Written by: Dinnah Nabwire, Knowledge Management Specialist, AWDF

Brief following the launch of the report Women and NCDs in Africa: Mapping the scale, actors and extent of rights-based work to address the impact of NCDs on African women.

Many people think that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) disproportionately affect men and richer populations especially those in the Global North. However, research shows that NCDs are increasingly becoming a leading cause for death and disability among women in low- and middle-income countries, disproportionately affecting those in the lowest socioeconomic groups, with direct negative implications to development, human rights and social justice.

Professor Ana Mocumbi, the co-chair of The Lancet Commission on NCDs and injuries, made these observations during her keynote address at the AWDF launch of the report Women and NCDs in Africa: Mapping the scale, actors and extent of rights-based work to address the impact of NCDs on African women during a virtual event at the Women and Girls Africa Summit.The report which is available in both English and French is a compilation of findings from a continent-wide study in all 54 countries to assess the scale and key gendered concerns around NCDs with a focus on cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and mental health. It also maps key actors and the extent of rights-based work on NCDs in Africa. An executive summary of the report is also available in both English and French and provides a synthesis of the key findings.

Click here to read the post-session article.

 

 

After more than a year of unimaginable suffering, West Africa looks cautiously ahead to the end of the most devastating outbreak of the Ebola virus the world has ever known. Yet the road for the three worst affected countries is still one of tough challenges.

Whilst Liberia is celebrating a second round of being declared Ebola-free, the announcement of new cases in Sierra Leone this week is seen as a real setback to national efforts to get rid of the disease. The new outbreaks, in the northern part of the country have led to a fresh round of enforced quarantines for thousands of people.

The first case of Ebola broke out in Guinea in December 2013, but the disease went undetected for four months until it crossed the border into neighbouring Sierra Leone, reaching its peak in August 2014. To date Ebola has claimed over 11,200 lives in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. Thousands of others died of other causes due to the shutdown of emergency and regular health care services as hospitals closed their doors in the wake of the epidemic.

At AWDF, our Ebola relief support for 52 women’s organizations in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, underscores our concern for women who play the role of frontline responders in emergency situations on our continent. Within weeks of the outbreak we disbursed $450,000 to these women’s groups in the three countries.

Given the brutal impact on their already battered economies and the acute shortage of healthcare professionals, getting the countries completely Ebola-free and restoring what remains of virtually non-existent healthcare infrastructure will require the efforts of regional and national governments, individuals and the international community.

Early evidence from this outbreak has shown that women were disproportionately affected. Women’s livelihoods, security and lives came under direct assault as the epidemic waged its war.

For the next two weeks, we would like to salute the courage of the healthcare professionals, doctors, workers and ordinary everyday citizens who survived the unimaginable and through whose efforts the halt in the epidemic’s advance was made possible.

Through stories, features, reports and photographs we will tell the story of the impact of Ebola on women over the past year. Women who have demonstrated courage, resilience and the ability to survive the outbreak of one of the deadliest viruses on earth.

Click here for featured stories.

 

[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 (AWDF) will announce the winner of its first African Women in Film Award (AWIF) on Saturday 27th June at a movie awards ceremony in the Ghanaian capital Accra.

AWDF has partnered with Golden Movie Awards, a new pan-African award scheme that seeks to honour innovation, excellence and humanitarian efforts of individuals within the African Film industry.

The event is set to take place at the State House Banquet Hall, bringing together performers, writers, directors and other content creators from all over the continent.

AWDF’s African Women in Film Award will celebrate the contribution of African women to the industry.

The award will be given to an African woman who has demonstrated through her work, measurable efforts to change the narrative and challenge stereotypes about women on the continent.

AWDF recognizes the importance of the arts as a tool for social justice work and as a medium to train, nurture and raise the profile of African women through their creative works and expression.

The aim is to build the cadre of skilled African women who can use the different art mediums to promote women’s rights.

Tickets for the events can be purchased in Accra for GHS 150 at Surfline Ghana offices in Osu, Dansoman, East Legon, Tema and the Accra Mall.[/tp]

[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”en”]Le Fonds Africain de développement de la Femme (AWDF) annoncera le vainqueur de son premier prix pour les femmes africaines dans Cinéma (AWIF) le samedi 27 Juin lors d’une cérémonie de remise de prix de cinéma dans la capitale ghanéenne Accra.

AWDF a conclu un partenariat avec Golden Movie Awards, un nouveau système d’attribution panafricain, qui cherche à honorer l’innovation, l’excellence et les efforts humanitaires des individus au sein de l’industrie cinématographique africaine.

L’événement est prévu à la State House Banquet Hall, réunissant des artistes, des écrivains, des réalisateurs et autres créateurs de contenu de partout dans le continent.

Le prix pour les femmes africaines dans le cinéma d’AWDF célèbre la contribution des femmes africaines à l’industrie.

