Category: Blog
“Why Popular Culture Matters for African Feminism” (on something other than Beyoncé) Part 1
“Why Popular Culture Matters for African Feminism” (on something other than Beyoncé) Part 1
I formally came into feminism at university or rather I came to name my politics ‘as such’ during that time. But like many other young women of my generation, my formative understandings of, and identifications with feminism have over the years been shaped by popular culture.
I think of the ways social media (and other expressions of popular culture: music, art, fashion, film etc) have influenced my own self-definition as an African feminist nomad living between the continent and the Diaspora. I think about the ways many young women like myself have come into feminist consciousness through popular culture (regardless of whether these influences are deemed feminist or not). Young women for whom feminism has meant personal and public critical engagement around raunchy music videos and misogynist lyrics. Young women whose journey’s to feminism have been inspired by African feminist bloggers writing about pop culture, race, gender, identity, sex, relationships, culture, religion, spirituality and more; Or even collectives of young women in Ghana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa whose contributions to African feminist thought have come about through blogging, tweeting and facilitating online discussions about women’s rights, community development, social justice activism and more.
When I think about African popular culture – I think about young women and trans* peoples who have felt affirmed by the words of African musicians like Shishani Vranckx from Namibia singing about sexual identity and gender equality, or South African artist Thandiswa Mazwai and her all-female band, or even Malian musician and peace activist Fatoumata Diawara tackling sensitive topics such as female genital mutilation. And there so many – Zimbabwe’s mbira maestro Chiwoniso who once sang stories of rebel women, freedom fighters. Kenya’s Sara Mitaru who describes her brand of Afropop as ‘social music’ which she says ‘talks about where we are as a continent and what needs to change.’[1] Nigeria’s own Afropop sensation Omawumi holding little back as she sings about sexual abuse and topics many consider ‘taboo.’ I think about the lighthearted Kuduro artist Titicawhose very image (and immense popularity) has fostered nuanced thinking and debate about what it means to be trans* in Angola. I think about organizations like ‘None on Record’ using digital media to tell the stories of LGBT Africans, others like Iranti-Org a queer human rights visual media organization based in Johannesburg or individual ARTivists like Zanele Muholi from South Africa challenging homophobias and documenting the lived experiences of African lesbians through photography.
I think about the ways that my own knowledge and understanding of African feminisms has constantly undergone formation and (re)formation thanks to these multiple cultural expressions and representations within popular culture. I look at the ways young African feminists (myself included) are using new media to build intentional communities on platforms such as facebook and twitter – questioning, debating, agreeing, disagreeing reframing the politics and praxis of online friendships and pushing each other’s level of critical engagement forward.
I look back at my mother’s generation and the ways that African women in music historically have been at the forefront of social change; ARTivists from across the continent fuelled with creative dissent. I think of women such as South African singer and political activist Miriam Makeba, musical rebels like ‘the queen of African pop’ Brenda Fassie, ‘the barefoot diva’ Cesária Évora from Cape Verde, and the legendary Zanzibari singer Bi Kidude – all women who used their music to speak passionately against social injustice touching on issues ranging from forced marriage to sexual violence and oppression.
And in the spirit of these reflections, I look to the power and potential of popular culture to recognize and critique the dominant representations of African women usually found in the mainstream. In this essay, I argue that it is exactly within the domain of popular culture that we see some of the most visible, vibrant and persuasive expressions of African feminisms today.[2] Further, using examples I explore the potential popular culture has for social transformation and feminist consciousness-raising in Africa.
Popular culture by its own non-definition can be seen to constitute the expression of the masses. For some, popular culture (or ‘pop culture’ for short) represents a form of artistic language spoken for and by the people. Of course we must consider that the question of what one deems ‘popular’ is in large part determined by who is doing the defining and on what terms.
