Forward Momentum: Milestone Write-Shop with the African Union & African Renaissance on Gender and Youth Mainstreaming
Participants of the Write-Shop in Nairobi, Kenya, © 2025 African Renaissance
In April 2025, the African Union Commission (AUC) convened a three-day “write-shop” in Nairobi to develop a unified Gender and Youth Mainstreaming Framework and Implementation Strategy. The process was facilitated by Jenn Donville and Alex Munive of the Global Center for Gender Equality (GCfGE), in close partnership with the Africa Renaissance (AR), and the AUC’s Women, Gender and Youth Directorate (WGYD) the workshop marked a pivotal step in the AUC’s efforts to continue to accelerate and institutionalize gender equality and youth development across its systems.
Co-Creation at the Core
Building on consultations held in Addis Ababa in February, the Nairobi write-shop brought together AUC staff, technical teams, and partners for a focused and collaborative drafting process. The WGYD led the process of defining terminology, clarifying roles, and setting priorities in line with Agenda 2063, the Maputo Protocol, and the African Youth Charter.
A Framework Rooted in Direction and Action
At the heart of the newly drafted framework are three interdependent dimensions that define how gender and youth mainstreaming systematically operate across the Institution:
People – Focusing on AU personnel and internal systems, this dimension promotes equitable recruitment, leadership pathways for women and youth, capacity development, and a supportive institutional culture.
Programs – Ensuring that AU programs from peacebuilding to education are designed, implemented, and evaluated to actively advance gender equality and youth development outcomes.
Policies – Integrating gender and youth perspectives across all stages of AU policy processes, ensuring that laws, strategies, and decisions reflect the realities and rights of Africa’s majority.
Each dimension is supported by practical tools, minimum standards, and SMART indicators to track progress and hold departments accountable.
What This Moment Represents
The Nairobi write-shop represents more than a technical achievement—it signals a renewed AU-led commitment to deliver on its promise to Africa’s women and youth. By translating ambition into structure, and structure into action, the framework offers a common roadmap for meaningful, system-wide progress.
With strong leadership, practical tools, and shared ownership, the African Union continues to move forward grounded, strategic, and ready to drive results.
© 2025 African Renaissance