MEDIA ADVISORY

For the 27^th Ordinary General Assembly of OAFLAD

What:              27^th Ordinary General Assembly of OAFLAD

Theme:           Closing gaps in gender equity

Date:               Sunday, 19 February at 08:30 am EAT

Venue:            Old building Plenary Hall, African Union Commission (AUC) Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Attendees:     First Ladies of Africa; Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, African Union; Representatives of UN agencies; the private sector; donors and members of civil society

Open session: On the sidelines of the 2023 African Union Summit, the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) will host its General Assembly Open Session which is a key moment to build awareness and excitement around OAFLAD’s role in driving social change.

The General Assembly Open Session will include remarks by OAFLAD’s sitting president, H.E. Mrs. Monica Geingos, First Lady of Namibia; regional partners, political, multilateral and civil society leaders across Africa; and First Ladies, presenting their interventions from their respective countries. These conversations will give the audience a more comprehensive understanding of the issues that OAFLAD plans to focus on. In addition, it will strengthen the First Ladies’ commitment to advancing development on the continent.

With high levels of engagement from the First Ladies, OAFLAD is poised to exert a new level of influence and help drive significant change in achieving Gender Equality. This year, OAFLAD will put its weight behind a campaign focused on addressing Africa’s gender gap.

We invite you to join us as we continue to work with partners to prioritize the health and well-being of children, youth and women through advocacy, resource mobilization and strategic partnerships.

For further information please contact:

Mrs. Nardos Berhanu | Interim Executive Secretary | OAFLAD | Tel: +251 91 165 7261|Email: nardos@oaflad.org

Ms. Rediet Argaw | Finance & Administration Assistant |OAFLAD |Email: rediet@oaflad.org

Mrs. Rahel Akalewold | Information and Communication Directorate | African Union Commission | E-mail: rahela@africa-union.org | Tel: +251 11 518 2551;

About OAFLA

In 2002, First Ladies of Africa came together to form the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA). OAFLA currently named as the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) is an advocacy organization where First Ladies of Africa seek to leverage their unique position to advocate for policies that make health services accessible and laws that boost women and youth empowerment. First Ladies of Africa reinforce favourable policies and programs through advocacy, resource mobilization and development of partnerships with all stakeholders at all levels. First Ladies engage in various community-level activities to sensitize communities and create awareness on health risks and policies.