Over 43 African ministers in charge of gender affairs gather in Addis Ababa this week for the Seventh African Regional Conference on Women (Beijing+10).

They will be joined by a cross section of other key stakeholders including parliamentarians, private sector entrepreneurs, and representatives of regional and international organizations.

The Conference will take stock of developments in the lives of African women since the Beijing summit on women's affairs ten years ago. In that context, it will focus on highlighting achievements, constraints and challenges in the twelve areas of concern singled out in the Dakar and Beijing Platforms for action.

Additionally, participants will review the goals and recommendations of major African and international initiatives, namely the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD), the Millennium Declaration and the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), from a gender perspective.

The Ministerial Conference runs 12-14 October 2004 and is expected to issue a Declaration that identifies a series of actions and measures to be implemented over a five-year period, in order to promote gender equality and equity in Africa.