Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and therefore also half of its potential. But, today gender inequality persists everywhere and stagnates social progress. Women continue to be underrepresented at all levels of political leadership. Across the globe, and especially in Africa, women and girls perform a disproportionate share of unpaid domestic work. Advancing gender equity is critical to all areas of a healthy society and national economy.
This is why at African Women In Leadership Organization (AWLO), we are committed to empowering women and advancing gender equity.
To this effect, our theme for year 2023 is ‘Promoting Gender Equity For Socio-Economic Development In Africa’.
In 2023, we’ll lend our voices towards changing the negative narrative surrounding gender equality so we can see the desired growth in African Economies.
Join the moving train for 2023 for Equity, Empowerment and Economic advancement.
AWLO 2020 International Youth day Commemoration was a gathering of young leaders across 15 countries around the world; who are enthusiastic about repositioning, for better, and effective, global engagement and action. It is our hope that this global movement of leadership solutions, sparked up by our conversations, stay with our young leaders. That they will take on positive actions, and be the change in their community. The AWLO Youth Council as a global support system of young leaders, continues to assure support to young female leaders, as they implement and practice the lessons and values from the sessions. The AWLO 2020 International Youth day saw the adoption of action points captured from sessions and seasoned contributions by Dr. Elisha Attai, AWLO Founder, Chief Osasu Igbinedion; Matron/Mentor AWLO Global Youth Council, and Mrs. Maureen Omeibe; Dean AWLO Executive Council. Youth Leaders/Speakers were Ms. Ngwi, Favor, AWLO Cameroon Youth Council President, Ms. Christiana Futela; AWLO Duala Youth Council Coordinator, Ms. Linda Njoku; AWLO Rivers Youth Council Coordinator, Ms. Shadee Keturah; AWLO Sierra Leone Youth Council President. Other keynotes were delivered by Mr. Keorapetse Kalaote, Mrs. Zyna Obasi, Ms. Kadijatu Ahene, AWLO Arizona Chapter Coordinator & Hon. Mrs. Eunice Thomas; Former State Commissioner of Women Affairs, Nigeria. Find here the adopted Action Points of AWLO IYD 2020 and watch sessions on Youtube Ms. Theodora Ayeni AWLO IYD 2020 Host & AWLO Nigeria Youth Council President
The Women Executives and Potential Leaders Symposium is an annual initiative by the African Women In Leadership Organization Cameroon Chapter. To bring together female leaders; to discuss, learn, and share perspectives. Concerning key thematic areas, for the growth of women and female leadership.
The first edition of the symposium was held on the 22nd of August 2020 in Yaoundé, on the theme; Women leaders: working together to Achieve Innovative Performance.
The Symposium brought together female leaders from public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The goal was to learn, share and build capacity, to develop innovative strategies for the improvement of female leadership, and build problem-solving skills, and organizational productivity.
The program was led by Mrs. Yenwo Bertha, President of the African Women in Leadership Organization (AWLO) Cameroon. It is a strategy to reinforce the organization’s commitment to empowering women and mitigating the challenges of female leadership in Cameroon.
This was further buttressed in deliberation, and the development of a Policy Declaration, on Cameroon Women Leaders’ Innovative Performance in the Public, Private, and Non-profit Sector.
It brought together highly successful and budding female leaders to discuss key issues, in line with women leaders working together, innovation, productivity, and Performance.
It went further to bridge the divide between older successful female leaders and younger female leaders. This is to be achieved through an annual intergenerational mentorship. It will not only to promote intergenerational collaboration but the sustainability of female leadership in Cameroon.
The AWLO Ikot Ekpene Chapter, being moved with compassion concerning the high incidence of rape in surrounding communities, and across Nigeria, took on a rape sensitization tour.
The tour took place on Friday 20th August, 2020 from 10am to 2pm, across communities within Ikot Ekpene Sanatorial District, Akwa Ibom State. From villages in the Ukpom and Ibiaku communities in Ikono, to Ini Local Government Areas.
