The Campaign for Women's Right: Progress Made in parts of Africa

Efforts to promote the rights of women the world over has been on for a very long time now. Many strategies have been employed but the theme; 'to promote gender equality and empower women' and the target; 'eliminate gender disparity at all levels' has remained. In Africa, the tom tom of the Africa drum has raised many from slumber in the same regard. Sexual harrasment, Rape, Violence against women, kidnapping and trafficking of women remain as the most intractable violations of women's rights today.
In 2006, Chancellor Gordon Brown, and International Development Secretary Hilary Benn announced that the UK will quadruple aid for education to $15 billion (£8.5 billion) over the next ten years. That is to say, from 2006 to 2016. They had reasoned that Education is the simple most powerful tool in the fight against global poverty and this is nowhere more clear than in the education of girls. Findings had revealed that more than 100 million of the world's children do not go to school. Most are in Africa and most are girls.
Some of the reasons given for why girls lose out include, but are not exclusive to:
Girls are more likely to undertake unpaid domestic work in the household, and to be expected to look after younger ones.
There can also be particular concerns about sexual harrasment which deter girls from attending school.
The fear of infection through abuse or exploitation in or on the way to school particularly affect girls and may reduce attendance.
Nine years later today, this statistics is only slightly different, even as the perception of and the attention to, the education of women around the globe is no longer as deprived. More girls have gained access to education today, still, there are some concerns resulting from a variety of reasons. Cassandra  Quin  Butts,  Esq.,  Senior  Advisor,  Office  of  the  Chief  Executive  Officer,   Millennium Challenge Corporation has it that: Over  the  past  decades,  substantial  progress  has  been  made  toward  achieving  gender  equality  in education.  Girls’  enrollment  in education  has  increased  at  all  levels.  For  example,  sub-Saharan  Africa has  experienced  the  greatest  growth in  girls’  enrollment  in primary  education.  Yet,  there is  still  much work to be done.
In 2008, Alice Aimee reported in Developments, a DFID Magazine, that in politics, Rwandan women led the way with 49% of Parliamentarian seats taken by women. This meant that, seven years ago, Rwanda was above the target for getting more girls into primary school, after reaching gender parity rates of at least 98%. Uganda, Malawi and Lesotho were also placed at the same level. In Nigeria too, there are indications that women are steadily stepping over restrictions that have affected them previously.
By implication, these countries gave their women something to be proud of. To paraphrase Aimee's words. "the choice not to be only housewives, but become Doctors, Lawyers, Journalists, members of Parliament and any other role for that matter." A closer look at the rest of Africa today indicates that women are slowly but steadily, moving up the political ladder, playing roles with higher levels of responsibilities.
In 2009, World Bank launched an Online Library that highlights laws and regulations affecting the ability of women around the world to participate in business. The Initiative was aimed at helping researchers gain accurate data to enhance women's economic prospects. The over all goal was to develop reforms to laws that particularly restrict women from contributing to economic development.
Between 2010 to the present 2016, more programs and other intiatives have been introduced to groom the world on how best to treat the woman. Worthy of mention is the Women Deliver Global Conference which is the world's largest global conference on the health, rights and wellbeing of girls and women in the last decade.
The  United  States  has  made substantial  investments  to prioritize girls’  education around  the  world. One  example is  a project  done  in Burkina  Faso.  Recognizing  the  substantial  number  of  primary-schoolage  students  who were  out  of  school  in  West  Africa in  general,  and  Burkina  Faso in  particular,  MCC partnered  with the  United States  Agency  for  International  Development  to  invest  in a  project  called Burkinabé  Response  to  Improve  Girls’  Chances  to Succeed  —  BRIGHT. The  goal  of  BRIGHT  was to improve the  quality  of  primary  education,  with an  emphasis  on  increasing  access  for  girls.
What  this  partnership  between international  organizations,  the  national  and  local  governments,  parents and communities  demonstrates  is  that  there  is  a  role  for  everyone to play  in creating  a  safe,  healthy  and encouraging  learning  environment  for  girls.  But  it’s  not  the  size of  this  project  that  makes it  significant.  It is  government  and communities coming  together  to  make education a  priority  and to  identify  and dismantle social  barriers  that  keep  girls  and boys  from  attending  school.  And the  results  are an affirmation of their shared commitment.
Another indication that the campaigns in favor of the rights of women will continue its steady climb towards victory, March 8 is set aside to be celebrated annually as the International Women's Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women's Day. The United Nation's theme designated for IWD often reflects a strong political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide. Giving that progress is slow in many parts of the world, global action is encouraged to accelarate the attainment of gender parity.
Women  are necessary  contributors  to economic development  and creating  jobs. And  in the  quest  for  equal  opportunity,  men  have and should  continue  to  play  important roles  —  accepting  that  women  are entrepreneurs,  that  they  must  have access to  financing,  and  that  their inclusion in business networks is critical to any country’s entrepreneurial success. Women,  as  farmers,  entrepreneurs,  traders  and  innovators,  are  key  to unlocking economic  growth.  When women  succeed,  they  produce  a  multiplier  effect,  investing  a  greater  share  of  their  earnings  in the  wellbeing of their families and community, creating long-term benefits for generations to come. 
Clearly, the world has been on the path to liberate her women for her own good. In Africa, notable for their contributions in this regard are Ellen Johnson Sirlea'f, President of Liberia, Angelique Kidjo, UNICEF International Goodwill Ambassador, Phunzile Mlambo - Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women and Former Deputy President of South Africa, to mention a few.
E.  Diane  White,  author  and  expert  in international  economic development, sustainable investing and gender equality believes that 'Gender  equality  is  smart  business.' She further posits that,  the  world  can  ill  afford  to  allow  the  business  and economic  potential of  half  the  world’s  population to  go untapped.  Women  can  do  all  of  these  things  to  make  sure  they  are ready  to be  entrepreneurs.  And  men  can  make  sure  that  their  mothers,  sisters,  wives and  friends  know these important tools and help foster their entrepreneurial dreams.
But for these many efforts, we know the facts  and we  know  the  way  forward,  and each of  us  must  take it  upon  ourselves to commit to  the  imperative of  furthering  gender  equality  in education, as in every other sector. There  is  an  African  proverb  that  says,  “If  you want  to  go  fast ... go  alone.  If  you  want  to  go  far ... go  together.”  If  we can  come  together  in support of women, we will all go far.