Years of advocacy for gender mainstreaming in Africa have resulted in the election of a completely gender-balanced team of African Union Commissioners in 2003 and the adoption of the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa in 2004 by the African Union (AU). In order to observe these initiatives and to advance the implementation of gender mainstreaming on the African continent, Femmes Africa Solidarité, its Pan-African Centre for Gender, Peace and Development, and its partners has instituting the African Gender Award. Every two years, the Award will be given to a leader of Africa who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in encouraging peace and development through the implementation of gender-sensitive measures.
The African Gender Award will be accompanied by two other recognitions. One is for the private sector and organization and the other for the civil society and women’s group that actively promote women’s agenda.
The recipients of the first Award were President Wade of Senegal and President Mbeki of South Africa. The first African Gender Award has honored President Wade for leading the decision on the gender parity policy in the AU Commission in 2002, and President Mbeki, who, as AU Chairman in 2003, implemented this decision and adopted the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa in 2003.
Following is the proposed process for the Awards.

Nominee Eligibility
(1) Nominees may be either leaders or groups from the government, private sector/organization and civil society sectors who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in implementing gender mainstreaming and promoting women’s participation on the African continent, with particular reference to the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa of the AU.

Nominations
(1) Nomination forms should be addressed to the members of the Jury through the Pan-African Centre for Gender, Peace and Development at the Regional Office (Dakar) or at the International Secretariat (Geneva) .
(2) The Nominator is an individual or a group that does not receive remuneration for their services from the Nominee.

Evaluation Criteria
(1) The candidature should emphasize the accomplishments of the Nominee.
(2) Extraordinary achievement in the below domains are suggested criteria to consider. This list is guided by the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa of the AU.
. Implementing gender-specific economic, social and legal measures on HIV/AIDS.
. Gender mainstreaming of peace processes.
. Systematic prohibition of the recruitment of child soldiers
. Systematic prohibition of the abuse of girl children as wives and sex slaves.
. Campaigning against gender-based violence.
. Systematic prohibition of trafficking in women and girls.
. Promotion of the gender parity principle.
. Protection of human rights for women and girls, including the right to development.
. Guarantee of women's land, property and inheritance rights.
. Education of girls and increasing the literacy of women, especially in rural areas.
. Enforcement of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.
. Realization of AIDS Watch Africa as a unit within the Office of the Chairperson of the Commission of the AU.
. Realization of an African Trust Fund for Women for the purpose of building the capacity of African women.

Selection Process
(1) The Jury's decision is by a simple majority vote.
(2) In the case of a tie, the Jury will conduct a re-vote on the nominees receiving the highest number of votes.
(3) Once the nomination has been received, the Jury may require additional support material.

Role of the Jury
(1) The Jury is to discuss and to decide on the recipient of the Award.
(2) The Jury is also to monitor gender-mainstreaming efforts on the African continent, with particular consideration to the AU's Solemn Gender Declaration.
(3) The Jury will commission studies on gender equality and the status of women in Africa.

Jury Composition
(1) The Jury is composed of FAS members and partners, independent experts, outstanding women and representatives from civil society, the private sector/organization and African women networks.
(2) If one of the members of the Jury resigns, a new member may be appointed by the FAS Executive Board.
(3) The Jury will be presided and the President is responsible for managing decision-making through a majority vote. Changes or amendments to the above process are to be made through a majority vote of the Jury.