South Africa

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AfCFTA: How Intellectual Property Laws Can Help Create Jobs

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AfCFTA: How Intellectual Property Laws Can Help Create Jobs

The Agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is ambitious. Bringing together 55 African Union member states, it will form the world’s largest free trade area by the number of participating countries. The Agreement covers trade in goods and services, investment, intellectual property rights and competition policy. The Phase II negotiations of the agreement hold many opportunities, particularly for Intellectual Property (IP). A strong IP regime across the continent will facilitate the growth of MSMEs and will lead to increased job creation especially for women and the youth.

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Social, Environmental Factors Seen Behind Africa’s Low COVID-19 Cases

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Social, Environmental Factors Seen Behind Africa’s Low COVID-19 Cases

The pandemic has largely been in a younger age group and has been more pronounced in a few countries, suggesting country-specific aspects are driving the pattern of disease and death. COVID-19 transmission in Africa has been marked by relatively fewer infections, which have been on the decline over the past months, owing to a variety of socio-ecological factors as well as early and strong public health measures taken by governments across the region.

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Why AU Should Push For Equitable Access To COVID-19 Vaccines

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Why AU Should Push For Equitable Access To COVID-19 Vaccines

The first initiative is the COVAX Facility, a global initiative that brings together governments and manufacturers to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines reach those in greatest need. This initiative has the potential to benefit African countries if it succeeds in getting sufficient vaccine supplies at affordable prices that minimize debt. The proposed waiver would allow all countries globally to collaborate on the COVID-19 response, including vaccine development and distribution, without being unduly hampered by the complexity of laws and restrictions governing intellectual property.

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Press Release By Women Of Kenya On The Advisory By The Hon. Chief Justice, David Maraga To His Excellency, The President On The Dissolution Of Parliament

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Press Release By Women Of Kenya On The Advisory By The Hon. Chief Justice, David Maraga To His Excellency, The President On The Dissolution Of Parliament

The hallmark of a democracy is its adherence and fidelity to the Rule of Law and Separation of powers between the various arms of government. We note that the Two-Thirds Gender Rule is not about giving seats to women but it is about creating an inclusive and sustainable society in furtherance of its commitment to the SDGs, the Agenda 2063, and the Vision 2030. We note that while Kenya has made some great advancements in promoting women’s empowerment and gender equality.

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Three Ways To Better Manage Your Finances

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Three Ways To Better Manage Your Finances

In the Facebook Live discussion “Making Sound Financial Decisions,” hosted by the U.S. Embassy in South Africa, Zibu MaSotobe, an author, international speaker and businesswoman, spoke to the importance of financial literacy, both within the country and across the continent, before taking audience questions about saving, investing and preparing for the future. The following are her recommendations for others looking to better manage their finances now and for years to come.

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Technology is a Liberating Force for African Women | The Youth Cafe

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Technology is a Liberating Force for African Women | The Youth Cafe

BY CHARLES ONYANGO-OBBO

As ride-hailing apps proliferate the globe, the year-old An Nisa Taxi in Kenya is one of the standouts in Africa. Developed by 33-year-old Mehnaz Sarwar, An Nisa is run by women and serves female passengers and children exclusively. Ms. Sarwar sought to overcome two obstacles: limited job opportunities for women in a male-dominated industry and the reluctance of women to hail taxis, because physical abuse from drivers—including sexual abuse—is known to take place.

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African Women in Politics: Miles to go before parity is achieved | The Youth Cafe

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BY ZIPPORAH MUSAU

In the fight for gender equality, women around the world have advanced in small and large ways. Yet for women in Africa, progress is measured in micro steps, and the struggle has a long way to go. The good news is that women’s rep-resentation in political decision making has been on the rise globally. The not-so-good news is that the increase has been stubbornly slow, barely 1% in 2018 compared with the previous year. In 2018 the number of women ministers world-wide reached an all-time high at 20.7% (812 out of 3922).