SEVEN of Africa's first ladies were invited by Mrs Suzanne Mubarak to participate in a round table discussion on the subject of "Women and Peace," held on the fringe of the NEPAD's 13th Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC) and the third Peer Review Mechanism. The participants had agreed to discuss the possibility of establishing an African Women's Forum that will aim at tackling the common problems African women face in various parts of the continent. The convergence enabled the eight first ladies to exchange their visions and highlight their efforts to better the living conditions of women in Africa. They also addressed the ways in which African women could be better protected from the woes of wars and disease. As Egypt's first lady expressed in her opening address, "We are gathered today, to share our concerns, and highlight our initiatives, so that we can learn from each other, and intensify our efforts in solving problems of mutual concern. While our problems may differ in magnitude, they represent a threat to our common fate, as neighbours and as African people." In view of the fact that African women "have emerged with greater strength and determination to have their voices heard," and despite the horrors of wars many of them had been through, the convened first ladies agreed that peace "is not only about the absence of war; it is about the general concept of human security." It was decided that establishing such a "forum or common network may help to assess the real causes of African women's insecurity -- poverty, illness, wars, violence -- and therefore help in boosting cooperation" between African nations to "ensure a better tomorrow for the continent's women and children".
