ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The 10th African Union (AU) Gender Pre-summit kicked off on Wednesday at the headquarters of the pan-African bloc in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, calling on African women to join the fight against corruption on the continent.

The two-day event is convened from 17 to 18 January under the theme, "Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Africa."

In her opening remarks, Minata Samate Cessouma, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, noted that Gender Pre-Summit meetings have played an important role in influencing and shaping AU policies on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Cessouma stated that the 10th Pre-Summit is an opportunity to reflect on the progress made over the last decade and to plan the way ahead, particularly in the context of the new AU Reform and Agenda 2063.

Reiterating that corruption is a greater obstacle to the successful implementation of Agenda 2063, the Commissioner said such forums are crucial to help the AU develop innovative intervention strategies to fight against corruption.

"Agenda 2063, the roadmap of our continent reminds us to renew our commitments and ambitions for the promotion of the status of women and gender equality in Africa and especially to realize them because the prosperity of Africa is clearly conditioned on the opportunities that will be created for women and young people on our continent," said the AU Director of Women, Gender and Development, Mahawa Kaba Wheeler, during the meeting.