Tag: african women

 

[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]In May this year, one of our longterm grantee organisations – PWN – was awarded the position of Civil Society Partner for AIDS 2014 and 2016 by the International Aids Society. From 2004 till date, with a grant amounts totalling US$230,000, AWDF has worked with PWN to improve the lives and rights of people living with HIV/AIDS, and we have seen how much of a difference she has made in their lives. We send hearty congratulations to Prudence Mabele and her team at PWN!

 

ANNOUNCEMENT

New Civil Society Partner for AIDS 2014 and AIDS 2016

– Positive Women’s Network, South Africa –

On behalf of the International AIDS Conference permanent partners, the International AIDS

Society (IAS) would like to welcome Positive Women’s Network, South Africa to be the new civil

society partner for AIDS 2014 and AIDS 2016. The Positive Women’s Network will replace the

existing partner, the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC), who has held the

position for AIDS 2010 and AIDS 2012. Other civil society partners for AIDS 2014 are the Global

Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+), International Community of Women living with

HIV/AIDS (ICW), the International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO) and

Sidaction.

 

Positive Women’s Network, South Africa, established in 1996, is a non-government organization

committed to create an environment in which people living with HIV/AIDS are free from

stigmatization and discrimination because of their HIV status. The network recognizes that

people living with and/or affected by HIV/AIDS should share the lead and the responsibility in

responding to the pandemic, while encouraging the society to create the space for them to play

this crucial role. The organization works to set up and manage care and support programmes,

harness and build resources, build capacity, support and monitor developmental initiatives to

improve the quality of life of women and children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS throughout

Africa. The network won a Red Ribbon Award in Vienna (AIDS 2010) for its work. The

organization has nominated Ms. Prudence Mabele to represent them on the Conference

Coordinating Committees (CCCs). Ms. Mabele is the founder of the network in South Africa and

is a founding member of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), as well as the National

Association of People Living with HIV and AIDS of South Africa (NAPWA) and the South African

National AIDS Council. She has been living positively with HIV for 22 years and has been a

prominent South African activist and an expert in the field of HIV and AIDS since 1992.

 

Positive Women’s Network, South Africa will fill a rotating seat on the CCCs which is occupied

by a civil society organization based in a resource-limited country that is working in several

countries or on a whole continent with HIV and AIDS as a major activity.

 

The call for interested organizations was distributed widely with eleven applications received.

The selection committee, made up of representatives of all the international permanent partners

of the International AIDS Conference, gave consideration to the regional, issue-based, and

constituency representation within the civil society members of the CCC. The set of criteria

included consideration of the organization’s proven commitment to:

• the Greater and Meaningful Involvement of People Living with HIV and AIDS (GIPA/MIPA);
• the full realization of human rights, including those related to the most marginalized
• populations and PLHIV, in particular to the principle of non-discrimination;
• gender equity, the empowerment of women and the protection and promotion of their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including their sexual and reproductive rights;
• evidence-based policies, programmes and interventions that support good practices

and are not contrary to scientific evidence of effective HIV/AIDS interventions; including those that are based on cultural/religious beliefs and/or violate basic human rights principles.

The committee also considered the number of years’ experience working on HIV/AIDS issues,

the organization’s commitment to encourage and support enhanced community participation in

the conference, particularly of those representing and/or working with the most marginalized

and vulnerable and the organization’s ability and commitment to represent and promote the

International AIDS Conference publicly.

 

The partners would like to heartily thank Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC) for

their work and commitment during their representation on the conference organizing structures.

Contact details

Positive Women’s Network, South Africa

Heerengcht Building

87 De Korte Street, 3rd floor 305

Braamfontein, 2017

South Africa

pmabele@pwn.org.za

+ 27 11 339 7679 or +27 78 383 9529[/tp]

[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”fr”]En mai de cette année, l’un de nos organismes bénéficiaires à long terme – – PWN a reçu le poste d’associé de la société civile pour le sida entre 2014 et 2016 par la Société internationale sur le sida. De 2004 à ce jour, avec un montant des subventions totalisant $ 230,000, AWDF a travaillé avec PWN à améliorer la vie et les droits des personnes vivant avec le VIH / sida, et nous avons vu comment beaucoup de différences ont été faites dans leur vie. Nous envoyons nos félicitations aux Prudence Mabele et son équipe de PWN!

