As part of the 2015 African Women Writers Workshop, The African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) and Uganda Women Writers Association- FEMRITE- held a Public Dialogue on Friday July 31st in downtown Kampala, Uganda. That evening, the workshop participants, 22 African women writers, joined members of Uganda’s literary, art and activist community for a discussion on the status of African women in decision making spaces. The overall theme of the event was ‘African Women & Public Policy: Are We Getting It Right?’

The dialogue was led by a panel of noted African women thinkers including AWDF’s CEO Theo Sowa, Dr Tabitha Mulyampiti, a senior lecturer in the department of women and gender studies at Uganda’s Makerere University, writer and lead workshop facilitator Yewande Omotoso and the workshop participants.

It was a lively debate, which was well attended. Following the event AWDF CEO Theo Sowa gave an interview to the Ugandan radio station Power FM. You can listen to the interview and report on the event below:

WRITING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE.mp3

[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”] AWDF is Delighted to announce the appointment of Jessica Horn as icts new Director of Programs Beginning October 1, 2015. Ms Horn’s ground breaking work, commitment to feminist philanthropy, and vividly innovative communications strategies-have-been integral to social change and social justice leadership on the African continent.

Jessica is a founding member of the African Feminist Forum Working Group, a board member of Urgent Action Fund-Africa, and sits on the International Grants Committee of Comic Relief. In 2012 She Was named an African woman changemaker by ARISE Magazine and as one of Applause Africa’s 40 Africans Changemakers under 40. Her research and analysis has-been published in professional journals The Lancet and Feminist Africa, and media platforms Al Jazeera, openDemocracy and The Feminist Wire.

“AWDF is Delighted That She Will Be joining our team and look forward to her leadership AWDF Taking forward into yet Reviews another phase of our journey Promoting and Achieving African women’s rights and global social justice” AWDF’s CEO Theo Sowa said.

Jessica’s work under her consultancy, Akiiki Consulting, HAS led to ground-breaking initiatives, Including in social justice philanthropy, with the establishment of UHAI -EASHRI- the first African-led fund Supporting the rights of sexual minorities. She Was a leader in early thinking around funding models for FRIDA – The Young Feminist Fund and aussi managed funding for Women’s Rights and Minority Rights at the Sigrid Rausing Trust, one of the Largest private human rights funders in Europe, overseeing substantial businesses growth in Both funding portfolios.

“Jessica Horn HAS Worked for over 15 years Supporting activist organizations, funders and the UN, to Deepen analysis, shape policy and funding, and refine interventions to defend women’s rights to health, bodily autonomy and freedom from violence. This includes 10 years in women’s rights and social change philanthropy as a donor Grantmaker and in advisory and governance roles. “

Ms Horn join AWDF from the Stephen Lewis Foundation Where She Has served as Senior Advisor to AIR (The African Institute for Integrated Responses to Violence Against Women & Girls and HIV / AIDS). Ms Horn replaces Sarah Mukasa, Who served in the position for nine years. [/tp]

[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”en”] AWDF is pleased to announce the appointment of Jessica Horn its new Director of Programmes at 1 October 2015. The innovative work of Ms. Horn in engaging in feminist philanthropy communication strategies were an integral part of social change and leadership for social justice in Africa.

Jessica is a founding member of the African Working Group of Feminist Forum, a member of the Board of Urgent Action Fund-Africa, and serves on the International Comic Relief Grants Committee. In 2012 she was named African woman ‘changemaker’ by ARISE Magazine and as one of the 40 Africans among 40 Changemakers by Applause Africa’s. Its research and analysis was published in professional journals The Lancet and Feminist Africa, the Al Jazeera media platforms, and openDemocracy The Feminist Wire.

“AWDF is thrilled that she is joining our team and we are delighted that its leadership leads AWDF forward into a new phase of our journey to the promotion and realization of the rights of African women and global social justice,” said the Theo Sowa CEO of AWDF.

The work of Jessica as his counsel Akiiki Consulting, has led to pioneering initiatives, including philanthropy for social justice, with the creation of UHAI -EASHRI- the first African funds directed to support the rights of sexual minorities. She was a leader in the early days of reflection on the funding models for FRIDA – The Fund young feminists and also managed funding for women’s rights and minority rights in the Sigrid Rausing Trust, one of the largest private funders of human rights in Europe, overseeing substantial growth in two portfolio funds.

“Jessica Horn worked for over 15 years in supporting militant organizations, donors and the UN in order to deepen the analysis, shape policy and funding, and refine interventions to defend the rights of women to health, bodily autonomy and freedom from violence. This includes 10 years on the rights of women and the change of social philanthropy as a funder and governance donor and advisory roles. “

Ms. Horn joined AWDF after the Stephen Lewis Foundation, where she served as Senior Advisor AIR (The African Institute for integrated responses to violence against women and girls and HIV / AIDS). Ms. Horn replaces Sarah Mukasa, who operated at this position for nine years. [/tp]

Academia has been criticised for the ways in which it has ignored, “pseudo included or alienated” issues of gender in its curriculum. This has been evident in my experiences and interactions as a student and young professional. My personal experience has made me even more aware of the importance of having a gender conscious curriculum at university.

There are three events that stand out.

Firstly, I attended the budget speech for the Department of Women in the Presidency in parliament last year. In the discussion after the presentation, one of the department representatives mentioned how parliament was not built with women in mind. It was built for men by men. She mentioned how the space, and the architecture was not gender sensitive. One of the examples that she highlighted was how slippery the floors were. They are made out of marble and that it’s difficult for women who wear heels to walk with ease.

Obviously, while walking in parliament, I too was conscious of my steps because indeed the floors were slippery. Before this I had not paid much attention to the notion of space and gender. I had thought about spaces being disability friendly, the need for it to have ramps, but I had never thought about spaces and architecture being female friendly. I wondered if architecture students and those studying the built environment were taught the notion of space in relation to gender.

