Education International’s (EI) Africa Women’s Roundtable was warmly welcomed by the Honourable Kandia Camara, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of National Education and Technical and Vocational Education and Training, as well as a teacher, former unionist and alumni of the earliest iteration of the EI African Women in Education Network.
The EI Africa Women’s Roundtable, which took place in Grand Bassam, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, on 5 November, ahead of the official opening of the 9th EI Africa Regional Conference, was opened by Afisa Berthé, Chief of Staff in the Ministry of Women, Families and Children.
Kandia Camara, Minister of National Education and Technical and Vocational Education and Training, greeted and held informal discussions with the roundtable’s participants.
Although she was also present at the official opening of the 9th EI Africa Regional Conference on 6 November, Camara stressed that she felt compelled to come and be among the women: “I will be here tomorrow, as planned. But I could not stay away today; today is the women’s day and I had to come and be with my sisters!”
Her presence was deeply appreciated by the roundtable’s participants, since Camara is not only a former teacher, but also an alumni of the pilot project Promotion of Women in Education in West Africa launched in 1999, whichled to the establishment of the EI African Women in Education Network (AWEN)
Camara currently holds a key ministerial portfolio. She is also the first women General Secretary of a political party in Ivory Coast. In addition, she has been a national and Africa regional handball champion.
“With such an illustrious and wide-ranging professional career behind her, there is no reason why Camara could not one day become Ivory Coast’s first female President!”, acknowledged EI Africa Chief Regional Coordinator Assibi Napoe.
The Women’s Roundtable received the triennial report on regional gender equality activities and was presented with the key findings and recommendations from the 10-year evaluation report on the AWEN, and on sub-regional women’s networks (RESAC, SAWEN, WAWEN and WNEA). The main priorities from the 3rd EI World Women’s Conference were also presented to participants.
The deliberations of the roundtable will be presented to the 9th EI Africa Regional Conference, meeting from 6 until 9 November.