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African Women Leaders Call for Reformed Global Finance Through Inclusive Economic Justice

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African Women Leaders Call for Reformed Global Finance Through Inclusive Economic Justice


Seville, Spain — On the margins of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) convened a powerful High-Level Side Event titled: “Bridging the Global Financing Gap: African Women’s Leadership for Economic Justice and Effective Implementation of Agenda 2063 and Agenda 2030.”  

The event took place at the FIBES Conference & Exhibition Center in Seville, Spain, at a critical time when the world faces widening financing gaps, entrenched inequalities, and unsustainable debt burdens—particularly in emerging and developing economies.

This gathering placed a spotlight on African women as central drivers of transformative change in the global financing architecture. It emphasized that addressing today’s global challenges requires an inclusive approach rooted in justice, equity, and solidarity. In her opening remarks, AWLN Co-Convener H.E. Mme Bineta Diop underscored the urgency of recognizing women’s economic rights, stating, “We are advocating for access to capital, to land, to markets, and to boardrooms. Not as a favor, but as a right.”

Keynote speaker H.E. Cristina Duarte, UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa stressed that structural reforms must center women’s access to productive assets and impactful decision-making roles. H.E. Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, reinforced this vision, declaring, “We are not just speaking up—we’re changing the system.”

The session featured a high-level panel moderated by Justice Meaza Ashenafi Mengistu, former President of the Federal Supreme Court of Ethiopia, and Dr. Loubna Karroum, CEO of KARDEV, who co-chair the AWLN Economic and Financial Inclusion (EcoFin) Pillar. Panelists included H.E. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, former President of the Republic of Mauritius and AWLN Elder; H.E. Ms. Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of AUDA-NEPAD; Dr. James Mwangi, CEO of Equity Group Holdings, who stressed the importance of viewing investment in gender equality as impactful for economic rights and progress, not only a social benefit; Dr. Fatima Farouk Elsheikh, Secretary-General of BADEA; and Dr. Jide Okeke, Director of the UNDP Regional Programme for Africa. The discussion addressed innovative and inclusive financing models, the role of women in domestic resource mobilization (DRM), gender equity in economic governance, and barriers to women’s access to capital and land.

The event highlighted that sustainable development cannot be achieved without financial systems that empower women and promote equity.

Key outcomes included a strong call for the reform of global financial systems through a gender equity lens, the development of a post-FfD4 advocacy roadmap, and renewed momentum for strategic partnerships between AWLN and financial institutions. The event reaffirmed AWLN’s role as a leading African platform in global dialogues on economic justice and financial governance.

Speakers and participants collectively emphasized that African women are indispensable in achieving sustainable peace, economic growth, and resilience. From driving agricultural productivity to shaping climate-responsive finance and public investment, women play vital roles. However, limited access to land, finance, and formal economic systems continues to hinder this potential. AWLN stressed the need to remove these structural barriers and ensure women-led MSMEs have access to Africa’s vibrant domestic financial markets.

The event also reinforced the importance of gender balance in global decision-making structures. AWLN echoed the draft FfD4 outcome document’s call to ensure gender parity on the executive boards of international organizations through strategic nominations, while also advocating for bottom-up strategies to support and resource women leaders at all levels.

Organized by AWLN in collaboration with the African Union, UN-OSAA, UNDP, BADEA, and AUDA-NEPAD, this side event underscored that economic transformation must be inclusive and African-led. It contributed meaningfully to the FfD4 agenda and to broader efforts aimed at implementing both Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.