'Insist on women's rights'

February 15, 2005- (News24.com - SA) Women rights activist Graca Machel Mandela, the wife of former South African President, on Monday urged African women here to insist on respect of gender equality by governments in their respective countries.

Delivering a memorial lecture, she said that women who make up the majority of the population in Africa were not granted equal rights with their male counterparts in governmental affairs.

"How many women are in parliament? How many women are in government? How many women are in the boardroom of the important major companies?" she asked at a public lecture organised in memory of assassinated former Nigerian military ruler, general Murtala Muhammed.

Muhammed was assassinated in a failed coup attempt on February 14 1976 after ruling for only six months.

He is still remembered for his anti-corruption crusade and fight against indiscipline in the Nigerian society.

Obasanjo, who was Muhammed's deputy at that time and who succeeded him, was Monday among the dignitaries who attended the public lecture titled "Breaking barriers and limitations: the role of women in development".

Graca urged women to insist that the decision taken in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa at the level of the African Union that half of the posts in the AU Commission be allocated to women be adopted at national government level as well.

From: http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1662455,00.html