The second moment that stands out… I was recently told a story of a female academic in the United States of America, who only referenced female thinkers in her classes and course packs. After some time, the students complained. They felt that they were learning only a “feminist perspective”. She laughed in amazement and said that last semester, she taught only male thinkers and no one even noticed or complained. This story speaks to the way in which we have universalised and normalised male thinkers/academics as the authority of thought.

Feminist Economics

Lastly, in my undergraduate years I remember my first encounter with the woman who had mesmerised me with her fierceness and political analysis on television while growing up. During her talk, she introduced herself as a Feminist Economist. Feminist Economics is a field that challenges that male and patriarchal gaze of how economics is studied and applied. It seeks to make women visible in studies where gender and race have been excluded in analyses. I realised that some of the issues that Feminists were centering were different to what students were learning at Wits economics (I had a brief stint there). It also differed from the economics I was learning in my Development Studies and International Political Economy classes. Gender issues would be mentioned, but as it is in our patriarchal society, it was always optional, additional and “a side issue”.

Much research has been conducted to try and remove the gender bias in our university curriculums. UNESCO commissioned a paper called: “From Gender Studies to Gender IN Studies: Case Studies on Gender-Inclusive Curriculum in Higher Education”. In this study they argue that we have moved past the question of the importance of a gender conscious curriculum, its importance shouldn’t even be up for question, it is evident. They present successful case studies of universities where gender has been mainstreamed like the Central European University (CEU) in Budapest, Hungary.

In their paper, they argue… “What does a ‘gender-inclusive curriculum’ openly mean? Do students in History also learn about ‘her story’? Do students in Sociology learn about ‘the gender dimension’ of the social life? Is gender part of the Engineering curricula?”

Some critics would argue that we need to be cautious of our endeavour to en-gender the curriculum. We could fall into the trap of being oversensitive. This criticism sounds so familiar. It is the same argument that has been highlighted when we point to the need to decolonialise and Africanise our academy. This criticism seeks to silence us and continue with the status quo. The male view of our society continues to be at the centre in our politics, in our media — with all male panelists in television talk shows like Judge for Yourself. A pattern that I have noticed. Recently they had an all male panel once more. In the show they “discussed and debated whether the church should be left to its own devices in deciding matters like whether a gay person or a married lesbian woman can be a pastor or bishop or occupy some other leadership position….” When I highlighted the matter, it was ignored. This pattern in all aspects of our society cannot be accepted.

The popular media influences thinking and attitudes and should honour its responsibility to all sectors of the audience.

Tertiary institutions are the spaces that direct our debates and inform new ways of thinking. A gender sensitive curriculum should be mainstreamed and compulsory. We need to challenge and train our academics who are still mostly white males in South Africa. Feminists fought for decades to make gender studies an academic discipline in our institutions of higher learning. I hope that in South Africa, it won’t take that long for gender to be mainstreamed in our academic institutions, the gender bias chains must be broken!

Simamkele Dlakavu is a story-teller and social activist who works as a human rights television producer on one of South Africa’s most popular current affairs shows, The Big Debate, and for international broadcasters like the BBC. Simamkele has been a youth activist since the age of 15 and recently co-founded a social enterprise called Sakha Ingomso Lethu, which means “we are building our tomorrow”. Through her work, Simamkele has represented young people in various youth summits around the African continent and the world. In 2013, she was recognized by the Moremi Initiative as one of 28 of “Africa’s Most Outstanding Emerging Women Leaders.” Simamkele was a participant in AWDF’s 2015 Writing for Social Change Workshop in Kampala, Uganda.[/tp]

Les médias populaires influencent les mentalités et les attitudes et devraient honorer leur responsabilité envers tous les membres de l’auditoire.Les institutions tertiaires sont les espaces qui dirigent nos débats et informent les nouveaux modes de pensée. Un programme sensible au genre devrait être intégré et obligatoire. Nous devons remettre en question et former nos universitaires qui sont encore pour la plupart des hommes blancs en Afrique du Sud. Les féministes se sont battues pendant des décennies pour faire des études du genre une discipline académique dans nos établissements d’enseignement supérieur. Je souhaite qu’en Afrique du Sud, il ne faudra pas longtemps pour que l’égalité soit intégrée dans nos institutions universitaires, les chaînes de préjugés sexistes doivent être brisées!Simamkele DlakavuSimamkele Dlakavu est une conteuse et activiste sociale qui travaille comme productrice de télévision pour les droits de l’homme de l’une des plus populaires émissions d’actualité d’Afrique du Sud, The Big Debate, et pour les radiodiffuseurs internationaux comme la BBC. Simamkele a été une militante pour la jeunesse dès l’âge de 15 ans et a récemment co-fondé une entreprise sociale appelé Sakha Ingomso Lethu, qui signifie “nous bâtissons notre avenir”. Grâce à son travail, Simamkele a représenté les jeunes dans divers sommets de la jeunesse à travers le continent africain et dans le monde. En 2013, elle a été reconnue par le Moremi Initiative comme l’une des 28 «plus exceptionnelles femmes dirigeantes africaines émergentes.” Simamkele était une participante de l”atelier d’écriture d’AWDF pour le changement social, 2015 Writing for Social Change Workshop , à Kampala, en Ouganda.[/tp]

[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]This article was originally posted on The Journalist.

Sometimes I wonder if the woman I am named after, the Prophet’s wife, would be ashamed that I carry her name. These thoughts mostly happen in the dead of night. That time of the night when you unfold after a long day of navigating the world, while holding yourself tight lest anything spills out. That time of the night when the darkness is more illuminating than the day’s sun. When the darkness reveals all that was hidden during the day. I wonder if she knew that there would be women, long after she was gone who would be given her name and who would be so unworthy.