The mission of the sensitization tour, was to urge participants to ‘Say No To Rape’. Through shedding light, on the harmfulness of rape, pain to victims, and position of the law on sexual violence offence (including life sentence).
Participants included, villagers of all age groups and gender. And sessions were indoors and outdoors – junctions and bustops. Sensitization sessions were on; causes of rape, consequences and effect of rape on victims, experiences of rape victims, and finally rape and the law.
Participants were strongly urged to desist from acts of sexual violence. Mrs Blessing Whenshall who is a Police Officer explained the legal implications of sexual violence. Especially at Ini Local Government Area, known to have high prevalence of rape. The AWLO Ikot Ekpene Chapter team was led by the Coordinator; Mrs. Emem Ukpong, others on her team were the Public Relations Officer; Mary Ekpo, and Mrs. Imaobong Dick.
The feedback from the total of 200 participants in attendance proved the sessions to be enlightening. As they promised to share their experiences, expose acts of sexual violence, and take the message of “Say No To Rape” to their churches and community.
At the core, AWLO is advancing the status and leadership of women. And is at the forefront of creating awareness of ‘women’s rights as human rights. Therefore, enabling women to attain their full potential as equal human beings.
The African Women’s Role in the emerging Global Digital Workforce Workshop, was held on 2nd September 2020.
The workshop was attended by 70 participants from Nigeria, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Saint Kitts, and United States. It was moderated by Selina Bentoom; a Human Capital Development Expert, with Digital Experts; Atai Albert and Richard George from USA, as resource persons.
At the end of the session, some of the adopted solutions were:
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Investment and collaboration.
The African government, private sector, educational sector, and the host of other stakeholders; need to collaborate on investing in infrastructure that is easily available and reliable. This will open up Africa to employment, wealth creation, and growth of the gross domestic product of each African nation.
Work virtualization and remote access
Africa needs adequate, and functional infrastructure to work from home. Policy makers should put in place a flexible system to help women with children undertake learning.
Business Transformation
In order to transform businesses, a basic assessment of business needs must be carried out, to identify the distinctive technological capabilities to be employed to various business units. Africa must run data driven businesses and economy.
Policy-making and Advocacy
There must be aggressive mitigation, advocacy and sensitization to drive technology and digital access. The right policy formulation and environment, and extreme prioritization, will continue to increase access to technology.
The African Women in Leadership Organisation (AWLO) is set to inaugurate the AWLO Ikot Ekepene Chapter on 3rd October 2020, at the Martha Udom Emmanuel Women Development Center Ikot Ekpene.
African Women in Leadership Organisation started as the West African Women in Leadership Conference at Accra Ghana in 2009. It has gained a continent-wide adoption, since the 2010 African Women in Leadership Conference held in Abuja. Where women conferees reached a resolution; to send a strong delegation to the national offices of the political parties, and use the national women rally on 21-22 June 2010 to make a strong point for the enforcement of the 35% Affirmative Action for Women.
In the past 10 years, the organization has continued its women’s leadership advocacy. Through the bi-annual African Women in Leadership Conference held in Africa and the Diaspora. In 2015, the AWLO Chapters framework began, to provide a structure to reach women locally for leadership development.
As the heartbeat of AWLO, a chapter is a support system- women building networks. The AWLO Founder, Dr. Elisha Attai often recounts the history of AWLO,
“As I was going about my business of media as a Consultant and Content Producer for Mnet I spotted a rare need for women to be instrumental to each other’s success, as a means to attain leadership.I looked around me at board meetings and they were only a handful of women. More glaring to me, was the fact that the women who made it through the door were only committed to keeping those behind the door there. I think for once it didn’t occur to them that success was a function of building networks and support systems. A habit for the men.”