Le prix sera décerné à une femme africaine qui a démontré à travers son travail, des efforts mesurables pour changer le récit et lutter contre les stéréotypes sur les femmes sur le continent.

AWDF reconnaît l’importance des arts comme outil pour la justice sociale et comme un moyen de former, entretenir et élever le profil des femmes africaines par leurs œuvres créatives et expression.

Le but est de construire un cadre de femmes africaines qualifiées qui peuvent utiliser les différents médiums de l’art pour promouvoir les droits des femmes.

Les billets pour l’événement peuvent être achetés à Accra pour 150GhC dans les bureaux Surfline Ghana à Osu, Dansoman, East Legon, Tema et le centre commercial d’Accra.[/tp]

[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]In 2013, AWDF awarded a multi-year grant of US$90,000 over 3 years to the African Leadership Centre to strengthen women’s leadership and representation in peace building processes on the African continent.

The African Leadership Centre (ALC), based in Nairobi, Kenya, was established as an educational trust under Kenyan law in partnership with King’s College London and the University of Nairobi. One of its core programmes is the Peace and Security Fellowship for African Women, which brings together African women at the early stages of their careers, to undertake a carefully designed training programme in Leadership, Development and Security.

As part of the AWDF grant, 2 African women, Grace Kilonzi (Kenya) and Semiha Abdulmelik (Ethiopia), have been sponsored to participate in ALC’s 2014-2015 Peace and Security Fellowship programme. The programme, which takes place at the ALC and King’s College London, is designed to expose young professional African women to the complexities of conflict, security and development to equip them for careers in the field.[/tp]

[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”en”]En 2013, AWDF reçu une subvention pluriannuelle de 90.000 $ sur 3 ans pour le Centre de leadership africain pour renforcer le leadership et la représentation des femmes dans les processus de consolidation de la paix sur le continent africain.

Le Centre africain de leadership (ALC), basé à Nairobi, au Kenya, a été établi en tant que fiducie en vertu de la loi kenyane éducative en partenariat avec le King’s College de Londres et l’Université de Nairobi. Un de ces programmes de base est la bourse ‘Paix et Sécurité pour les femmes africaines’, qui regroupe les femmes africaines dans les premiers stades de leur carrière, afin d’entreprendre un programme de formation soigneusement conçu en leadership, développement et sécurité.

Dans le cadre de la subvention AWDF, 2 femmes africaines, grâce Kilonzi (Kenya) et Semiha Abdulmelik (Ethiopie), ont été parrainées pour participer en 2014-2015 au programme de bourses ‘Paix et Sécurité’ de la SLA. Le programme, qui se déroule à l’ALC et au King’s College de Londres, est conçu pour exposer les jeunes femmes africaines professionnelles de la complexité des conflits, de la sécurité et du développement pour les équiper pour une carrière dans le domaine.[/tp]

 

Click for Grace‘s full profile

Click for Semiha‘s full profile

Read more about Grace

 

On the 30th of July, the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) in partnership with the Ugandan Women’s Association (FEMRITE) will hold a public dialogue and literary event at Hotel Africana in Kampala, Uganda. The theme for the event is ‘African women speaking for ourselves: What difference does it make?’ This event is open to the general public and starts at 3.30pm.

Speakers at the event will include Dr Hilda Tadria, Executive Director of MEMPROW and Board member of AWDF; Theo Sowa, CEO of AWDF; Yewande Omotoso, author of Bom Boy; Mamle Kabu, author of The Kaya Girl; Hilda Twongyeirwe, Executive Director of FEMRITE; Hon. Mary Karoro Okurut, Founder of FEMRITE; Lina Zedriga, Director of Women, Peace and Security at Regional Associates for Community Initiatives and Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah, Communications Specialist at AWDF.

Also speaking and performing at the event are the participants of the 1st regional creative non fiction workshop organised by AWDF and FEMRITE. These are:

Abena Kyere – Ghana
Adegbeye Olutimehin – Nigeria
Alexis Teyie – Kenya
Amina Doherty – Nigeria
Beatrice Lamwaka – Uganda
Comfort Mussa – Cameroon
Deborah Frempong – Ghana
Eunice Kilonzo – Kenya
Fafa Yvonne Quashigah – Ghana
Florence Khaxas – Namibia
Hannah Wanja Maina – Kenya
Jennifer Thorpe – South Africa
Kagure Mugo – South Africa/Kenya
Kechi Nomu – Nigeria
Moiyattu Banya – Sierra Leone
Njoki Wamai – Kenya
Rita Nketiah – Ghana
Ritah Atwongyeire – Uganda
Tendai Garwe – Zimbabwe
Valérie Dginia Bah – Benin/Haiti

[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]I was pleased when I heard that AWDF had been nominated in the category of ‘best organisational blog’ for Ghana’s very first social media awards which took place on Saturday 23rd March at the Kofi Annan Centre in Accra. AWDF was one of 3 blogs shortlisted in the category. Ahead of the presentation, representatives of the blog awards organising committee stated that there were 1,128 nominations spread over 13 categories with an average of 87 nominations per category. Its indeed commendable that in the face of such fierce competition AWDF made the shortlist. Congratulations to the Accra[dot]Alt team that won in the category of ‘best organisational blog’.