 

ANNONCE

Partenaire Nouvelle Société Civile pour le SIDA 2014 et le sida 2016

Positive Women’s Network, Afrique du Sud – –

Au nom des partenaires permanents de la Conférence internationale sur le sida, l’internationale sur le sida

Society (IAS) aimerait accueillir Positive Women’s Network, Afrique du Sud pour être le nouveau

partenaire de la société civile pour le SIDA 2014 et le sida 2016. Positive Women’s Network remplacera le

partenaire existant, les Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC), qui a occupé le

poste pour SIDA 2010 et le SIDA 2012. Les autres partenaires de la société civile pour le sida 2014 sont le

Réseau mondial de personnes vivant avec le VIH / sida (GNP +), La communauté internationale des femmes vivant avec le

VIH / sida (ICW), le Conseil international des ONG de lutte contre le sida (ICASO) et

Sidaction.

 

Positive Women’s Network, Afrique du Sud, créé en 1996, est une organisation non-gouvernementale

engagée à créer un environnement dans lequel les personnes vivant avec le VIH / SIDA sont libres de

la stigmatisation et la discrimination en raison de leur séropositivité. Le réseau reconnaît que

les personnes vivant avec et / ou affectées par le VIH / SIDA devraient partager le plomb et la responsabilité

face à la pandémie, tout en encourageant la société à créer l’espace pour eux de jouer

ce rôle crucial. L’organisation travaille à mettre en place et gérer des programmes de soins et de soutien,

les ressources de harnais et de construire, renforcer les capacités, l’appui et le suivi des initiatives de développement à

améliorer la qualité de vie des femmes et des enfants infectés et affectés par le VIH / SIDA à travers l’Afrique.

Le réseau a remporté un Prix Ruban Rouge à Vienne (AIDS 2010) pour son travail. L’organisation a nommé

Mme Prudence Mabele pour les représenter sur la Conférence des Comités de coordination (CCC).

Mme Mabele est la fondatrice du réseau en Afrique du Sud et

est un membre fondateur de la Treatment Action Campaign (TAC de), ainsi que le National

Association des personnes vivant avec le VIH et le sida en Afrique du Sud (NAPWA) et le Conseil national

Sud-Africain du sida. Elle a été obligée de vivre positivement avec le VIH depuis 22 ans et a été un

militant sud-africain de premier plan et un expert dans le domaine du VIH et du SIDA depuis 1992.

 

Le réseau de femmes séropositives, l’Afrique du Sud va combler un siège tournant sur les CCC qui est occupés

par une organisation de la société civile basée dans un pays aux ressources limitées qui travaille dans plusieurs

pays ou sur tout un continent avec le VIH et le SIDA comme une activité majeure.

 

L’appel d’organisations intéressées a été largement distribué avec onze demandes reçues.

Le comité de sélection, composé de représentants de tous les partenaires internationaux permanents

de la Conférence internationale sur le sida, a étudié à l’échelle régionale, les enjeux, les et

la représentation des circonscriptions au sein des membres de la société civile de la CCC. La série de critères

inclus l’examen de l’engagement démontré de l’organisation à:

• la participation accrue et significative des personnes vivant avec le VIH et le SIDA (GIPA / MIPA);
• la pleine réalisation des droits de l’homme, y compris ceux liés à la plus marginalisés
• les populations et les PVVIH, en particulier le principe de non-discrimination;
• l’égalité des sexes, l’autonomisation des femmes et la protection et la promotion de leurs droits de l’homme et des libertés fondamentales, y compris leurs droits sexuels et reproductifs;
• Les politiques fondées sur des données probantes, des programmes et des interventions qui soutiennent les bonnes pratiques
  et ne sont pas contraires à la preuve scientifique des interventions efficaces contre le VIH / SIDA; y compris celles qui sont fondées sur des croyances culturelles / religieuses et / ou viole les principes fondamentaux des droits de l’homme.

Le comité a également examiné le nombre d’années d’expérience de travail sur les questions de VIH / SIDA,

l’engagement de l’organisation à encourager et à soutenir la participation communautaire accrue dans

la conférence, en particulier de ceux qui représentent et / ou de travailler avec les plus marginalisés

et vulnérables et de la capacité et de l’engagement de l’organisation à représenter et promouvoir la

Conférence internationale sur le sida publiquement.