In addition to providing a support system, AWLO provides members with capacity-building programs, opportunities to take the lead and be the change in their community, and positions women for global relevance. It creates a global bridge to global stakeholders and fosters inclusive decision-making, and actions toward gender equality. As a support system, AWLO serves as the bridge to the next generation with the Youth Council (youth wing of a chapter) as a mechanism for leadership succession planning.
“The African Women in Leadership Organisation is my legacy, for the women”. say AWLO Founder; Dr. Elisha Attai. As he takes a new Chapter to his hometown, Ikot Ekpene, he will be joined by Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel; the First Lady of Akwa Ibom State (Mother of the Day). AWLO Ikot Ekepene Chapter becomes the second in Akwa Ibom State, making it the first State to have two Chapters.
Other dignitaries who will be attending are Mrs. Mfon Usoro; Secretary-General, Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control for West and Central African Union, Guy Murray Bruce; President, Silverbird Group, Lagos, Mr. Ephraim Akparawa Inyang-Eyen; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Akwa Ibom State.
The global HeforShe Community, of African Women in Leadership Organisation, held its first men-only summit on Building a Value-oriented Family.
The summit which was held on 19th September 2020, had in attendance Heforshe ambassadors from 11 countries. HeforShe is a UN Women Solidarity Movement for Gender equality. AWLO is a UN Global Compact leader committed to promoting the UN Women’s goals.
The task of child care, discipline and values-development has been, sadly, left mostly to the mothers and nannies, with the fathers concerned mainly with the duty of providing for the financial needs of the home.
– Excerpts from AWLO HeforShe Men-alone International Smmit
The discussion was led by Mr. Mungai Mfi; Leadership and Strategic Management, Cameroon. The panelists were; Deji Adenuga Consultant, DY Relationship Clinic (Dublin), Arc. Ezekiel Nyaetok; DG, Nigeria First Project, Keorapetse Carl Kalaote; Entrepreneur/Speaker/Consultant (South Africa), Mr. Bren Inyang; CEO Ekido Press (Nigeria), Guy Murray-Bruce; President Silverbird Group (Nigeria), Coach Oscar Emetuei; Executive Director Billion Dollar Group (South Africa).
The meeting highlighted the role of the family in shaping progressive culture, and driving values that remove gender barriers.
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An African proverb says “If you educate a man, you educate an individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate a nation.” As women around the world, who continue to strive for equal rights and opportunities in career and in society, have been hit the hardest by the economic effects of the pandemic, access to affordable and flexible higher education has become essential to help more female leaders climb to high positions in the corporate world, and in government.
The Unicaf organisation, always ready to support equal access to higher education for all, is taking real steps to help more women study for internationally recognised undergraduate or postgraduate degrees. Under an agreement, signed this month between Unicaf and the African Women in Leadership Organisation, fifty 75% scholarships will be awarded to an equal number of members of the AWLO, in all countries where AWLO is present, to enable them to pursue degree programmes online, with any one of Unicaf’s partner universities. Unicaf’s partners include the University of Suffolk, Liverpool John Moores University and the University of East London in the UK, plus multi-campus Unicaf University, which is accredited by the British Accreditation Council in the UK (Zambia and Malawi campuses).
An exciting range of Bachelor, Master’s and Doctoral degrees in a variety of modern disciplines are offered by Unicaf’s partner universities, who award the respective degrees. Online study is facilitated by Unicaf’s cutting edge digital platform, hosting the Virtual Learning Environment. Through the VLE students have 24/7 access to study materials and an expansive e-library, they can communicate with tutors and network with fellow students in 156 countries across the globe.
The African Women in Leadership Organisation (AWLO) is a non-profit organisation with a membership that is open to all women leaders across Africa and the African Diaspora. Its flagship programme is the annual African Women in Leadership Conference. The AWLC aims to harness and enhance the leadership potential of women in Africa as a whole and to channel them towards the unity and development of the region.
