African first ladies pledge to empower women
The First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, has charged members of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) to consider using advocacy as a fund-raising mechanism to support causes that challenge existing problems.
Advocacy, she said, could help them draw the attention of strategic partners and funders to help solve some of the social and health issues confronting communities, especially women and children.
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The First Lady said that when the OAFLAD met on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York to discuss the strategic focus of the organisation for the next two years.
OFLAD
The organisation has been working in its 20 years of existence, to first eliminate HIV/AIDS in Africa, however; in the last four years, it has broadened its ambit to include other developmental issues that focus on the well-being of women and vulnerable populations in Africa.
Mrs Akufo-Addo, therefore, called for greater efforts in mainstreaming the needs of persons with disabilities (PwDs) in the strategic focus of OAFLAD.
She, during her intervention, also called for greater efficiency and commitment in OAFLADS fund-raising efforts.
Mrs Akufo-Addo commended the First Lady of Namibia, Monica Geingos, who is also the current OAFLAD President, for spearheading the organisation with renewed energy, building on the foundation laid by her predecessor,
Mrs Geingos, in an address, tasked her sister First Ladies to use their offices in strategic ways that empower women and engender development in Africa.
Consensus
The consensus reached by the First Ladies was to prioritise and streamline the strategic focus of the organisation to make them more impactful and measurable.
They also agreed on the need to increase the visibility of the organisation by deploying both traditional and social media more purposefully.
The First Ladies also discussed how to attract strategic partnerships and build relationships that would facilitate access to technical support and critical assistance for their work to enable them to address the challenges that women in Africa faced.
As part of the 20th anniversary celebration of OAFLAD, a fund-raising event would be held in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The First Ladies all pledged to continue advocacy, by speaking with a united voice for issues of concern to African women.
Attendees
In attendance were First Ladies from Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Also present were partners from the Buffet Foundation, the Ford Foundation and other international non-governmental organisations (NGOs).