Today, in what feminist cultural critic Darnell L. Moore calls the ‘age of late capital and neoliberalism,’[3] we see that much of the way we experience the world (i.e. how we develop our identities) is shaped by the images, symbols, and narratives in radio, television, film, music, and social media.[4] In speaking to this, cultural anthropologist Karin Barber argues that ‘the most obvious reason for giving attention to popular culture is its sheer undeniable assertive presence as social fact.’[5] Popular culture, she suggests, ‘loudly proclaims its own importance in the lives of large numbers of people given its ability to flourish without encouragement or recognition from official cultural bodies, and sometimes to exist in defiance of them.’[6] With that in mind, pop culture can be understood as a means in which a society tackles questions of identity and builds critical consciousness around issues of race, class, gender, sexuality and so on.[7] African-American scholar Cornel West in conversation with the Black feminist author bell hooks posits: “I focus on popular culture because I focus on those areas where black humanity is most powerfully expressed, where black people have been able to articulate their sense of the world in a profound manner. And I see this primarily in popular culture.”[8]
From a feminist perspective, African-American scholar Patricia Hill-Collins in her seminal text ‘Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness and the Politics of Empowerment” critically looks at the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality and takes issue with the negative ways in which Black women have historically been framed within the American popular imagination. Challenging these stereotypes and images she says, “[is] a core theme in Black feminist thought as evidenced by the writing of many other Black feminist theorists. In her own work[9], bell hooks also examines how a wide range of media, from popular music, to advertising, literatures, television and film represent black people, and the social and political consequences of these representations. hooks is in large part concerned with imagining a means of engagement that ‘pushes against the boundaries of image’, a process she contends, ‘is deeply political, and represents the struggle of Black women to self-define and resist domination’.[10]
Beyond these questions of identity and resistance, hooks also outlines the importance of recognizing engagement with popular culture as central to feminist praxis noting:
“There must be more effort to write and talk about feminist ideas in ways that are accessible…Those of us who already have been successfully working in this way must strike individually and collectively to make our voices heard by a wider audience. If we do not actively enter the terrain of popular culture, we will be complicit in the antifeminist backlash that is at the heart of the mass media’s support of antifeminist women who claim to speak on behalf of feminism. The time has come to interrupt, intervene, and change the channel.”[11]
And just how do we change the channel? By recognizing that when it comes to feminism, popular culture through the vehicles of art, film, music, theatre, photography, books and other media helps to translate feminist philosophies, issues, and concepts into everyday language, making them more relevant and relatable. Popular culture has a unique capacity not only to raise awareness, but to build bigger constituencies for social justice and women’s rights and ultimately to meet people where they are.[12]
To be continued…
By Amina Doherty
Dykes and Babes
Dykes and Babes
Gay was an obscure word until my first year in the University. I mean, in secondary school, I knew that girls did things to themselves in the dark in their hostels; my best girlfriend had written a long amused letter from her boarding school in Oyo State to tell me all about dykes and babes. Dyke was an interesting word, I thought, and it just about ended there for the most part. Until University.
On campus, beneath the orderly surface of lectures, parties, strikes, cult clashes, stray bullets, fun, rape, there were the gay rumors. The finger pointing and name callings. And then there was my friend Bayo (not his real name.) He was a shock because he was nothing like I imagined, he did not look like any of the stereotypes I had seen on TV and come to expect.
To start with, he did not, as much as I could tell, harbor a secret desire to wear thongs and pantyhose, and he did not hang his hand mid-air when he talked. Not that I would have minded much. But he wore his good old shirts and trousers and went about his rather ordinary life. On suspicion alone, I would never have been able to tell. Yet, Nigeria’s new anti-gay bill renders a person arrest worthy, on the suspicion of being gay.
It is hard to cut through the very thick layer of homophobia dominating the conversation around Nigeria’s anti-gay bill to begin to explain just how problematic and open-ended the bill is. The sentiments are the same and old, but they are as shrill as before (if not more) and will not be penetrated by any opposing view. In fact, opposing has been roughly rounded off to mean ‘secretly gay.’ Nigerians are more unanimous in their wish to see a gay person put behind bars for fourteen years it would seem, than they are to see a sitting senator called out (read as punished) for not just marrying successive under-aged girls but for trying to sneak in a law that institutionalized it. Ask any Nigerian anti-gay how he/she thinks fourteen years in prison might help a gay Nigerian and your answer could be anything from the very obtuse “if your forefathers where gay, would there be anybody left in the world now to demand gay rights?” to the misguided “it is freedom of speech, I am allowed to exercise my basic human right!”
Perhaps, if we could step out of ourselves and at least imagine how it could be true for them? What most of us know about being gay is NOTHING plus a healthy dose of opinionated-ness. Yet it takes just a willingness to see, to get from dykes and babes to human being like me who is different. And even then, you are by no means free of the effects of a lifetime of social conditioning.
