure that the scenarios as I have indicated above do not materilaise or even if they do, their impact is insignificant.
The accountancy profession is based on a code of conduct that all members are expected to comply with. The fundamental principles of the profession include but are not limited to integrity, objectivity, confidentiality, professional behaviour, professional competence and due care.
I know through my years of experience that professionals who exhibit the principles above will not condone malpractices that will lead to the state or private sector losing huge sums of money. However in cases where these principles are lacking, the organisation is bound to lose because there will be no accountability.
I will entreat my colleagues in the profession to continue to uphold the values of the profession. Let us be seen as the once who will tell the truth at all times. Ghana will never get to the middle income status if people in responsible positions continue to waste resources at the expense of the tax payer.
Gertrude Bibi Annoh-Quarshie
Finance Manager
Over the years I have developed a keen interest in the issue of corruption in Africa. Our governments continue to promise zero tolerance for corruption in their various manifestos and campaign messages but are unable to translate this into a reality. I was expecting the NPP government in Ghana for instance to have done far more to fight the corruption in Ghana than they did in their eight year term in office.
There are various types of corruption but the one I want to dwell on is where individuals inflate prices on contracts and get huge “kick backs” or payments are made to beneficiaries who have not rendered any service to the state. This has led to situations where the state has lost huge sums of money. Money which could other wise have been used to develop the education and health sector; the key areas of importance in any developing country. Experts have linked the poverty levels in the country to the extent of corruption within both the state and the private sector.
The role of an accountant is very critical in ensuring good governance and accountability in any organisation. The accountant is the one whose primary responsibility is to ensure that the scenarios as I have indicated above do not materilaise or even if they do, their impact is insignificant.
The accountancy profession is based on a code of conduct that all members are expected to comply with. The fundamental principles of the profession include but are not limited to integrity, objectivity, confidentiality, professional behaviour, professional competence and due care.
I know through my years of experience that professionals who exhibit the principles above will not condone malpractices that will lead to the state or private sector losing huge sums of money. However in cases where these principles are lacking, the organisation is bound to lose because there will be no accountability.
I will entreat my colleagues in the profession to continue to uphold the values of the profession. Let us be seen as the once who will tell the truth at all times. Ghana will never get to the middle income status if people in responsible positions continue to waste resources at the expense of the tax payer.
Gertrude Bibi Annoh-Quarshie
Finance Manager
Saturday, December 20, 2008
We are indeed Moving Forward!
Allow me as a non Ghanaian who is living in Accra to throw my 2 cents worth into the fray of the discussions that are at present heating up the entire country. The elections are on most people’s minds here. There is debate, argument and counter argument between and amongst Ghanaians (and even non Ghanaians).
When I announced to my family and friends that I would be in Accra during the recently held elections, I was immediately beset with looks and sighs of panic and concern. By way of explanation, my family like most African families these days is scattered all over the globe. Having migrated for employment purposes, I am the only member of my family here in Ghana.
Armed to the teeth as they were with all the well known stories of elections in much of Africa (most recently illustrated in countries such as Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe), the concern for my safety and well being at election time became the focus of my family’s attention. What would happen when, rather than, if chaos broke out? Calls and SMS messages came in a plenty, asking what my evacuation plans were. What is the strategy? Where will you stay? You simply cannot stay in that house alone at this time; What if something happens? The panic reached fever pitch. All the while, I (with some moderate trepidation it must be said) tried to assure them that all would be well. But just in case, I’d camp at Bisi’s house across the street.
And so come election day on 7th December. I am woken up at 5.30am. Vero, my house keeper lets me know very excitedly that she is off to cast her vote. I wish her well as I close the gate behind her and fortress myself inside. Soon after that, the phone starts to ring. Mum, sister, brothers, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, former school friends, boyfriends and so on. It occurs to me that I do not realise how much I am loved until now. The calls come through out the day. I assure them I am fine and all is well. I even tell then about the drive I have taken to do some shopping. But they seem strangely unable to believe it. It is the calm before the storm, they say; Don’t let your guard down, you never know what can happen. On and on it went.
Who can blame them for worrying like this? Given the general pessimism dolled out regularly in the international media with the same underlying message - Africa is a Basket Case! – beamed frequently into our homes and into our consciousness? And yes, one cannot ignore the ugly conduct of many in political leadership on the continent today. The contempt with which they treat their office, their countries, their continent and their fellow citizens is quite simply, staggering. It does little to broker confidence in any undertaking that in which they are a part (unless of course it involves theft and other such acts of gross misconduct).
Well, the storm that my family and friends whipped up a fever about never actually materialised. On that day, 7th December 2008, Ghanaians all over the country went to the polling stations, waited patiently, some for very long hours, in the sweltering heat to cast their votes. And cast their votes, they did. I spent the evening with Bisi and her family and some of her friends from ECOWAS who were here to monitor the elections. They informed us that everywhere they went, the situation was the same. Voting was conducted in an orderly, transparent and fair manner. Although there was no official announcement of the result until 10th December, the media was busy doing its own counting. It was a close race with no clear winner emerging. We marvelled at how in spite of there being no clear winner, so far there were no attempts to stuff the boxes or hold a gun to some poor vote counter’s head, or even a bribe which is far more effective! You mean they haven’t sent a few armed privately armed militia to remind them where to cast the vote? We laughed. Even more astonishing was that a senior military official felt the need to issue a press statement denying reports that he had held meetings with leaders of the political parties in the run up to the election.. In our countries ,there would be no cause for denial, since the military is the government, we joked.