I was an early bloomer and my breasts started growing when I was 10, way ahead of my age group. I worked hard to disguise them by wearing an extra petticoat in the hope that it would flatten them. I never removed my sweater in primary school, after someone made a comment of how they looked beneath my school uniform. I started wearing big t-shirts and avoiding games. It wasn’t until high school that I became a little bit comfortable. But by then I was fat so I was fighting another battle.

I don’t remember when I realised that my body was the measure of my worth.

One day I was playing house with my cousin’s friend. At some point he told me to remove my clothes so that we could do what parents do. He then told me to lie on top of him and we stayed like that for a few minutes. Then he said we were done and I got off. He then told me how cheap I was, for allowing him to do that with me. Have sex with him, that is. If it had been Munira from across the street she would not have accepted to do that. Munira was a pure girl. After that he told all the other boys that if they wanted to have “sex” they should try me. I was easy. We were 9, I think.

Sex Was A Surprise

Our watchman liked to touch my breasts. I was 11 and he would touch me every chance he got. He would then smile and tell me how beautiful I was and how pretty my breasts were. He didn’t call me cheap or easy.

The first time I had sex, for real, it was a surprise. I never intended to do it because I wasn’t supposed to. I was 23 and I’m not really sure if I loved him but it was important that I believed so. I was less easy, less cheap if I loved him. I had convinced myself that nothing would happen. We would stop. When he started touching me, I kept reminding myself to tell him to stop. But I didn’t. My body was a willing participant. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, I was easy.

You can only lose your virginity once. It is the ultimate mark of your worth and so it was arranged that you would lose it to your husband… the prize you offer the man who would validate you for the rest of your life. It is highly coveted and guarded zealously. Your value decreases if it is given to anyone other than your husband.

I almost lost my virginity to my cousin’s husband. They lived with us because he had lost his job and my mum took care of everyone. Every time I was alone with him he would touch me. He touched my breasts but he liked to touch me between my legs more. He told me I was a good girl and that I was making him happy. There was this one time he was in the toilet and he heard me waiting on the other side to go in. He came out with his kikoy lifted up and his penis, fully erect in display.

I will never forget the leer on his face.

That was the first penis I saw. I was 9, I think.

Drunken Incest

The night he decided to take my virginity, he came home late and drunk and my cousin told him to sleep on my bed. I woke up feeling his hands touching me as he removed my panties. I started crying silently, trying to push him away from me. He grabbed me and pushed me against his chest, using one hand to restrain me. With the other hand, he spread my legs, and started to insert his penis into me. I was shocked. I cried out loudly. My cousin, his wife, heard me and came into the room.

He quickly pushed me away before she switched on the light. She asked me what was wrong. I told her that he was trying to put his thing in me. Her husband told her that he had not done anything. He said it was only that I was sleeping in an awkward position. He had been pushing me away from him. She angrily told him to get off the bed and go sleep in the sitting room. She then told me that I shouldn’t tell my mum. That he was drunk and didn’t know what he was doing. And that it will cause problems if I told her. She cried.

He never tried again after that but he never stopped watching me.

A few months later they moved away.

I never told my mother.

I was the last one of my friends to get a boyfriend. We were around 15 and my friends were talking about the boys they met. They were giggling about holding hands and stolen kisses. I wanted to ask them if it hurt them when they were touched. If they felt dirty afterwards.

The first time a boy kissed me at 17, I cried.

Before & After

I started viewing my life as Before and After. Everything that happened to me After, I found a way to connect it to losing my virginity. Everything that went wrong was a consequence that I accepted. I had committed the original sin and I was not worthy anymore. I lived the life of the condemned with nothing else left to lose. So when I got pregnant I accepted my punishment. And when I lost the baby, it was also a punishment because I had dared to want the baby. You are not supposed to enjoy the punishment. You bear it, but you don’t enjoy it.

The first time I looked at myself in the mirror and I didn’t hate my body I wept.

For a long time I viewed my body through layers of complicated misconceptions that the world told me and which in turn I told myself repeatedly until it became my truth. I was worthless because my body was worthless. I was nothing because my body was nothing.

Invisible scars criss cross my body. Many self inflicted. To this day standing in front of a mirror requires courage. It took a long time for me to unpack all this and it is still an ongoing process. And there are days when I still look at my body and wonder which part carries the most value.

Lupita Nyong’o said:
“What is fundamentally beautiful is compassion for yourself and for those around you. That kind of beauty enflames the heart and enchants the soul…”

Aisha is a writer and currently employed as a copywriter in Advertising. She is also enrolled at the University of Nairobi studying for a degree in Journalism and Media Studies. She has a strong interest in using social media as a platform to highlight, talk about and champion women’s rights issues. She believes that it’s a space for women who would otherwise be silenced, to voice their issues and build communities with each other. She uses twitter extensively, under the handle, @bintiM, to spark conversations on various issues facing Kenyan women. Aisha was a participant in AWDF’s 2015 Writing for Social Change Workshop in Kampala, Uganda.[/tp]

[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”en”]Cet article a été à l’origine publié dans The Journalist.

Parfois je me demande si la femme dont je tiens mon nom, la femme du Prophète, aurait honte que je le porte. Ces pensées arrivent principalement dans le milieu de la nuit. Ce temps de la nuit quand vous vous détendez après une longue journée à naviguer de par le monde, tout en ayant la crainte que quelque chose se révèle. Ce temps de la nuit quand l’obscurité est plus éclairante que le soleil de la journée. Quand l’obscurité révèle tout ce qui a été caché pendant la journée. Je me demande si elle savait qu’il y aurait des femmes, longtemps après qu’elle soient partie à qui serait donné son nom et qui en serait indignes.