For the Christians, not supporting Nigeria’s anti-gay bill does not mean that you are supporting evil. It means that you will not stand by and see injustice prevail. I am certain it is what Jesus would do. Remember Mary Magdalene and what it must have looked like at the time for Him to stand where he stood, against the status-quo. For the cultural foot soldiers, there are a lot of ways in which we have contravened our very sacred African Culture in the name of Progress so can we not bring that argument up? And for the extra zealous, we have a nicely put African proverb that kind of sums it up: You do not cut of your nose in a bid to smoothen your face.
When people are more willing to stick rigidly to what they know in the face of clear facts, when our notoriously anti-people government officials and politicians suddenly begin to make very curious, broad claims on behalf of Nigerians, when people are thinking more about the preservation of abstract variables than the lives of other people who may very well be friend, sister, brother, aunty, uncle, father, mother, then we know that it is time to start getting really anxious.
By Kechi Nomu:
Kechi Nomu writes from Warri. In 2012, she took part in the Farafina Creative Writing Workshop. Her work has appeared in Saraba Magazine and elsewhere.
A training workshop at the 3rd African Feminist Forum in Dakar, Senegal
Erelu Bisi: Celebrating 50 years of making a difference
Erelu Bisi: Celebrating 50 years of making a difference
[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]Currently I am in Ekiti State, Nigeria and have had the pleasure of joining Erelu Bisi, Co-Founder of AWDF and Founder of the Ekiti Development Foundation (EDF) in various activities commemorating her 50th birthday.
Frankly I have been amazed at the energy that Erelu has. A full day was recently spent with journalists from print media, radio and television stations, and the ease with which she answered questions showed clearly that she is a woman with a purpose. Next on the schedule was a donation to beneficiaries of the EDF food bank which supports elderly people in the state of Ekiti who do not have the means to support themselves. Afterwards we headed to an event organised by the women of Ekiti in celebration of Erelu Bisi where various women’s groups have testified to Bisi’s strong support of the rights of women in the State.
To top it all off Iconic magazine presented Erelu Bisi with the iconic woman award. Congratulation Bisi, I remain inspired by the work you do in Ekiti State, Nigeria.
Rissi Assani Alabi
Francophone Programme Officer
AWDF[/tp]
[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”en”]Actuellement, je suis dans l’État d’Ekiti, Nigeria et ai eu le plaisir de me joindre Erelu Bisi, co-fondatrice d’AWDF et fondatrice de la Fondation Ekiti de développement (FED) à diverses activités commémorant son 50e anniversaire.
Franchement, je suis étonnée de l’énergie d’Erelu. Une journée entière a été récemment passée avec les journalistes de la presse écrite les stations de radio et de télévision, et la facilité avec laquelle elle a répondu aux questions a clairement montré qu’elle est une femme avec un but. Suivant le calendrier, c’était un don aux bénéficiaires de la banque alimentaire EDF qui soutient les personnes âgées dans l’Etat d’Ekiti qui ne possèdent pas les moyens de subvenir à leurs besoins. Ensuite, nous sommes allées à un événement organisé par les femmes d’Ekiti pour la célébration d’Erelu Bisi où les divers groupes de femmes ont témoigné du fort soutien de Bisi aux droits des femmes dans l’État.
Pour couronner le tout, le magazine emblématique a présenté Erelu Bisi avec l’attribution de la femme emblématique. Félicitation Bisi, je reste inspiré par le travail que vous faites dans l’État d’Ekiti, Nigeria.
Rissi Assani Alabi
Chargé de Programme francophone
AWDF[/tp]
![Rissi Assani-Alabi (left) with Erelu Bisi (right)](http://www.africlub.net/awdf/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/IMG-20131008-WA0018.jpg)
![Erelu Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi (far right)](http://www.africlub.net/awdf/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/IMG-20131008-WA0015.jpg)
![Donations disbursed through the EDF food bank](http://www.africlub.net/awdf/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/donations.jpg)
AWIFF: Screening of Notre Etrangere and Perished Diamonds
AWIFF: Screening of Notre Etrangere and Perished Diamonds
[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]2 years ago I saw Notre Etrangere/The Place in Between at the 2011 FESPACO (Pan African Film and Television Festival of Ougadougou), and in the blog post I wrote after the festival I cited the film as one of my favourites out of all the films I had seen at FESPACO. So you can imagine how excited I am that the filmmaker behind Notre Etrangere will be participating in the African Women in Film Forum (AWIFF)
![Sarah Bouyain](http://www.africlub.net/awdf/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Sarah-Bouyain-685x1024.jpg)
Best of all, Sarah’s film Notre Etrangere will be screened on Tuesday 24th September for free from 6pm at the NAFTI Preview Theatre at the NAFTI Hostel in Cantonments, Accra.