 

Les partenaires remercient chaleureusement Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC) pour

leur travail et leur engagement au cours de leur représentation sur la conférence organisation des structures.

 

Détails du contact

Positive Women’s Network, South Africa

Heerengcht Building

87 De Korte Street, 3rd floor 305

Braamfontein, 2017

South Africa

pmabele@pwn.org.za

+ 27 11 339 7679 or +27 78 383 9529[/tp]

On Thursday 5th April 2012, Theo Sowa, AWDF’s Interim CEO spoke on the critical importance of ‘African Women’s Voice and Representation’, at a TEDxChange in Berlin. Germany. To watch a video of her speech please click here

Theo Sowa spoke alongside Melinda French Gates, Sven Giegold and Baaba Maal. For full details of the TEDxChange event please visit their website

 

Philanthropy in Africa has become an area of increasing interest in the past 10 or more years. A key focus for interrogation is the manifestation of philanthropy in the African context – its areas of strength and weakness. Another is how to build on the traditions of philanthropy in Africa to attain stronger institutional processes that scale up localized forms of giving and ground these in principles of social justice, equality, peace and sustainable development. Africans are challenging the notion that Africa is purely a ‘donor recipient’ continent and instead are pointing to the rich traditions of giving and philanthropic practice in Africa – which in many instances have been the mainstay of entire communities.

 

Whilst it is known that philanthropy is an age-old practice in Africa, there is little recognition of the contributions it has made in developing and sustaining communities. In Africa today, much of the giving takes place in familial and informal community networks responding often to immediate/ welfare concerns. Burial societies, individual support to the payment of school fees and, building of community facilities are examples of philanthropy that can be found in many variations on the continent. Religious organizing has also formed a critical avenue for much of the more formal and institutionalised mechanisms for philanthropy, with programmes driven by local actors providing a range of services including education, health services and feeding programmes.

 

More recently, a number of African philanthropic actors and organisations seeking to address social, economic and political inequalities and disparities have emerged[1]. In addition there has been an increase in the number of high net worth individuals in Africa establishing their own, more formalised philanthropic initiatives and organizations. At the same time, the private and corporate sectors in Africa are increasingly developing corporate responsibility programmes. These developments have raised the visibility of philanthropy in Africa, highlighting its critical role in our societies and communities. Initiatives such as the African Grantmakers Network- a network developed by African grant makers to promote and strengthen philanthropy in Africa- are testament to the shifts in thinking and organisation on the continent. Increasingly Africans on the continent and elsewhere are seeking to make a difference as collaborative and organised donors to the kinds of change they wish to see.

 

This is both evident and urgent within the feminist movement. The role of women within the growing field of philanthropy in Africa- their contributions, successes and challenges – remain largely undocumented and unrecognised. Yet the establishment of organizations such as the African Women’s Development Fund and Urgent Action Fund –Africa amongst others, has concretised the central nature of African women’s participation and influence in philanthropy, especially social justice philanthropy.

 

Within the feminist movement, there is a growing body of thought on the need for us as women to fund our own movements. This partly reflects an increasing unease with external donor practice in support of short term, project based approaches- which do initiate some change, but which are in the long term difficult to sustain, since often they can only address symptoms, and not root causes. Mounting pressure to demonstrate immediate results or face the risk of losing funding has driven many to develop projects that are all SMART but have little in the way of substance and relevance. Many in the feminist movement point to the need for a different type of organizing. Organising that builds strong social movements of women and institutions who are able to define their own agenda and develop appropriate responses that encompass the breadth and depth of women’s realities on the continent, and that holds the state and other duty bearers accountable for their commitments to women’s rights. This approach suggests a shift from regarding our constituencies as beneficiaries to working with them as active and autonomous citizens. This requires also long term investments, risk taking, being bold and having an understanding that occasionally being unclear is as good as it gets!

 

In as much as there is a hunger for a different approach to funding, there is also recognition within the feminist movement that it is women in Africa and elsewhere who will have to pioneer it. Globally, women’s funds have emerged as critical players and investors in feminist movements worldwide. Increasingly feminist organising is interrogating the disjuncture between their movements and their sources of funding and are responding with internally driven processes for generating income. Many organisations are evolving wide ranging strategies including schemes such as workplace giving, development of social enterprises, endowment building, and individual or collective regular donations to feminist organisations, campaigns or initiatives. In Africa women have begun to recognize themselves and one another as an untapped resource base to support the movement on the continent. They are seeking ways in which to engage the high net worth and middle class African women who have thus far been rendered largely invisible in the global discourse on finance and resourcing for gender equality.

