African leaders have joined women's advocates in calling for greater efforts to empower women and maximize their contributions to economic development.

The leaders, gathering for the 10th Congress of the Pan-African Women's Organization in the Namibian capital Windhoek at the weekend, said that although much progress has been made in narrowing the gaps on gender equality, a lot still needs to be done.

Assetou Koite, the president of the organization, called on Africa to maximize the investment in women in order to reduce discrimination and increase their participation in the economy and also give them a greater voice on social issues.

She said members of the African Union should create an "enabling environment for women and girls", including those in rural areas, by ensuring that they participate in a bottom-up approach to poverty eradication.

Koite said Africa can progress economically only if women occupy high political and social positions.

"We must make efforts in a number of areas to ensure women achieve education and also take advantage of the emerging opportunities in science and technology," she said. "We must eliminate the obstacles and discrimination that women face in terms of access to financing."

Namibian President Hage Geingob said women have always played an integral role in the struggle of African people to attain human dignity.

Geingob hailed a recent decision by African heads of state and government to declare 2020-30 as a new decade for African women's financial and economic inclusion.

He said Namibia has prioritized gender parity as a means of addressing historical imbalances and injustices toward women, by implementing a measure for equal representation for them in government leadership positions.

"To further demonstrate our commitment to enhance capacity on gender equality, Namibia is in the process of establishing the International Women's Peace Center, which will focus on national, regional and international conflict resolutions and management activities, as well as on aspects of mediation and negotiations," he said.

However, Geingob called on people not to overlook the needs of boys amid a greater focus on girls in education and career development.

He said boys "should also be empowered for the continent to benefit from their vast and untapped potential".

Hawa Ahmed Youssouf, the special representative of the chairman of the African Union Commission, reiterated the commission's commitment to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women, to ensure their full participation in the economic, political and social development of their countries.

Youssouf said Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairman of the AU Commission, has said that women have always demonstrated their resilience to fight the scourge of poverty and remain the agents of change that the continent needs, despite the suffering they have endured during conflicts.