On that same day, time and venue, I am also really looking forward to watching Anita Afonu’s ‘Perished Diamonds’. In Yaba Badoe’s words,
“The documentary relates the painful story of how the Ghana Film Industry Corporation (GFIC) was sold – or to use IMF jargon ‘divested’ – in 1997 to a Malaysian company for the sum of 1.23 million dollars. The idea behind the divestiture was to recapitalize GFIC before it was eventually returned to the state. The sale included all of the GFIC’s assets, its studios and equipment and, most controversial of all, Ghana’s film archive.”
It is heart breaking that we as Ghanaians have had so little regard for commemorating our history and allowed our film archives to be destroyed. The poster created below captures the failure in leadership in allowing this sad situation to occur.
The screening of Notre Etrangere and Perished Diamonds will be followed by a question and answer session with Sarah Bouyain and Anita Afonu facilitated by Anita Erskine of Brand Woman Africa, a sponsor of the 2nd AWIFF. This will take place at the NAFTI Preview Theatre at NAFTI Hostel – Cantonments, Accra (turn right at the roundabout after passing the entrance of the American Embassy on your left and NAFTI hostel will be on your right).
I hope to see you there.
Nana Darkoa[/tp]
[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”en”]Il y a 2 ans en 2011 je vis Notre Etrangère / The Place in Between au FESPACO (Festival panafricain du cinéma et de la télévision de Ouagadougou) , et pour mon blog j’ai écrit dessus, je citais ce film comme l’un de mes favoris de tous les films que j’avais vu au FESPACO. Alors vous pouvez imaginer à quel point je suis heureuse que la cinéaste derrière Notre Etrangère participe à l’African Women in Film Forum (AWIFF)
Image of Sarah Bouyain by Nyssos
Le meilleur de tous, le film de Sarah, Notre Etrangère, sera projeté le mardi 24 Septembre gratuitement à partir de 18 heures en avant première au Théâtre du NAFTI Hostel à Cantonnements, Accra.
Le même jour, même heure et même lieu, je suis également impatiente de regarder le film d’Anita Afonu’s ‘Perished Diamonds’. Dans les mots de Yaba Badoe,
“Le documentaire raconte l’histoire douloureuse de la façon dont Ghana Film Industry Corporation (GFIC) a été vendue – ou pour utiliser le jargon du FMI« dépouillée »-. en 1997 à une société malaisienne pour la somme de 1,23 millions de dollars L’idée derrière la cession était de recapitaliser GFIC avant d’être finalement retourné à l’état. La vente comprenait tous les actifs, ses studios et l’équipement de GFIC et, plus controversés de tous, les archives du film du Ghana “.
C’est le cœur brisé que nous, Ghanéens avons eu si peu d’égard pour commémorer notre histoire et permis à nos archives cinématographiques d’être détruites. L’affiche créée ci-dessous capte le manque de leadership en permettant à cette triste situation se produise.
La projection de Notre Etrangère et de Perished Diamonds sera suivie d’une session de questions et réponses avec Sarah Bouyain et Anita Afonu facilitée par Anita Erskine de Brand Woman Africa, un parrain de la 2e édition de l’AWIFF. Cela aura lieu au Théâtre de NAFTI au NAFTI Hostel – Cantonments, Accra (tourner à droite au rond-point après le passage de l’entrée de l’ambassade américaine sur votre gauche et NAFTI Hostel sera sur votre droite).
J’espère vous y voir.
Nana Darkoa[/tp]
AWIFF screening: The Witches of Gambaga & On the Border, 23rd September
AWIFF screening: The Witches of Gambaga & On the Border, 23rd September
As part of the African Women in Film Forum, The Witches of Gambaga and On the Border will be screened for FREE at Alliance Francaise (Accra) on Monday, 23rd September from 6pm.