J’ai été pubère très tôt et mes seins ont commencé à pousser de plus en plus quand j’avais 10 ans, bien avant les autres filles de mon âge. Je travaillais dur pour les cacher en portant un jupon supplémentaire dans l’espoir qu’il les aplatirait. Je n’ai enlevé mon pull à l’école primaire, qu’après que quelqu’un ait fait un commentaire sur la façon dont ils ressortaient sous mon uniforme scolaire. J’ai commencé à porter de grands T-shirts et évitais certains jeux. Ce ne fut qu’à l’école secondaire que c’est devenu un peu plus confortable. Mais là, j’étais grosse de sorte que je me livrais à une autre bataille.

Je ne me souviens pas quand je me rendis compte que mon corps était la mesure de ma valeur.

Un jour, je jouais à la maison avec l’ami de mon cousin. À un certain moment, il m’a dit d’enlever mes vêtements afin que nous puissions faire ce que font les parents. Il m’a alors dit de se coucher au dessus de lui et nous sommes restés comme ça pendant quelques minutes. Puis il a dit que c’était bon et je suis descendue. Il m’a alors dit le peu de valeur que j’avais pour lui permettre de faire ça avec moi. Avoir des relations sexuelles avec lui, en réalité. Si cela avait été Munira de la rue, elle n’aurait pas accepté de le faire. Munira était une jeune fille pure. Après cela, il a dit à tous les autres garçons que s’ils voulaient du “sexe” ils n’avaient qu’à essayer avec moi. J’étais facile. Nous avions 9 ans je pense.

Le sexe a été une surprise

Notre gardien aimait toucher mes seins. J’avais 11 ans et il me touchait à chaque occasion qu’il avait. Alors il me souriait et me disait comme j’étais belle et combien mes seins étaient jolis. Il ne m’a jamais qualifiée de peu chère ou facile.

La première fois que j’ai fais l’amour, pour de vrai, ce fut une surprise. Je ne voulais pas le faire parce que je ne devais pas. J’avais 23 ans et je n’étais pas vraiment sûre de l’aimer mais il était important que je le crois. J’étais moins facile, moins bon marché si je l’aimais. Je m’étais convaincue que rien ne se passerait. Nous nous arrêtions. Quand il a commencé à me toucher, je n’arrêtais pas de me répéter de lui dire d’arrêter. Mais je ne l’ai pas fait. Mon corps était un participant volontaire. Je suppose que je n’aurais pas du être surprise. Après tout, je suis facile.

Vous ne pouvez perdre votre virginité qu’une fois. Elle est la marque ultime de votre valeur et il a été convenu que vous la perdriez avec votre mari … le prix que vous offrez à l’homme qui vous accepte pour le reste de votre vie. Elle est très convoitée et gardée jalousement. Votre valeur diminue si elle est accordée à toute personne autre que votre mari.

J’ai presque perdu ma virginité avec le mari de ma cousine. Ils vivaient avec nous parce qu’il avait perdu son emploi et ma mère a pris soin de tout le monde. Chaque fois que je me trouvais seule avec lui, il me touchait. Il a touché mes seins, mais il aimait d’avantage me toucher entre les jambes. Il m’a dit que j’étais une bonne fille et que je lui faisait plaisir. Il y avait cette fois, où il était dans les toilettes et il m’a entendu attendre de l’autre côté pour y aller aussi. Il est sorti avec son kikoy soulevé et son pénis en érection parfaitement visible.

Je ne pourrai jamais oublier le regard concupiscent sur son visage.

Ce fut le premier pénis que je voyais. J’avais 9 ans je pense.

Inceste ivre

La nuit, il a décidé de prendre ma virginité, il est rentré tard et ivre donc ma cousine lui a dit de dormir sur mon lit. Je me suis réveillée en sentant ses mains me toucher lorsqu’il a enlevé ma culotte. J’ai commencé à pleurer en silence, essayant de le pousser loin de moi. Il m’a attrapé et m’a poussée contre sa poitrine, en utilisant une main pour me retenir. Avec l’autre main, il a écarté mes jambes, et a commencé à insérer son pénis en moi. J’étais choquée. Je criais fort. Ma cousine, son épouse, m’a entendue et entra dans la chambre.

Il m’a poussé rapidement loin de lui avant qu’elle n’allume la lumière. Elle m’a demandé ce qui s’était passé. Je lui ai dit qu’il essayait de mettre sa chose en moi. Son mari lui a dit qu’il n’avait rien fait. Il a dit que c’était simplement par ce que je dormais dans une position inconfortable. Il avait du me pousser loin de lui. Elle lui a dit avec colère de descendre du lit et d’aller dormir dans le salon. Elle m’a alors dit que je ne devrais pas le dire à ma maman. Qu’il était ivre et ne savait pas ce qu’il faisait. Et que cela peut causer des problèmes si je lui en parle. Elle a pleuré.

Il n’a jamais essayé de nouveau après cela, mais il n’a jamais cessé me regarder.

Quelques mois plus tard, ils ont déménagé.

Je n’ai jamais rien dit à ma mère.

J’étais la dernière de mes amies à avoir un petit ami. Nous avions environ 15 ans et mes amies parlaient des garçons qu’elles avaient rencontré. Elles riaient du fait de se tenir la main et des baisers volés. Je voulais leur demander si cela leur a fait mal quand elles ont été touchées. Si elles se sont senties sale après.

La première fois qu’un garçon m’a embrassé à 17 ans, j’ai pleuré.

