The Ghana Chapter of African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) held a one-day planning meeting at Alisa Hotel in Accra on September 6, 2023.
It is a joint initiative of the UN and AU which seeks to unite pan-African women leaders across all sectors in their collective endeavors to create a more equitable Continent that aligns with the ideals of Agenda 2063 of the Africa We Want.
AWLN is led by the former Liberia President, H.E Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and AWLN Patron and co-conveners, the Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission on Women, Peace and Security, H.E Bineta Diop and former Executive Director of UN Women, Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
The African Women Leaders Network is anchored on six pillars: political participation, peace and security, financial inclusion, young women leadership, empowering rural women and socialization mobilization.
The meeting had presentations from key invited personalities and group sessions where group heads also presented a report of their various topics mainly on the key pillars of AWLN.
Addressing the gathering the Chair, AWLN Ghana Chapter, Dr. Charity Binka said the African Women Leadership Newwork is a transformative movement and a powerful platform that was launched in New York in June 2017.
According to the Convener, these pillars seeks to relate women’s leadership in all spheres both in public and in private thereby fostering inclusive and sustainable development that ensures women’s participation,
She added that the move was also geared toward women representation in all decision-making spaces using inclusive and intergenerational approaches.
“AWLN is a huge platform that brings together women leaders from 33 African countries that meet on a monthly basis to share ideas and use their collective voices to push for transformational change.
“With the much-appreciated support of the government and the UN Women, Ghana joined this prestigious movement on 9th November 2022 as the 31st Chapter and has been active with senior and youth movement members to make sure AWLN Ghana is an essential part of advancing the Gender agenda on the continent,” madam stated.
On her part the Presidential Advisor at the Office of President, Dr. Angela Asante-Essah indicated that President Akufo-Addo and the government are committed to issues concerning gender.
Madam Asante-Essah also disclosed that her officer also has a program under the President’s Gender Champion that was bestowed on him by the African Union.
“My boss is very passionate about issues concerning gender especially those that concern girl child and female in general” she stated.