I first saw ‘The Witches of Gambaga‘ at its premiere during the 3rd African Feminist Forum in Dakar, Senegal. I then watched the documentary again during it’s premiere in Ghana, and at the 2011 FESPACO (Pan African Film and Television Festival) where it won 2nd prize in the Best Documentary category. Each time the film has had a profound effect on me. It’s mind boggling to think that in this day and age women (and a few men) can be accused of witchcraft, and have to seek refuge for their lives in camps under the benevolence of a chief. Because of my work with the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), which also supported The Witches of Gambaga at its post production stage, I have had the opportunity to visit Gambaga as part of our monitoring visits to the women’s rights organisations AWDF supports. Life at the Gambaga camp is tough. When you watch the documentary you will realise that women with homes, businesses and an independent life of their own have had to flee to these camps because they have been accused of witchcraft. In the camps they have to work for long hours on the farms of the chief under whose benevolence they live. It’s a difficult life, and one from which there appears to be little way out. This is a film that I recommend everyone to see.
![Ma Hawa, spokeswoman of the Witches of Gambaga](http://www.africlub.net/awdf/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Ma-Hawa-spokeswoman-of-the-Witches-of-Gambaga-1024x768.jpg)
I am also really looking forward to watching ‘On the Borders’ directed by Tsitsi Dangarembga. Internationally, Tsitsi is arguably best known for her 1989 novel “Nervous Conditions” which was recently named as one of the Best Twelve African Books of the 20th Century. What people may not know is the pivotal role that Tsitsi has played in developing Zimbabwe’s film industry. A description of ‘On the Border’ states:
The world is horrified at the devastation caused by anti-personnel mines in many countries. At the same time while many things have been reported about Zimbabwe recently, few people know about the the legacy of minefields that were planted by the colonial Rhodesian troops in the late 1970s – except of course the people who live in or adjacent to this minefields. Also less well known are the efforts being made to rid Zimbabwe of this menace. This film portraits the work of Zimbabweans and men of other nationalities who enter the minefields to open up land and make Zimbabwe’s border safer. Yet it could well be true that in Zimbabwe, as in other countries where anti personnel mines were used in warfare, the last victim has not yet been born.
![A still of demining from 'On the border' -](http://www.africlub.net/awdf/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/On-the-border-demining-in-field-1024x722.jpg)
The best part of the screening is that the general public will have the opportunity to interact with the filmmakers Tsitsi and Yaba during the question and answer session facilitated by Anita Erskine of Brand Woman Africa, one of the sponsors of the AWIFF. This will be an opportunity to watch thought provoking films, and to learn more about the filmmakers who made these films.
Will I see you there?
Nana Darkoa
Blog Action Day 2013
Blog Action Day 2013
Excited to announce that staff of AWDF will be actively taking part in the 2013 Blog Action Day
The subject of human rights, and women’s rights is one that is especially close to our thoughts.
Join us in blogging and share your stories of human rights
Interview – Theo Sowa, CEO, African Women’s Development Fund
Interview – Theo Sowa, CEO, African Women’s Development Fund
[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]‘We all have power, different types of power. When we don’t acknowledge that power, it’s easier for others to step all over us.’
As both grantmaker and fundraiser, the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) has been on both sides of the fence. As a result, Theo Sowa, AWDF CEO and chair of the African Grantmakers Network, has very clear views about the use and abuse of power. Caroline Hartnell asked her what power AWDF has and how it seeks to use it responsibly, and about the importance of African women setting their own agenda.
Read more of Theo’s interview in Alliance Magazine [/tp]
[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]‘Nous avons tous un pouvoir, différents types de pouvoirs. Lorsque nous ne reconnaissons pas ce pouvoir, il est plus facile pour les autres de nous marcher dessus. ‘
À la fois comme bailleur de fonds et collecteur de fonds, le Fonds africain de développement de la femme (AWDF) a été des deux côtés de la clôture. En conséquence, Theo Sowa, Directrice Générale d’AWDF et présidente du Réseau des subventionneurs en Afrique, a des vues très claires sur l’utilisation et l’abus de pouvoir. Caroline Hartnell lui a demandé quel est le pouvoir d’AWDF et comment il cherche à utiliser de façon responsable, et à propos de l’importance de fixer leur propre agenda femmes africaines.