Avant après

J’ai commencé à regarder ma vie comme un avant/après. Tout ce qui m’est arrivé ‘Après’, je trouvais le moyen de le connecter à la perte de ma virginité. Tout ce qui a mal tourné était une conséquence que j’ai accepté. J’avais commis le péché originel et je ne méritait pas plus. Je vivais la vie du condamné avec rien d’autre à perdre. Alors, quand je suis tombée enceinte, j’ai accepté ma punition. Et quand j’ai perdu le bébé, cela a également été une punition parce que j’avais osé le vouloir. Vous n’êtes pas censée profiter de la punition. Vous assumez, mais vous ne jouissez pas.

La première fois que je me suis regardée dans le miroir j’ai détesté mon corps, je pleurais.

Pendant longtemps, je voyais mon corps à travers les couches de fausses idées complexes que le monde m’a dit et, à mon tour je me le suis dit à plusieurs reprises jusqu’à ce que cela devienne ma vérité. Je ne valais rien parce que mon corps était sans valeur. Je n’étais rien parce que mon corps n’était rien.

Des cicatrices invisibles sillonnent mon corps. Beaucoup ont été auto-infligées. A ce jour, me tenir debout devant un miroir exige du courage. Il a fallu un long moment pour moi pour déballer tout cela et c’est encore un processus en cours. Et il y a des jours où je regarde encore mon corps et je me demande quelle partie porte le plus de valeur.

Lupita Nyong’o a déclaré:
“Ce qui est fondamentalement beau est la compassion pour vous et pour ceux qui vous entourent. Ce genre de beauté enflamme le cœur et enchante l’âme … ”

Aisha est écrivain et travaille actuellement en tant que rédacteur dans la publicité. Elle est également inscrite à l’Université de Nairobi et suit des études pour un diplôme en journalisme et des études sur les médias. Elle a un fort intérêt pour l’utilisation des médias sociaux comme plate-forme pour mettre en évidence, parler des questions des droits des femmes. Elle croit que c’est un espace pour les femmes qui, autrement, seraient réduites au silence, d’exprimer leurs problèmes et construire des communautés avec d’autres. Elle utilise twitter largement, sous le nom, @bintiM, afin de susciter des conversations sur les différents problèmes auxquels font face les femmes kenyanes. Aisha a participé en 2015 à l’atelier d’écriture d’AWDF pour le changement social, 2015 Writing for Social Change Workshop, à Kampala, en Ouganda.[/tp]

[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]Saturday, August 1st

The second African Women Writers Workshop got off to a great start. It’s been exciting to meet the amazing women who have come to learn and share about writing on Social Justice.

Monday 27th July: The week began at the Speke Hotel Uganda, located in lush gardens on the bank of Lake Victoria. The serenity and beauty of our surroundings are just the perfect environment to stimulate creative juices.

After the first two days the participants quickly became a tight knit sisterhood. Our 22 talented women come from Morocco to Madagascar. Their selection followed a competitive process from over 200 applications that focused on their creativity and conviction in writing and storytelling.

This year’s group is being taken through a demanding schedule by award-winning writer Yewande Omotoso and veteran writer/filmmaker extraordinaire Sylvia Vollenhoven, our lead facilitators. The full-day programme involves role play, interviews, timed writing exercises and plenty of hands-on coaching.

Fast forward to Friday 31 July: The workshop participants joined in a public dialogue on African Women and Public Policy examining the status of African women in decision making spaces. The night was a success, drawing attendees from the public, Uganda’s literary world and activists.

We say a big thank you to our panelists, AWDF CEO Theo Sowa, Vollenhoven, Omotoso and workshop participant Zeyana Abdullah who joined Prof. Tabitha Mulyampiti of Makaere University.

We are also grateful to The Ugandan Women Writers Association FEMRITE, with whom we are co-hosting the workshop for a second time, for their support and warm welcome.

For the next 4 days we will be taken through the acclaimed MOTH Storytelling workshop conducted by Sarah Jenesse, Catherine Burns and Dawn Fraser.

Here’s some or feedback from ‪#‎AWW15‬ on the first six days

Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi, Nigeria:

The week has been very intense very challenging as regards cultivating creativity…putting us on the spot…the arguments and different perspectives have been very interesting. It’s a fact that we are not just participants, but we have become sisters. The facilitators have been great. I have learned about structure and in the Op-ed session I learned about counter-arguments.

That’s my week – intense. And the food at Speke is really good. Thank you AWDF

Ruth Adong (Uganda) :

The Op-Ed session has been the best thing that has happened to my writing. I “rant” a lot, but the session gave me a way to structure my ranting…gave me a way to rant with opinion. I loved the aspect of breaking into groups and bouncing ideas off each other. It really helped me to get arguments right.

The timed writing exercises have put me on the spot, but forced me outside my comfort zone.

Facilitators :

Today has been really good. When Sylvia and Yewande were reading their work I could see that they practice what they preach. They have been very friendly, yet they push us. They have been very generous with their knowledge. My writing has improved already.

Theo really put things into perspective with her talk. She was very inspirational. Made me see the purpose of my writing.

Merna Thomas (Egypt) :

Obviously we are doing a lot of work. I was worried that it would be a waste of time. For me it’s the psychology of writing that has been the biggest benefit. I feel the burden of the facilitators – 22 of us. But they are very amazing, very generous.

StellaMaris (Uganda)–

The week was relevant. I saw an evolution in my writing. I learned my weaknesses and strengths. The facilitators make us know we are getting hands-on information from experts. It’s been challenging and it’s been entertaining. I’ve enjoyed the moments together with new friends.[/tp]

[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”en”]Samedi 1er Août

Le second ‘African Women Writers Workshop’ a pris un excellent départ. Il a été passionnant de rencontrer les femmes extraordinaires qui sont venues pour apprendre et partager sur l’écriture sur la justice sociale.

