African Women – Powering the African Dream

Did you know today – 31st July – is Africa Women’s Day?
The day was declared in 1962 by the Africa Union Assembly, following the first Pan-African Women’s Conference that was held in Dar es Salaam.

It’s a day to honour and celebrate the achievements of all African women and at the same time reflect on persistent barriers to the realization of gender equality and women’s empowerment especially backlashes to women’s gains, their rights and liberties.

Women in Africa are richly diverse….but majority still exist in communities where their interests are often marginalized. As long as women do not engage in political processes, their interests will continue to be marginalized. Meaning, if we are going to make significant headway on economic, political and other fronts, women need to have a physical presence in legislatures and other political institutions.

How Can You Join in Advocating for and Shaping African Women’s Leadership?
On 10th – 12th November 2014, FEMNET together with Urgent Action Fund – Africa will be hosting the Women’s Political Leadership Convening in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire to advocate, communicate, mobilize and support women’s leadership capacities across the continent, with a special focus on women’s political participation in conflict and post-conflict related countries. This unique Convening will seek to capacitate women human rights defenders and leaders for more effective engagement in their spheres of power; inter alia in parliaments and community governance structures.

Today on 31st July, we launch the weekly twitter conversations and invite you to join @UAFAfrica & @FemnetProg every week on Monday as we advocate, organize, & mobilise for women’s political leadership in Africa. #AfricanWomenLead

To start us off, post on the hashtag #AfricanWomenLead and let us know

>>”How can/are you enhance the participation of women in government and politics?”