As Ghana today joins the rest of Africa and the Diaspora to observe African Union Day, African leaders have been tasked to show more commitment to issues of women empowerment.

This year's African Union Day will be observed on the theme "Women Empowerment and Development towards Agenda 2063”.

The agenda seeks to harness the continent’s resources for socio-economic transformation within the next 50 years .

Women’s Rights network, Women In Law and Development and Africa (WILDAF) says the responsibility lies on African governments to act on their words concerning women empowerment.

Communications and Advocacy Manageress of WILDAF, Patricia Essel says countries that have not ratified and domesticated the AU protocol on women should do so.

She indicated that African countries must domesticate and work with whatever conventions they have signed in order to provide the necessary resources for organisations and departments that need to work to ensure that women empowerment is secured.

She however added that the theme chosen by the AU for the year couldn’t have come at any better time.    

The theme according to her is key in encouraging government and other political parties to ensure that women are empowered in all spheres of society.

Patricia Essel said WILDAF is working to ensure that through the affirmative action policy, women fully participate and are well represented during decision making processes as well as issues concerning party politics.