Lundi 27 Juillet: La semaine a débuté à l’Hôtel Speke en Ouganda, situé dans des jardins luxuriants sur la rive du lac Victoria. La sérénité et la beauté de notre environnement sont idéals pour stimuler la créativité.

Après les deux premiers jours, les participantes sont rapidement devenues une fraternité soudée. Nos 22 femmes de talent viennent du Maroc à Madagascar. Leur sélection a suivi un processus concurrentiel parmi plus de 200 candidatures qui se concentraient sur leur créativité et leur conviction dans l’écriture et le récit.

Le groupe de cette année a été pris par le calendrier exigeant de l’écrivaine primée Yewande Omotoso et la vétérante scénariste / cinéaste extraordinaire Sylvia Vollenhoven, nos principaux animateurs. Le programme d’une journée complète à impliqué des jeux de rôle, des interviews, des exercices d’écriture chronométrés et beaucoup de travail sur le coaching.

Avance rapide au vendredi 31 Juillet: Les participantes de l’atelier se sont jointes dans un dialogue public sur les femmes africaines et la politique publique afin d’examiner le statut des femmes africaines dans les espaces de prise de décision. La nuit a été un succès, attirant des participants, du public du monde et militants littéraire de l’Ouganda.

Nous disons un grand merci à nos panélistes, la Directrice Générale d’AWDF Theo Sowa, Vollenhoven, Omotoso et les participantes à l’atelier Zeyana Abdullah qui ont rejoint le professeur de l’Université de Tabitha Mulyampiti Makaere.

Nous sommes également reconnaissantes envers The Ugandan Women Writers Association, FEMRITE, avec qui nous avons co-accueilli l’atelier pour la deuxième fois, pour leur soutien et leur accueil chaleureux.

Pour les 4 prochains jours, nous serons pris par le célèbre MOTH Storytelling workshop menée par Sarah Jenesse, Catherine Burns et Dawn Fraser.

Voici un retour sur une partie des six premiers jours‪ #‎AWW15

Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi, (Nigeria):

La semaine a été très intense et très difficile en ce qui concerne la culture et la créativité … nous mettre sur la sellette … les arguments et les différents points de vue ont été très intéressants. C’est un fait que nous ne sommes pas seulement des participantes, mais nous sommes devenues sœurs. Les animatricess ont été formidables. J’ai appris sur la structure et à la session Op-ed-je appris sur les contre-arguments.

Voilà ma semaine – intense. Et la nourriture au Speke est vraiment bonne. Merci AWDF

Ruth Adong (Ouganda) :

La session Op-Ed a été la meilleure chose qui soit arrivée à mon écriture. J’écris beaucoup de “diatribes”, mais la session m’a donné un moyen de me structurer … m’a donné une façon de déclamer avec l’opinion. J’ai adoré l’idée de former de petits groupes et rebondir sur les idées des autres. Cela m’a vraiment aidé à obtenir les arguments justes.

Les exercices d’écriture chronométrés m’ont mise sur la sellette, mais m’ont forcé à sortir de ma zone de confort.

Animatrices:

Aujourd’hui a été vraiment bien. Lorsque Sylvia et Yewande lisaient leur travail, je pouvais voir qu’elles pratiquent ce qu’elles prêchent. Elles ont été très gentilles, mais elles nous poussé. Elles ont été très généreuses avec leurs connaissances. Mon écriture s’est déjà améliorée.

Theo a vraiment mis les choses en perspective avec son discours. Elle était très inspirante. Elle m’a fait voir le but de mon écriture.

Merna Thomas (Egypte):

Évidemment, nous faisons beaucoup de travail. Je craignais que ce soit une perte de temps. Pour moi, c’est la psychologie de l’écriture qui a été le plus grand avantage. Je sens le fardeau des animateurs – 22 d’entre nous. Mais elles sont très étonnantes, très généreuses.

StellaMaris (Ouganda)–

La semaine était pertinente. J’ai vu une évolution dans mon écriture. J’ai appris de mes forces et faiblesses. Les animateurs nous font savoir que nous obtenons l’information pratique sur des experts. Cela a été difficile et ça a été divertissant. J’ai apprécié les moments avec de nouvelles amies.[/tp]

[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]AWDF selects 22 African Women For Its African Women Writers Workshop In Kampala, Uganda, July 27-August 5, 2015

The African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) is pleased to announce the selection of 22 African female writers for its second creative non-fiction writers workshop on social justice to be held in Kampala, Uganda, from July 27-August 5, 2015.

The candidates were chosen by a competitive process from over 200 applications that poured in after the call was announced in April this year.

The workshop is being organized in collaboration with the Uganda Women Writers Association (FEMRITE), an NGO which promotes the development of creative writing in Africa through workshops and courses.

Lead facilitators this year are veteran BBC journalist Elizabeth Ohene from Ghana and award winning writer Yewande Omotoso (Nigeria, Barbados South Africa)**.

A novel feature of this year’s program will be a Moth Workshop, conducted by experienced story telling instructors. Moth workshops seek to aid participants learn to shape selected life experiences into well crafted stories, which are then presented to peers and members of the local community.

The AWDF Women Writers Workshop sets out to give African women writers the space, time and enhanced skills to enable them write in compelling ways about a range of social, economic and political issues of concern to African women.