 

This is not to let traditional donors off the hook. As 50% of the global population and as contributors to the wealth created on a global scale, women have a right to an equitable share of development resources. This needs to be acknowledged and promoted as a priority on women’s rights, development and philanthropic agendas. However, there should also be recognition that women are exercising a new kind of agency – one that gives rise to a new source of power within, to truly own their movements, agendas and issues. This is an exciting time for the feminist movement in Africa. Our wealth has been and continues to be our passion, commitment, solidarity, and contestation. This provides new opportunities for learning and growth, creativity, knowledge and increasingly, our money and economic security. We are challenging the dominant development narrative that depicts us as passive recipients of external aid to one in which we are the active agents of the change we envision. We are putting our money where our hearts are……….

 

Sarah Mukasa

Director of Programmes, AWDF

 

Sarah Mukasa is Director of Programmes at the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF). Her interest in philanthropy has been informed by over two decades of work with African women’s rights organizations in Africa and the Diaspora.

I walked out of the airport confidently, ignoring all the traders who were trying to sell me sim cards, mobile phones or whatever else they had for sale. Then I stopped, slightly confused. Where’s the taxi stand? I wondered. I could see no taxis whatsoever. In Accra (where I had journeyed from) there were numerous taxi services at the airport. Official airport taxis, unofficial airport taxis and taxi drivers cruising by, hoping to pick up a passenger who has just arrived from Abrokyire (a trip abroad). Even before you fully emerge from Kotoka International Airport, men (and they are always men) in officious white shirts, and navy blue trousers will confront you with, “Taxi, taxi, airport taxi” but no such thing had happened here.

 

I paused and turned to one of the young men who had been trying to sell me a sim card “Je cherche le taxi”. “Qui, qui…” he responded, “Taxi ici” and tried to grab hold of my hand luggage whilst I simultaneously tried to maintain hold of my hand luggage. We walked to the main road. “This way, this way” is what I imagined he said, but there was no taxi this way. By now he had been joined by another compadre and they both resorted to hailing down passing taxis whilst simultaneously encouraging me to cross the street. Eventually a battered green taxi stopped in the middle of the road. “Tu connais l’hotel Laico?” (I can’t conjugate vous properly) “Qui” he responded, and so off we went…where to, I had no idea. In the taxi I texted my Mum, “I’ve arrived safely in Ougadougou. I’m en route to the hotel”. It did cross my mind that perhaps I should leave the safe arrival message until I had actually arrived at the hotel but hey ho, I was hoping for a safe arrival.

 

My predominant memories of Burkina will be women on mopeds, dry, dusty conditions and an amazing FESPACO experience. I’m still not used to seeing women on mopeds. Its not a sight that you ever come across in southern Ghana but in Burkina you see elderly women chugging along on mopeds, young women in little black dresses and heels on mopeds and women with their children on mopeds. “How empowering”, I thought. In a conversation with Deborah Ahenkorah (Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Golden Baobab Prize) she made a similar statement, “Women in Burkina appear so powerful. I get the impression that you shouldn’t mess with them…” Are we mistaken? Probably. Or probably not…

 

I had come to FESPACO (Pan African Film and Television Festival of Ougadougou) with three main goals:

 

• To participate fully in the festival and learn as much as possible about the current state of African film on the continent
• To speak on a panel with Amina Mama and Yaba Badoe at a CORDESIA workshop and
• To promote the work that AWDF has done in its popular culture project

 

Apart from a few logistical hitches, (printed programme booklets of the film schedule being a rare commodity, being sent all around the houses before arriving at the right place to purchase my festival and some technical hitches at one cinema) FESPACO was an amazing experience. I am already planning to attend the 23^rd FESPACO that will take place in 2013.

