DAR ES SALAAM, July 2 (Xinhua) -- U. S. first lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday appealed to her colleagues in Africa to chart out strategies for empowering women.
Speaking at the first ever African First Ladies Summit in Dar es Salaam organized by the George W. Bush Institute, she said first ladies in Africa should use their position to lobby for formulation of best strategies that will create conducive environment for women's economic development.
"Since women participate in all activities from family level to community activities, their empowerment will spur economic development of the African continent," said Michele Obama.
Laura Bush, the wife of former U.S. president George W. Bush, said women put back 90 percent of their income to their families and that they stand in the forefront in championing changes.
"A country with well-educated and health women is likely to prosper," she told the two-day summit attended by eight first ladies from across the continent, and Cherie Blair, the wife of former British prime minister Tony Blair.
The African first ladies attending the summit are from Tanzania, Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Zambia and Uganda.
Opening the summit, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said despite the contribution of women, most of them are very poor and that they do not control the wealth they have produced.
Kikwete added that women have no equal access to education and are facing difficulties in accessing health services.
"Women perform most of the work, they fully participate in agricultural activities but at the end middlemen buy their crops at cheaper prices and sell them at profitable prices. This is a hindrance to women development," he said.
If African women have full access to education, health services and credit, they will be active members of the society, which in turn will spur the continent's economic growth hence alleviate poverty among Africans.
"In Africa women work more and harder than men, so investing in them will assure the continent with food security and stable income," he said.
Michele Obama and his husband U. S. President Barack Obama left Dar es Salaam on Tuesday afternoon for Washington at the end of their three-nation Africa tour, which also took them to Senegal and South Africa.
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