The ‘overall best blog’ and ‘best activist blog’ awards went to ‘Adventures from the Bedrooms of African Women‘ which is curated by Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah, a member of AWDF ‘s staff.

It was also really good to see a number of women bloggers pick up awards including double award winner Ganyobi Naa , Jemila Abdulai with Kinna Likimani picking up an honorary award on behalf of the ‘Ghana Decides’ team which did a phenomenal job of utilising the power of social media to mobilise Ghanaians during Ghana’s recent Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Kinna also did an amazing summary of #BlogCamp13 on her site which I recommend you read to get a sense of the event.

Congratulations to all winners at #BlogCamp13

By: Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah[/tp]

[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”en”]J’ai été heureuse d’entendre qu’AWDF avait été nominé dans la catégorie du «meilleur blog organisationnel» pour le tout premier prix des médias sociaux du Ghana qui a eu lieu le samedi 23 Mars au Centre Kofi Annan à Accra. AWDF était l’un des 3 blogs finalistes dans la catégorie. Avant la présentation, les représentants du comité d’organisation des récompenses a déclaré qu’il y avait 1128 candidatures réparties sur 13 catégories, avec une moyenne de 87 candidatures par catégorie.C’est louable que face à une telle concurrence qu’AWDF ait fait partie de la liste. Félicitations à l’équipe d’Accra[dot]Alt qui a remporté le prix dans la catégorie de «meilleur blog organisationnel».

Le «meilleur blog global» et prix du «meilleur blog militant» sont allés à «Adventures from the Bedrooms of African Women» qui est organisée par Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah, un membre du personnel d’AWDF.

Il était aussi très bon de voir un certain nombre de femmes blogueuses recevoir des prix, dont le double vainqueur du prix Ganyobi Naa, Jemila Abdulai avec Kinna Likimani recevoir un prix honorifique au nom de “Ghana Decides” dont l’équipe a fait un travail phénoménal de l’utilisation de la puissance des médias sociaux pour mobiliser les Ghanéens lors des élections présidentielles et parlementaires récentes du Ghana. Kinna a également fait un résumé incroyable de #BlogCamp13 sur son site que je vous recommande de lire pour avoir une idée de l’événement.

Félicitations à tous les gagnants de # BlogCamp13[/tp]

Monica Arac de Nyeko is a Ugandan writer. She was shortlisted for the Caine Prize for African writing in 2004 for ‘Strange Fruit, winning the prize in 2007 for ‘Jambula Tree’ which was described by the chair of judges, Jamal Mahjoub, as “a witty and touching portrait of a community which is affected forever by a love which blossoms between two adolescents”.

In celebration of International Women’s Month, Monica will be participating in 2 events with the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) and our partners Alliance Francaise (Accra). On Thursday 7th March Monica will join a panel of writers including Mamle Kabu, Mama C and Kuukua Yomekpe to hold a vibrant discussion on writing which will include sharing inspiration behind characters, experiences of writing, and may even include a tips for all the aspiring writers out there. On Friday the 8th of March, Monica will join writers, poets and a DJ in Ghana’s first ever book slam . This event costs GHC10 with proceeds supporting the work of AWDF.

 

 

 

 

In 2012, the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) received a total of 905 grant applications from 35 Africancountries. A total of 187 organisations from 32 African countries were awarded grants of $2,176,500 in the following thematic areas: Women’s Human Rights, Economic Empowerment and Livelihoods, Governance, Peace and Security, Reproductive Health and Rights, HIV/AIDS, and Arts, Culture and Sports.

The highest percentage of grants awarded (34.3%) was in the area of Women’s Human Rights. In this thematic area AWDF prioritized funding work that addresses issues of gender based violence and access to justice including issues of forced marriages, female genital mutilation and domestic violence. Other priorities included building young women’s leadership, movement building, the promotion and protection of women’s rights including land and property rights, and adult literacy for women. Our grantee partners working in this area utilized a variety of methodologies to meet their objectives including training paralegals, setting up monitoring committees, establishing gender clubs, implementing referral mechanisms and enhancing access to justice. Grantee partners also utilized sports, drama, radio, information vans and community/market place campaigns as a tool to disseminate information on Women’s Human Rights.

The breakdown of grants disbursed in other thematic areas were as follows:

Economic Empowerment and Livelihoods – 21%

HIV and AIDS – 19%

Governance, Peace and Security – 13.9%

Reproductive Health and Rights – 6%

Arts, Culture and Sports – 5%

Watch this video interview with Abigail Burgesson, AWDF’s Special Programmes Manager to learn more about the work that we do