The country and the electorate waited, patiently for the official results from the Electoral Commission. On 10th December the results were announced. There would be a second round of voting as there was no clear winner for the presidency.
The political parties and candidates accepted the result, the people accepted the result and the country moved on with its life. Not a single gun shot anywhere. No skirmishes. No loss of life. Nothing but peace and acceptance. This really is the stuff of elections.
The Head of the Electoral Commission, Dr Afari Djan and his entire team did an exemplary job of counting the votes. The media also played its part in reporting even the slightest whiff of skulduggery. The military kept out of view and kept silent. The polling stations and all the volunteers, party agents, voters, candidates, everyone made the decision that they are Ghanaians first, and conducted themselves in a manner that is befitting such an occasion.
For many in Africa today, free and fair elections are nothing but a fanciful dream. Casting one’s vote is simply a matter of life and death. Yet in the midst of all this turmoil, there are also reasons to believe that change will come. Ghana has given us a reason to believe. And we will hold on to it for all that it is worth.
In the words of yet another reason to believe, Barack Obama, Yes we can.
And we did on 7th December 2008.
Congratulations Ghana. You did Africa proud. We are indeed Moving Forward! May it continue on 28th December 2008.
You will be pleased to know that my family is not worried at all now.
Sarah Mukasa
Director of Programmes
When I announced to my family and friends that I would be in Accra during the recently held elections, I was immediately beset with looks and sighs of panic and concern. By way of explanation, my family like most African families these days is scattered all over the globe. Having migrated for employment purposes, I am the only member of my family here in Ghana.
Armed to the teeth as they were with all the well known stories of elections in much of Africa (most recently illustrated in countries such as Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe), the concern for my safety and well being at election time became the focus of my family’s attention. What would happen when, rather than, if chaos broke out? Calls and SMS messages came in a plenty, asking what my evacuation plans were. What is the strategy? Where will you stay? You simply cannot stay in that house alone at this time; What if something happens? The panic reached fever pitch. All the while, I (with some moderate trepidation it must be said) tried to assure them that all would be well. But just in case, I’d camp at Bisi’s house across the street.
And so come election day on 7th December. I am woken up at 5.30am. Vero, my house keeper lets me know very excitedly that she is off to cast her vote. I wish her well as I close the gate behind her and fortress myself inside. Soon after that, the phone starts to ring. Mum, sister, brothers, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, former school friends, boyfriends and so on. It occurs to me that I do not realise how much I am loved until now. The calls come through out the day. I assure them I am fine and all is well. I even tell then about the drive I have taken to do some shopping. But they seem strangely unable to believe it. It is the calm before the storm, they say; Don’t let your guard down, you never know what can happen. On and on it went.
Who can blame them for worrying like this? Given the general pessimism dolled out regularly in the international media with the same underlying message - Africa is a Basket Case! – beamed frequently into our homes and into our consciousness? And yes, one cannot ignore the ugly conduct of many in political leadership on the continent today. The contempt with which they treat their office, their countries, their continent and their fellow citizens is quite simply, staggering. It does little to broker confidence in any undertaking that in which they are a part (unless of course it involves theft and other such acts of gross misconduct).
Well, the storm that my family and friends whipped up a fever about never actually materialised. On that day, 7th December 2008, Ghanaians all over the country went to the polling stations, waited patiently, some for very long hours, in the sweltering heat to cast their votes. And cast their votes, they did. I spent the evening with Bisi and her family and some of her friends from ECOWAS who were here to monitor the elections. They informed us that everywhere they went, the situation was the same. Voting was conducted in an orderly, transparent and fair manner. Although there was no official announcement of the result until 10th December, the media was busy doing its own counting. It was a close race with no clear winner emerging. We marvelled at how in spite of there being no clear winner, so far there were no attempts to stuff the boxes or hold a gun to some poor vote counter’s head, or even a bribe which is far more effective! You mean they haven’t sent a few armed privately armed militia to remind them where to cast the vote? We laughed. Even more astonishing was that a senior military official felt the need to issue a press statement denying reports that he had held meetings with leaders of the political parties in the run up to the election.. In our countries ,there would be no cause for denial, since the military is the government, we joked.
The country and the electorate waited, patiently for the official results from the Electoral Commission. On 10th December the results were announced. There would be a second round of voting as there was no clear winner for the presidency.
The political parties and candidates accepted the result, the people accepted the result and the country moved on with its life. Not a single gun shot anywhere. No skirmishes. No loss of life. Nothing but peace and acceptance. This really is the stuff of elections.
The Head of the Electoral Commission, Dr Afari Djan and his entire team did an exemplary job of counting the votes. The media also played its part in reporting even the slightest whiff of skulduggery. The military kept out of view and kept silent. The polling stations and all the volunteers, party agents, voters, candidates, everyone made the decision that they are Ghanaians first, and conducted themselves in a manner that is befitting such an occasion.
For many in Africa today, free and fair elections are nothing but a fanciful dream. Casting one’s vote is simply a matter of life and death. Yet in the midst of all this turmoil, there are also reasons to believe that change will come. Ghana has given us a reason to believe. And we will hold on to it for all that it is worth.
In the words of yet another reason to believe, Barack Obama, Yes we can.
And we did on 7th December 2008.
Congratulations Ghana. You did Africa proud. We are indeed Moving Forward! May it continue on 28th December 2008.
You will be pleased to know that my family is not worried at all now.
Sarah Mukasa
Director of Programmes
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