The government report, which was synthesised into a single summary, shows that countries have prioritised female poverty, health promotion and education as the most critical areas for women's development. Most governments said that new critical areas have emerged in the past five years. War, economic restructuring and the Aids pandemic have wrought a destructive path through Africa. Wars have diverted resources to military spending. And Aids is throwing up several challenges from the growing numbers of Aids orphans who must be cared for to the fact that in some countries, many infected men believe that sex with a girl child will cure them.
Durable change is built over time and needs a change in values.
The action that has been taken must be lauded. That is the view from government. The influential NGO's represented at the conference had their own. They also complained of a new patriarchy gripping the continent. Signatories to the Convention must pass national laws to turn paper rights into real rights - many countries have not yet done so.