 

Films, Films, Films

Of course FESPACO was all about watching films. On Day 1 of the film festival I got together with Deborah and Kojo (friends from Ghana who were also attending FESPACO) and we eagerly went through the film schedule and highlighted those films we wanted to watch. Our film watching crew soon included Tsakani (whom Kojo and Debbie befriended over breakfast) from South Africa’s Arts and Culture department[1] and together we decided to challenge ourselves to watch as many films as possible! The film schedule didn’t contain a synopsis of the films so we chose films that we thought sounded exciting, and in my case I advocated for films with women directors (there were so few of those though). There were some days we watched as many as 5 films back to back.

 

Personally, my favourite films at the festival were:

 

• A Small Town Called Descent (South Africa)
• Dnoma (Haiti)
• Notre étrangère (Senegal)
• The last flight of the flamingo (Mozambique)
• Bullets over Brownsville (USA)
• Dusable to Obama : Chicago’s Black Metropolis (USA)
• The Figurine (Araromire) (Nigeria)

 

I liked these films for a variety of reasons and will review my ‘top 3’ below:

 

My Top 3 Films at FESPACO: A Nutshell Review and Synopsis

 

A Small Town Called Descent – this film reminded me of the best bits of a Hollywood blockbuster. It had compelling action scenes, good cops versus bad cops, a strong storyline and a romance doomed to failure. The film dealt with the hard-hitting issue of xenophobia, which centered on the murder of a Zimbabwean immigrant in the town ‘Descent’. The commander of the local police station is directly implicated in the murder and so is practically everyone else in the town (either through their action, inaction and unwillingness to speak up about the issue). We get the impression that the real puppet masters may not be the police commander or even the mob that lynched the Zimbabwean but the big businesses looking to buy up tracts of land in Descent. And of course there is the Afrikaner farmer who is the largest landholder in Descent, and was a high ranking military officer prior to the end of apartheid. We’re never quite sure how he is involved in the xenophobic attacks but we’re left with the feeling that he too is complicit

 

Dnoma – a complex, multi-layered film, which skillfully intertwined issues of race, class, immigration and sexuality. This film was located in France and combined several stories in one piece. There was the femme fatale teacher who gave her pupil a blowjob[2]. The woman who had been adopted as a child and decided to experiment with the concept of love and relationships by picking up a stranger at the train station and taking him home to make love/have sex. The young girl whose parents had moved to Spain, leaving her responsible for the care of her older sister who was dying from leukemia. The pupil (same one who had received a blowjob from his teacher) who was also a pickpocket, and was dating the girl who had caring responsibilities for her sister. The immigrant who worked long hours and sometimes came to school wearing his clothes from his job that later developed a crush on the girl who had caring responsibilities for her sister. Separate stories, yet all inter-connected and fascinating in its complexity and depth

 

Notre étrangère – A beautifully shot film, which spans Burkina Faso and France. The dominant themes deal with adoption, motherhood and the feeling of being a stranger or being caught in-between two worlds. A young girl leaves France in search of her biological mother in Burkina Faso but only finds her alcoholic Aunt who is overjoyed to see her and treats her like the prodigal daughter. The alcoholic Aunt is lonely; she has no children and despite numerous efforts has been unable to bear her own children. This is especially hard in a country, which valorizes motherhood and scorns the barren woman.

 

Whilst the young girl searches in vain for her mother, her mother is working as a cleaner in France. Although she had agreed for her daughter’s French father to take the young girl to France she never recovers from the loss of her daughter and disappears soon after the child leaves for France. The audience is aware that the mother is in France and the Aunt heard a rumour that the mother is in France but no one knows for a fact where the mother is located. The film ends without mother and daughter finding each other.

 

So how does all this relate to what I do at AWDF?

In 2008, AWDF formally launched a popular culture project at the Sixth African Development Forum held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 18^th-21^st November 2008. The launch of the popular culture project was in recognition of the need for women’s rights organisations to adopt strategies that can target a mass base of the population if perceptions, behaviours and attitudes are to be influenced.

 

In 2010, AWDF convened the first African Women in Film Forum in conjunction with the Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts led by acclaimed Nollywood actress Joke Silva on the theme, “Nollywood: Women and the Dynamics of Representation”. This forum attracted a wide and diverse cross section of Nollywood’s key players including Directors, Actresses, Scriptwriters and virtually every profession connected in some way to the film profession.

 

In 2011, AWDF as part of its 3^rd strategic plan has decided to add a new thematic area to its work, “Arts, Culture and Sports”. This presents a new opportunity for AWDF to extend its support for the Arts and to consider innovative ways of achieving gender equality.