The successful women writers for 2015 are:

Tamika Kampini– Malawi

Merna Thomas Soryal- Egypt

Fatou Wurie – Sierra- Leone

Billie McTernan- UK/Ghana

Amarachi Orji- Nigeria

Zanele Mabaso- South Africa

Salma Takky- Morocco

Zemdena Abebe Areru- Ethiopia

Simamkele Dlakavu- South Africa

Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi- Nigeria

Zeyana Abdullah- Kenya

Ny Anjara Nofy Ary Tiavina Andrianarisaina – Madagascar

Aisha Ali Haji- Kenya

Monica Cheru-Mpambawashe- Zimbabawe

Annette Denise Mkandawire- Malawi

Reham Elgebaly- Egypt

Ngwentah Berlyne Ngwalem- Cameroon

Ruth Olando Adong- Uganda

Jama Jack – The Gambia

Sibusiso T Mtshede- Zimbabwe

Stellamaris Kembabazi- Uganda

Josephine Opar- Kenya

Both this and the previous women writers workshop held in 2014 were made possible through the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

**AWDF would like to announce that since this article was published, there was a change in the lead facilitators for the workshop. The workshop will now be lead by Sylvia Vollenhoven from South Africa and Yewande Omotoso from Nigeria/Barbados/South Africa. Please see Sylvia’s profile below, taken from International Center for Journalists:

Sylvia Vollenhoven

Knight International Journalism Fellow

Sylvia Vollenhoven is a Knight Development Journalism Fellow who is leading a project to improve coverage of poverty and development issues in Ghana.

An award-winning journalist and media trainer from South Africa, she is the founder of the VIA – Vision in Africa media organization, which has spearheaded innovative international training initiatives. As the Africa representative for the Thomson Foundation, Vollenhoven also was the lead trainer for the Foundation’s first-ever documentary filmmaking course at Cardiff University in 2008.

More recently, she brokered a collaboration between the Foundation and key African partners to launch the Africa Means Business (AMB) project, a long-term, pan-African training initiative for business journalists. Vollenhoven served as the facilitator for the AMB pilot training seminar in Nairobi in June 2009.

In the early 1990s, Vollenhoven was the Southern African Correspondent for the Swedish newspaper,Expressen, and was awarded Sweden’s top journalism prize, one of many awards she received for her work. She later went into broadcasting, joining the South African Broadcasting Corporation, where she held a variety of positions over the years, including reporter, producer, trainer and manager. Subsequently, she has been a consultant for the SABC and for the Kaiser Family Foundation, training broadcast media professionals across Africa.

For 10 years, Vollenhoven served as the Southern Africa Coordinator for the International Public Television (INPUT) organization, raising the profile of public broadcasting in the region.

More about Sylvia:

http://whoswho.co.za/sylvia-vollenhoven-4794

http://www.thejournalist.org.za/contributors/sylvia-vollenhoven

/tp]

[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”en”]AWDF sélectionne 22 auteures africaines pour son African Women Writers Workshop à Kampala, en Ouganda, du 27 Juillet au 5 Août 2015.

Le Fonds Africain de développement de la Femme (AWDF) est heureux d’annoncer la sélection de 22 écrivaines africaines pour son deuxième atelier de création sur la justice sociale pour les écrivains non-fictionnels qui se tiendra à Kampala, en Ouganda, du 27 juillet au 5 août 2015.

Les candidates ont été choisies grâce à un processus rigoureux parmi plus de 200 candidatures déposées après que l’appel d’offre ait été lancé en Avril de cette année.

L’atelier est organisé en collaboration avec l’Association des femmes écrivains ougandaises (FEMRITE), une ONG qui promeut le développement de l’écriture créative en Afrique à travers des ateliers et des cours.

Les animateurs principaux cette année sont la journaliste Elizabeth Ohene du Ghana, vétérante de la BBC et l’écrivaine primée Yewande Omotoso (Nigeria, Afrique du Sud, Barbade).

Une nouvelle caractéristique du programme de cette année sera l’atelier Moth, mené par des instructeurs expérimentés pour raconter des histoires. Les ateliers Moth cherchent à aider les participantes à apprendre à sélectionner et façonner des expériences de vie dans des histoires bien conçues, qui sont ensuite présentées à leurs pairs et les membres de la communauté locale.

L’African Women Writers Workshop d’AWDF vise à donner aux femmes écrivains africaines de l’espace, du temps et un renforcement des compétences pour leur permettre d’écrire de manière convaincante au sujet d’un éventail de questions sociales, économiques et politiques qui préoccupent les femmes africaines.

Les lauréates de l’édition 2015 sont:

Tamika Kampini- Malawi

Merna Thomas Soryal- Egypte

Fatou Wurie – Sierra-Leone

Billie McTernan- UK / Ghana

Amarachi Orji- Nigeria

Zanele Mabaso- Afrique du Sud

Salma Takky- Maroc

Zemdena Abebe Areru- Ethiopie

Simamkele Dlakavu- Afrique du Sud

Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi- Nigeria

Zeyana Abdullah- Kenya

Ny Anjara Nofy Ary Tiavina Andrianarisaina – Madagascar

Aisha Ali Haji- Kenya

Monica Cheru-Mpambawashe- Zimbabawe

Annette Denise Mkandawire- Malawi

Reham Elgebaly- Egypte

Ngwentah Berlyne Ngwalem- Cameroun

Ruth Olando Adong- Ouganda

Jama Jack – Gambie

Sibusiso T Mtshede- Zimbabwe

Stellamaris Kembabazi- Ouganda

Josephine Opar- Kenya

Cette édition des atelier des écrivains africaines comme la précédente tenue en 2014 ont été rendues possibles grâce à l’appui de la Fondation Bill et Melinda Gates.[/tp]

[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]The African Women’s Development Fund Chief Executive Officer Theo Sowa attended a gender summit convened by FHI 360 in Washington, DC, on June 11th 2015. This was the second annual summit hosted by the nonprofit human development organization.

The event brought together gender and development experts and researchers, donors and national and international policymakers to participate in discussions around gender equality.

This year’s focus was on achieving gender equality through “harmonizing female empowerment and male engagement strategies, exploring the evidence base both for successful practices and lessons learned, and examining the role of donors in advancing gender integration.”

