What: African Union Commission commemoration of International Women’s day

When: 08 March 2017 

Theme: African Women, Especially Young Women Succeeding in the Changing World of Work: 50: 50 by 2063

Where: African Union Commission, Medium Conference Hall

The programme for the day will be as follows:    

Opening Ceremony 
Venue: Medium Conference Hall 
Time: 09h30 – 09h50 

Award Ceremony 
Venue: Medium Conference Hall
Time: 09h50 – 10h50 

African Debate on Gender Equality and Women’s 
Empowerment 
Venue: Medium Conference Hall
Time: 10h50 – 12h00 

Launch (and ground-breaking) of the African Women’s Historic Sculpture Garden,
Unveiling of the Portraits of historic African women and of the Founding Mothers of the Pan-African Women’s Organisation (PAWO)
Venue: Medium Conference Hall 
Time: 12h00 – 13h00

Who: Women, Gender and Development Directorate  of African Union Commission 

Why: International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8th March around the world. On this day, the African Union (AU) joins the international community to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, while also reviewing past progress of women’s development and looking ahead at future opportunities for women, especially in the African continent . 

The IWD celebrations create an opportunity for women and men to come together, network and organize themselves for social transformation, anchored on values and principles that ensure enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all. The commemoration of this day, therefore, accords nations the opportunity to marshal efforts to strengthen women’s rights and their participation in social, economic and political development. 
The AU’s IWD commemoration theme is “African Women, Especially Young Women Succeeding in the Changing World of Work: 50:50 by 2063.The theme is inspired by three themes, namely: the United Nations theme of IWD 2017 which is “Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50:50 by 2030"; the 2017 African Union Theme of “Harnessing the Demographic Dividends Through Investment in the Youth” and the 2017 theme of the African Women’s Decade of “Mentoring Youth (Men and Women) to be champions of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment”.
The 2017 International Women’s Day is an opportunity for the AU to consider what it will take for African women, especially young women to succeed in the changing world of work, what investments opportunities are to be made in women, especially young women to reach their potential as a means of harnessing demographic dividends. 
This is also an occasion to celebrate and honour African women- past and present- for their contributions to the struggle for independence, the end of apartheid and the establishment of the OAU/AU. 

Participants: 
-       Members of AU permanent missions in Addis Ababa and diplomatic corps;
-       AU Organs;
-       Representatives of Regional Economic Communities (RECs)
-       UN Agencies
-       Development Partners
-       Civil Society Organization (CSOs);
-       AU Citizens in Addis Ababa

JOURNALISTS ARE INVITED TO MASSIVELY COVER THE EVENT.