 

It is very clear to me that the visual medium is a powerful tool and one that women’s rights activists haven’t engaged with sufficiently.

 

There was a powerful documentary screened at the 22nd FESPACO, “The Witches of Gambaga”. Women’s rights organizations at the public screening in Ghana on the 15^th of February 2011 described the film as “a gift to the women’s movement”. A gift because the film depicts powerfully (in a way no report can) the abuse that women who have been accused of witchcraft face and shows the complex interplay of gender, tradition and power which leave women vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft. Not enough of such films exist, or if they do exist are not widely disseminated.

 

We need more documentaries that tell women’s stories. We need action films that have women heroines (and not just as the pretty sidekick). We need films that show women in all their beautiful diversities – working women, rich women, lesbians, activists, happy singletons, women living positively, differently abled women…We need women producers, directors, scriptwriters, actresses, distributors…

 

See you at the 23^rd FESPACO in 2013.

Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah

Communications Officer

AWDF

Women of Substance is about the energy and commitment that African Women put into shaping Africa through their local, national and regional initiatives. In this abbreviated version of a 42 minute documentary produced by the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF(, grantee organisations speak about the critical work and transformatory impact of AWDF’s funding and capacity building support in their lives for the past ten years.

Feminist activists featured include President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, Margaret Dongo of Zimbabwe, Angela Dwamena-Aboagye of Ghana, the founders of AWDF (Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, Joana Foster, Dr Hilda Tadria), Theo Sowa of Ghana/UK, Patricia Babiiha of Uganda, Siphiwe Hhlope of Swaziland and Prudence Mabele of South Africa.

To watch the abbreviated version of ‘Women of Substance’ please click here

The African Women’s Development Fund has been featured in the January 2011 edition of New African Woman. Please visit http://headley.co.uk/headturner/NAWwinter2010 to read the magazine online.

[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

THE AFRICAN WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT FUND (AWDF) LAUNCHES A SOUTHERN AFRICAN SATELLITE OFFICE

On the 7^th of October 2010, Madam Graca Machel will launch the Southern African satellite office of the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) at The Rosebank Crown Plaza Hotel, Johannesburg, South Africa. AWDF’s Guest of Honour for the occasion will be Her Excellency Joyce Banda, Vice President of Malawi.

AWDF has grown phenomenally in its 10-year history of grant-making, technical assistance and capacity building to African women’s rights organizations. In order to further strengthen its support to women’s rights organizations, AWDF will be establishing satellite offices with the first satellite office based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Southern African satellite office seeks to support and strengthen the work of grantee partners in the sub-region and contribute to strengthening the women’s movement as a whole. AWDF’s Head Office will remain in Accra, Ghana. Ahead of the official launch of the Southern African office, AWDF will hold a convening with its grantees and development partners in Southern Africa to strategise on achievements, challenges, and future work required to develop women’s rights organizations and the women’s movement in the Southern African sub-region. This convening will inform the strategic work to be undertaken by AWDF ‘s satellite office.

According to AWDF’s Executive Director, Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, ‘AWDF is pleased to announce the imminent launch of its Southern African satellite office. I am also pleased to introduce the AWDF Southern African board members who are Professor Sesae Felicity Mpuchane, Patricia Nozipho January Bardill, Namane Mileah Maga Magau, Angie Makwetla, Tina Thiart, Dr Hilda Tadria, Joana Foster, Yvonne Mhinga and Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi. Together we look forward to supporting the work of African women’s rights organizations in Southern Africa’

ENDS

The African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) is a grant-making foundation which supports local, national and regional organizations in Africa working towards women’s empowerment. AWDF through institutional capacity building and program development seeks to build a culture of learning and partnerships within the African women’s movement.

The vision of AWDF is for African women to live in a world in which there is social justice, equality and respect for women’s human rights. To this end, our mission is to mobilize financial resources to support local, national and regional initiatives led by women, which will lead to the achievement of this vision.