She was a participant in a panel discussion on the topic ‘What role do donors play in advancing the gender equality agenda?’ alongside other notable experts in the field of gender and development:

• Ritu Sharma, Sharma Solutions and author of Teach a Woman to Fish
• Susan Markham, U.S. Agency for International Development
• Sally Gear, U.K. Department for International Development
• Andrew Morrison, Inter-American Development Bank
• Joan Libby-Hawk, United Nations Women & United Nations Global Compact:
• Emily Esplen, Development Assistance Committee, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

View the discussion below (video 7/7):[/tp]

[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”en”]Theo Sowa, chef de Direction du Fonds Africain de développement de la Femme, a participé à un sommet de l’égalité organisé par FHI 360 à Washington DC, le 11 Juin 2015. Ce fut le deuxième sommet annuel organisé par l’organisation à but non lucratif de développement humain.

L’événement a réuni des experts du genre et du développement, des chercheurs, des bailleurs de fonds, des décideurs nationaux et internationaux à participer aux discussions autour de l’égalité des sexes.

L’accent de cette année portait sur le fait d’atteindre l’égalité des sexes à travers “l’autonomisation des femmes et des stratégies de mobilisation des hommes en explorant une base de témoins, à la fois pour adopter des pratiques efficaces et tirer des enseignements, mais aussi examiner le rôle des donateurs dans la promotion de l’intégration du genre.”

Elle a participé à une table ronde sur le thème «Quel rôle les donateurs jouent-ils dans l’avancement du programme d’égalité des sexes?» aux côtés d’autres experts notables dans le domaine de l’égalité et le développement:

• Ritu Sharma, de Sharma Solutions et auteur de Teach a Woman to Fish
• Susan Markham, de l’Agence américaine pour le développement international
• Sally Gear, du Département britannique pour le développement international
• Andrew Morrison, de la Banque interaméricaine de développement
• Joan Libby-Hawk, des Nations Unies pour la femme et United Nations Global Compact:
• Emily Esplen, Comité d’aide au développement, Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques.

Voir la discussion ci-dessous (vidéo 7/7):[/tp]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3oTdVIdNJg&index=8&list=PLvjdLDUSAyf6BXcG-Dj_UCD93oWOyFuzM

[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]Nigerian Director/ Producer Tope Oshin Ogun has won the African Women’s Development Fund’s first African Women in Film Award.

Ogun, an acclaimed director with roots in both Film and Television was given the award at the Golden Movie Awards ceremony held on Saturday June 27 at the State House banquet hall in Accra.

The “AWDF African Women in Film Award,” honours an African woman whose work demonstrates measurable efforts to change the narrative and challenge stereotypes about African women. Tope was chosen for her outspoken voice against domestic abuse in Nigeria, an issue she brilliantly addressed in the 2014 short film New Horizons, a story about four women’s experiences with abuse.

“Being the recipient of AWDF’s first African Woman In Film Award is a true honour for me, and it’s a big surprise to learn that one is recognised and celebrated for being true to oneself and calling and passion and profession, ” Ogun told AWDF.

AWDF conferred the award at the ceremony which was organized by Golden Movie Awards (GMA), a new pan African award scheme that seeks to recognise outstanding work in the African movie industry. AWDF partnered with GMA for its maiden edition as part of its mandate to use arts as tool to promote social justice and to challenge negative stereotypes about women.

As the winner of the award, Ogun will be a lead facilitator in a one- day capacity building programme for African women in the film industry, organized by AWDF and GMA.
Ogun has an expansive portfolio that includes directing 350 episodes of the successful African soap opera “Tinsel”, an award winning feature length film “Journey To Self” and 3 multiple award winning shorts films namely “The Young Smoker”, “Till Death Do Us Part” and “New Horizons.”[/tp]

[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”en”]La réalisatrice/productrice nigériane Tope Oshin Ogun a remporté le Premier Prix de Cinéma des femmes africaines du Fonds Africain de développement de la femme.

Ogun, réalisatrice de renom impliquée à la fois dans le cinéma et la télévision a reçu le prix lors de la cérémonie des Golden Movie Awards tenue le samedi 27 Juin à la State House banquet hall à Accra.

Le “Prix de Cinéma des femmes africaines d’AWDF” honore une femme africaine dont le travail démontre les efforts tangibles pour changer le récit et lutter contre les stéréotypes sur les femmes africaines. Tope a été choisie pour sa voix franche contre la violence domestique au Nigeria, une question qu’elle a brillamment traitée en 2014 dans le court-métrage New Horizons, une histoire sur les expériences de quatre femmes victimes d’abus.

«Être lauréate du Prix de Cinéma des femmes africaines d’AWDF est un véritable honneur pour moi, et c’est une grande surprise d’apprendre que l’on est reconnue et célébrée pour être fidèle à soi-même, sa vocation, sa passion et à la profession,” déclare Ogun à AWDF.

AWDF a décerné ce prix lors de la cérémonie qui a été organisée par Golden Movie Awards (GMA), une académie panafricaine qui vise à reconnaître les travaux remarquable dans l’industrie du cinéma africain. AWDF a collaboré avec GMA pour sa première édition dans le cadre de sa mission, utiliser les arts comme outil pour promouvoir la justice sociale et de combattre les stéréotypes négatifs sur les femmes.

En tant que lauréate, Ogun sera le médiateur principal dans un programme de renforcement des capacités d’une journée pour les femmes africaines dans l’industrie du cinéma, organisé par AWDF et GMA.
Ogun dispose d’un portfolio large dont la direction de 350 épisodes du feuilleton africain “Tinsel”, un long métrage primé “Journey To Self” et plusieurs courts-métrage dont 3 primés à savoir «Le jeune fumeur”, “Till Death Do Us Partie “et” Nouveaux Horizons “.[/tp]