Lire la suite de l’interview de Theo dans Alliance Magazine[/tp]
My personal experience of interning at AWDF: Raquel’s story
My personal experience of interning at AWDF: Raquel’s story
[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]My experience as the Capacity Building Unit Intern at AWDF has been amazing. This opportunity was made possible through the Mount Holyoke College International Internship Program, which established the partnership with the organization and provided the funding. As a senior undergraduate student in International Relations, I was looking for an internship that would expose me to a likely career path. I have been involved with projects related to women’s empowerment for the last 4 years and I became interested in economic development in college. The global agenda for women is one of my passions, so the chance to work at a renowned international nonprofit organization dealing with the intersection of gender and development was a great fit. This is my first time in Ghana and in Africa, and I am already making plans to come back. The people are welcoming, the culture is rich and the country is beautiful.
The work environment at AWDF is very collaborative. I was fortunate to participate in the mid-year review and understand the organization as a whole, as well as its relationships with its multiple stakeholders. AWDF is committed to transparency, accountability and the monitoring and evaluation of its activities. It was enlightening to watch presentations from all the teams, from the Capacity Building Unit and Communications to the Finance department, and see how connected and complimentary they are. Another highlight of the internship has been the site visits to grantee organizations. By partaking in some of them, I was able to hear about the accomplishments and challenges of philanthropy, from the people making the change on the ground. It was inspiring to see how passionate and invested the people working in these organizations are.
My main task as the Capacity Building Unit Intern is to document the impact of the Capacity Building Program since its inception. Nafi Chinery, the Capacity Building Specialist, gave me the scope of my work and let me develop my own process to collect information. I conceptualized a grantee questionnaire sent to 100 organizations, in order to assess the changes undertaken after their participation in the Capacity Building Program activities. I also interviewed staff members and the CEO, which allowed me to paint a broader picture of the capabilities, lessons learned and the way forward for the Program. Another contribution was the translation of strategic organizational documents into Portuguese, such as the Grant-Making Application Guidelines.
I come from a family of many women and attend a women’s college. Therefore, the presence of outstanding women leaders in this office felt very familiar from the start. The staff is friendly and open, which allows for my questions on topics ranging from the nonprofits and international organizations to Ghanaian culture and work-life balance. I am glad to have found new colleagues and mentors who I can count on while taking the next steps in my professional development. This internship has broadened my understanding of the nonprofit sector and has showed me that this is a career I would enjoy pursuing. I will leave with fresh ideas and new possibilities in mind. I definitely recommend interning with the African Women’s Development Fund. It has been an enriching experience, in the personal, professional and academic levels. I am very thankful for this opportunity and I will dearly miss my AWDF sisters!
-Raquel Helen Silva
International Relations ‘14
Mount Holyoke College[/tp]
[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”en”]Mon expérience en tant que stagiaire à l’unité de renforcement des capacités à AWDF a été incroyable. Cette opportunité a été rendue possible grâce au Programme de stages internationaux du Mount Holyoke College, qui a établi le partenariat avec l’organisation et a fourni le financement. Etant étudiante de premier cycle supérieur en relations internationales, je cherchais un stage qui m’expose à un cheminement de carrière probable. Je participe à des projets liés à l’autonomisation des femmes depuis les 4 dernières années et je me suis intéressée au développement économique à l’université. Le programme mondial pour les femmes est une de mes passions, de sorte que la possibilité de travailler pour un organisme sans but lucratif de renommée internationale à l’intersection de l’égalité et du développement a été une grande chance. C’est ma première fois au Ghana et en Afrique, et j’ai déjà des plans pour revenir. Les gens sont accueillants, la culture est riche et le pays est beau.
L’environnement de travail à AWDF est très collaboratif. J’ai eu la chance de participer à l’examen de mi-année et comprendre l’organisation dans son ensemble, ainsi que ses relations avec ses multiples parties prenantes. AWDF est engagé à la transparence, la responsabilité, le suivi et l’évaluation de ses activités. Il était instructif de regarder des présentations de toutes les équipes, de l’Unité de renforcement des capacités et des communications au ministère des Finances, et de voir qu’elles sont en ligne et gratuites. Un autre point fort du stage a été les visites aux organismes bénéficiaires. En participant à certaines d’entre elles, je pouvais entendre sur les réalisations et les défis de la philanthropie, des gens qui font le changement sur le terrain. Il était inspirant de voir comment les personnes travaillant dans ces organisations sont passionnées et investies .
