WOMEN OF IMPACT: INSPIRING STORIES OF AFRICAN WOMEN LEADERS.

WOMEN OF IMPACT: INSPIRING STORIES OF AFRICAN WOMEN LEADERS.  

This compendium aims to recognise and celebrate African women and girls making a difference through their impactful leadership. It documents their contributions and impacts to inspire aspiring and current leaders and promote enabling environments that advance women’s leadership at local, national and continental levels. It highlights their contributions to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects in their communities and countries. It also highlights challenges these leaders identified and their solutions to overcome them.  

A multi-partner technical team has undertaken a rigorous selection process to identify these women leaders. They have been recognised for their purposefulness, doggedness, commitment to change, and contributions to society. They represent the spectrum of African women leadership, from grassroots to high-level executives and opinion leaders. These leaders embody African leadership beyond politics or business and include women in governance, women empowerment, finance and entrepreneurship, environment and agriculture, technology, education, creative industries and sports.  

The categories are loosely linked to the four outcomes of the AU Strategy for GEWE. Their leadership stories demonstrate what is achievable, especially as more experienced leaders share their wisdom with the next generation through training and mentorships, producing competent and committed women and girls leaders who can deliver on the aspirations of Agenda 2063.