This agreement is seen by both parties as the beginning of a closer collaboration aiming to increase affordable and flexible higher education opportunities for African women, to allow them to combine higher academic studies with their other important roles as women in leadership. The aim is to help women acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to compete equally with men in the professional arena and rise to higher positions in the corporate world and in government.
The Founder, of African Women in Leadership Organisation, Dr Elisha Attai
Distinguished Guests
Eminent Members of AWLO
Friends of AWLO
Gentlemen and Ladies of the Press
Ladies and Gentlemen
As we gather here tonight for the unique 2020 Induction Dinner of the African Women in Leadership Organisation, it is an obvious fact that the world around us is not exactly the same that we left behind at the conclusion of the 2019 Induction Ceremony. Between December 2019 and now, one year after, many events have unfolded across the globe which has left many countries, their economies and travel protocols altered permanently.
The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic saw much destabilisation in the public health system of most countries of the world. For the African Women in Leadership Organisation, this had meant that many scheduled programmes, including conferences and outreaches, were either postponed, put on hold or outright cancelled. The African Women in Leadership Conference (AWLC), scheduled to hold in Sierra Leone in the first week of April, was forfeited to the harsh onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our Atlanta Summit was equally not speared in this case.
To keep our community and global networks together, the African Women in Leadership Organisation had alternately made recourse to webinars and digital townhall meetings where we shared ideas and interacted with special guests of global repute. In spite of the pandemic, the African Women in Leadership Organisation facilitated many of these online sessions covering a wide array of themes and focus, including gender inclusion, women and girl-child economic empowerment and indeed the almighty rape scourge.
But, happily, here we are tonight, converged as a body of gender advocates and gender parity campaigners. This is not a sheer coincidence. We have been among the lucky ones to be alive and active today. Much gratitude is due to the almighty God. Many would have wished to be alive but they were not as fortunate. It is in this very sense that this year’s Induction Ceremony is dedicated to giving thanks to God almighty for all that we have been through as persons in our individual rights, as African Women in Leadership Organisation, and as citizens of the globe. As the researcher Ruth Benedict once said, ‘A man’s indebtedness…is not virtue; his repayment is. Virtue begins when he dedicates himself actively to the job of gratitude.’
In the same spirit, I like to acknowledge the creative leadership of the Founder of the African Women in Leadership Organisation, who also doubles as my husband and life companion. I like to commend his grits, good spirit and fortitude through the trying moments of AWLO’s journey, and for being able to put together great teams to work with from time to time. For the African Women in Leadership Organisation under Dr. Elisha Attai, there has never been a scarcity of leadership as everyone is either a leader or a leader in the making. This singular fact has kept us going as AWLO, and I believe it is also worth being grateful for. As William Faulkner the novelist once wrote, ‘Maybe, the only thing worse than having to give gratitude constantly all the time, is having to receive it.’
Over the years, I have found myself at the receiving ends of gratitude from my husband. But, this time around, I think it only decent and decorous to really give honour to whom it is due. As it was once said, ‘Gratitude, like love, is never a dependable international emotion.’ So, as we receive gratitude, we must be able to return gratitude to those for whom it is due, including people and indeed God almighty. Therefore, I commend the Membership of AWLO for demonstrating a rare doggedness, commitment and strong faith in the leadership of the organisation. Distinguished AWLO members, your consistency through the years have been commendable and we use the platform of this occasion to appreciate you all for being the great and committed followership that you are. Kudos to you all!
It is in this very reflective mood and in the spirit of appreciation, that I welcome you all, ladies and gentlemen, to this auspicious occasion. I remain hopeful and positive that the convocation of tonight will serve as a springboard to launch us into the new and more promising moments in our experience as African Women in Leadership Organisation.
Once again, welcome to the 2020 Induction Ceremony of the African Women in Leadership Organisation. I wish you all a great, refreshing and unforgettable positive experience.
Long live the African Women in Leadership Organisation!