Ma principale tâche en tant que stagiaire à l’unité de renforcement des capacités est de documenter l’impact du Programme de renforcement des capacités depuis sa création. Nafi Chinery, le spécialiste de renforcement des capacités, m’a donné la portée de mon travail et m’a permis de développer mon propre processus pour recueillir des informations. J’ai conceptualisé un questionnaire envoyé à 100 organisations bénéficiaires, afin d’évaluer les changements entrepris après leur participation aux activités du Programme de renforcement des capacités. J’ai également interviewé des membres du personnel et le chef de la direction, ce qui m’a permis de brosser un tableau plus large des capacités, des leçons apprises et de la voie à suivre pour le Programme. Une autre contribution était la traduction des documents stratégiques de l’organisation en portugais, tels que les lignes directrices de demande d’octroi de subventions.
Je viens d’une famille avec beaucoup de femmes et étudiait dans un collège de femmes. Par conséquent, la présence des femmes leaders en suspens dans ce bureau se sentait très bien dès le début. Le personnel est amical et ouvert, ce qui permet à mes questions sur des sujets allant des organismes à but non-lucratif aux organisations internationales en passant par la culture ghanéenne et l’équilibre travail-vie. Je suis heureuse d’avoir de nouveaux collègues et mentors sur qui je peux compter lors des prochaines étapes dans mon développement professionnel. Ce stage a élargi ma compréhension du secteur à but non lucratif et m’a montré que cela est une carrière que je voudrais poursuivre. Je vais laisser de nouvelles idées et de nouvelles possibilités me venir à l’esprit. Je recommande vraiment un stage avec le Fonds de développement des femmes africaines. Cela a été une expérience enrichissante, aux niveaux personnels, professionnels et universitaires. Je suis très reconnaissante pour cette opportunité et mes chères sœurs d’AWDF vont me manquer!
-Raquel Helen Silva
’14 Relations Internationales
Mount Holyoke College[/tp]
![Raquel (far right) with AWDF staff (Beatrice, 2nd from left and Gifty 2nd from right) with grantee partners LIHOP in Accra, Ghana](http://www.africlub.net/awdf/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Raquel-site-visit.jpg)
![Raquel posing by the AWDF sign in front of the office](http://www.africlub.net/awdf/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Raquel-AWDF.jpg)
The Women Leading Africa Series: Meet Josephine Nzerem
The Women Leading Africa Series: Meet Josephine Nzerem
[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]In 2012, the African Women’s Development Fund published ‘Women Leading Africa‘, a series of conversations with African women leaders in the Arts, Feminist Spaces and Politics.
Throughout the work we do, AWDF staff regularly meet inspiring African women leaders from all walks of life. The ‘Women Leading Africa’ video series will share videos of inspirational African women who do amazing work in diverse communities. In the video below we introduce Josephine Nzerem, an Ashoka Fellow and also board chair of the Center for Advancement of Development Rights (CEADER), an AWDF grantee partner in Nigeria. In this video she talks about her work around disinheritance, and ensuring rights for widows.[/tp]
[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”en”]En 2012, le Fonds Africain de développement de la femme a publié «Les Femmes gouvernent l’Afrique», une série de conversations avec des femmes leaders africains dans les arts, les espaces féministes et politiques.
Tout au long du travail que nous faisons, le personnel d’AWDF rencontre régulièrement des femmes africaines leaders inspirantes, de tous les horizons de la vie. Les “Femmes gouvernent l’Afrique” en série de vidéos fait partager des vidéos de femmes africaines inspirantes qui font un travail incroyable dans diverses communautés. Dans la vidéo ci-dessous nous introduisons Josephine Nzerem, une Ashoka Fellow et également présidente du conseil du Centre pour l’avancement des droits au développement (CEADER), un partenaire bénéficiaire d’AWDF au Nigeria. Dans cette vidéo, elle parle de son travail autour de l’exhérédation, et la garantie des droits des veuves.[/tp]
Philanthropy in a changing world: Let a hundred flowers blossom
Philanthropy in a changing world: Let a hundred flowers blossom
[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]In this article originally written for Alliance magazine Theo Sowa speaks about the importance of multiple approaches to creating a better world whilst focusing on a solid foundation of creating an enabling environment for the realisation of the full range of human rights for all.
To read the article in full please click here[/tp]
[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”en”]Dans cet article, écrit à l’origine pour Alliance magazine Theo Sowa parle de l’importance des multiples approches pour créer un monde meilleur tout en se concentrant sur une base solide de créer un environnement propice à la réalisation de l’ensemble des droits de l’homme pour tous.
Pour lire l’article dans son intégralité, veuillez cliquer ici[/tp]