The highlight of the month presents different initiatives taken by African women’s groups or initiatives that relate to African women taking place on local, national, regional and international levels. Our aim is to highlight an organization that is working for women’s rights and empowerment and is largely run by African women.
We hope to use the highlight section as both a good publicity tool for the organization being highlighted as well as a way for viewers to comment on the organization’s work, address their challenges and share successes. We hope to foster a community of African and international feminists alike and create a space to share successes, ideas and challenges.
The Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ), is a network of women rights activists and women’s organizations with national structures and is a forum where women meet to engage in activism on issues affecting women and girls in Zimbabwe. The primary aim of this coalition is to provide a focal point for activism as it aims to bring women from divense
On the 15th of November, UNESCO celebrated the 50th anniversary of the oldest African women's organisations with Ms Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, as the guest of honour at the event.
The need to establish an organization to champion the rights of girl children in Zimbabwe was perceived in 1998 by Betty Makoni after listening to the horrifying experiences of ten of her female students. Her personal experiences of abuse as a child further fueled her determination.
The Centre for Girls & Interaction (CEGI), is a non-profit organization working in the northern region of Malawi, which focuses on creating access to information on issues affecting young women and girls. They do this though networking and interactions, advocacy and documentation.
Make Every Woman Count’s organization highlight of the month for September is Voices of Hope Africa. Voices of Hope is a non-profit organization in Kenya which seeks to provide educational opportunities to vulnerable post-high school Maasai women in the Central Division of Kajiado District who are facing female genital mutilation and forced marriage.
Make Every Woman Count is pleased to present to you our August highlight of the month, The African Women Power (AWP). AWP is a network organization, which showcases entrepreneurial stories including the business challenges and successes of African women and youth entrepreneurs. The African Women Power network began with the idea to provide business related content to African entrepreneurs anywhere in the world –with a particular focus on women and youth.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death among women in Southern Africa, with 9,000 cases of which 4,500 resulted in death in 2008 alone (American Cancer Society, 2011). What is being done to change this reality?
Make Every Woman Count is pleased to present our June organization highlight of the month, FORWARD (Foundation for Women’s Health Research and Development). FORWARD is an African Diaspora women-led organization registered in the UK and was established in 1983. The organization was started in response to the emerging problems caused by female genital mutilation as witnessed by health professionals. FORWARD works in the UK and Europe as well as in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Kenya.
"Women rely considerably on the guidance and assistance that the United Nations, in its many forms, provides. SCR 1325 can only be successful if the Security Council is proactive in the use of the resolution in their work. As such, the onus is on you here in New York, to cast your light on the path we follow. Our failure is your failure. Our successes are your successes."- Barbara Bangura, National Coordinator, Grassroots Empowerment for Self Reliance (GEMS), Sierra Leone
Make Every Woman Count was on the ground last week in beautiful Zanzibar where we met women from the group Kufaa Tena/Women’s Voice. Kufaa Tena in Kiswahili means, “to be useful again,” which was chosen as the name as they started their work in 2005 as recycling project. They later added Women’s Voice to the title in order to better capture the fact that they are a women’s organization that serves as a means of economic empowerment for the women of their small community.
The Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWEMA) is a registered non- governmental organization (NGO) headquartered in Lilongwe, Malawi, which unites educationalists, with the aim of supporting and promoting girls and women’s education. They seek to empower women and girls through gender responsive education and envision a Malawi where all girls and women have access to education.
Pathways Togo has been empowering girls through workshops, mentoring and scholarships for school and University since its inception in 2001. Working through a grassroots network of family, friends, community, and faith organizations, Pathways Togo has supported Togolese girls in pursuing their dream of an education. 2011 has been a great inaugural year for the organisation, which was able to provide scholarships to 44 talented and deserving girls and women.
The Association des femmes pour la Promotion et le Développement Endogène is a Congolese feminine organization located at Kivu street 09, Nyamianda quarter, Uvira city, South Kivu Province in DR CONGO. The mission of the organization is to encourage and support the autonomous and independent efforts of Congolese women in the promotion and protection of their human rights whilst also improving their social, health and economic situation.
Petite Soeur à Soeur (PSAS) was founded in 2004 as a program of PSI/Togo in an effort to provide health and well-being support to vulnerable girls. Until 2010, it had financial support from DFID, the Global Fund to Fight against AIDS, UNICEF, and others.
Seated in the floor of the Great Rift Valley in Kenya, a group of Maasai women are busy shaping beads into beautiful jewelry as they chat and sing in their native Maasai language. Dressed in flowery and multi coloured shukas (cloth), they tell me, “ ours is a story of hope for the African girl and particularly the Maasai Girl child”.
Source: The Green Belt Movement The planting of trees is the planting of ideas. By starting with the simple act of planting a tree, we give hope to ourselves and to future generations.–Wangari Maathai
The Sisters of Mary Community Health & Development Program (SOMACOHEDEP) are a Faith Based non - profit making Non- Governmental Organization established in 2008 in Kenya. SOMACOHEDEP office is based at Malanga village, Lutali road, 2 kilometers off the main road at Malava market from Kisumu - Kakamega - Webuye route.
Njombe Usawa Women Association (NUWA) is a women's organisation working in rural Njombe region in Tanzania, aiming to build women’s capacity by raising HIV/AIDS awareness, providing care and treatment for HIV victims, and offering assistance for human and legal rights.