 

Press Enquiries

 

South Africa

Myesha Jenkins (AWDF Southern Africa Consultant)

Tel: + 27 827 648 208

Email: myeshaj@mweb.co.za

Website: www.africlub.net/awdf

Ghana

Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah (Programme Officer for Communications)

Tel: +233 302 521 257

Email: nana@africlub.net/awdf

Website: www.africlub.net/awdf[/tp]

[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE

Pour diffusion immédiate

Le Fonds Africain de Développement de la Femme (AWDF) LANCE UN BUREAU SATELLITE en AFRIQUE AUSTRALE

Le 7 Octobre 2010, Madame Graca Machel lancera le bureau satellite de l’Afrique australe du Fonds de développement des femmes africaines (AWDF) à The Rosebank Hôtel Crown Plaza, Johannesburg, Afrique du Sud. L’invité de AWDF d’honneur pour l’occasion sera Son Excellence Joyce Banda, vice-président du Malawi.

AWDF a connu une croissance phénoménale dans son histoire de 10 ans de l’octroi de subventions, d’assistance technique et de renforcement des capacités pour les organisations de femmes africaines de l’homme. Afin de renforcer encore son soutien aux organisations des droits des femmes, AWDF sera la création de bureaux satellites avec le premier bureau satellite basée à Johannesburg, Afrique du Sud. Le bureau satellite de l’Afrique australe vise à soutenir et renforcer le travail des partenaires bénéficiaires de subventions dans la sous-région et de contribuer à renforcer le mouvement des femmes dans son ensemble. Siège de AWDF restera à Accra, au Ghana. Avant le lancement officiel de l’Office de l’Afrique australe, AWDF tiendra une convocation avec ses bénéficiaires et les partenaires de développement de l’Afrique australe à élaborer des stratégies sur les réalisations, les défis et les travaux futurs nécessaires pour développer les organisations des droits des femmes et le mouvement des femmes de la sous de l’Afrique australe -région. Cette convocation informera le travail stratégique à entreprendre par bureau satellite de l ‘AWDF.

Selon le directeur exécutif de l’AWDF, Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, ‘AWDF est heureux d’annoncer le lancement imminent de son bureau satellite de l’Afrique australe. Je suis également heureux de vous présenter les membres de l’Afrique australe AWDF du conseil qui sont le professeur Sesae Felicity Mpuchane, Patricia Nozipho Janvier Bardill, Namane Mileah Maga Magau, Angie Makwetla, Tina Thiart, Dr Hilda Tadria, Joana Foster, Yvonne Mhinga et Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi. Ensemble, nous sommes impatients de soutenir le travail des organisations de femmes africaines de l’homme en Afrique australe ‘

ENDS

Le Fonds de développement des femmes africaines (AWDF) est une fondation d’octroi de subventions qui soutient des organisations locales, nationales et régionales en Afrique travaillent à l’autonomisation des femmes. AWDF à travers le renforcement des capacités institutionnelles et le développement de programme vise à construire une culture de l’apprentissage et des partenariats au sein du mouvement des femmes africaines.

La vision de AWDF est pour les femmes africaines de vivre dans un monde dans lequel il ya la justice sociale, l’égalité et le respect des droits humains des femmes. À cette fin, notre mission est de mobiliser des ressources financières pour soutenir les initiatives locales, nationales et régionales dirigées par des femmes, ce qui mènera à la réalisation de cette vision.

 

Demandes de la presse

Afrique du Sud

Myesha Jenkins (AWDF Southern Africa Consultant)

Tel: + 27 827 648 208

Email: myeshaj@mweb.co.za

Website: www.africlub.net/awdf

Ghana

Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah (Programme Officer for Communications)

Tel: +233 302 521 257

Email: nana@africlub.net/awdf

Website: www.africlub.net/awdf[/tp]

[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]The African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) in collaboration with Lufodo Productions is convening an African Women in Film Forum, 16^th-17^th June 2010 in Lagos, Nigeria.

This forum is being held to facilitate a dialogue on women’s rights with movie producers and writers, and establish a Gender Dialogue with the `Nollywood’ sector in Nigeria. In order to further promote gender equality and women’s empowerment, there is a need for women’s rights organisations to adopt strategies that can target a mass base of the population if perceptions, behaviours and attitudes are to be influenced. This activity is a crucial component of AWDF’s Popular Culture Project, which is supported by the MDG3 Fund.

According to AWDF’s Executive Director, Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi ‘The African Women in Film Forum will bring together a number of prominent African filmmakers, writers and creatives including Professor Abena Busia, Tsitsi Dangaremba and Akin Omotoso to start a gender dialogue on how we can reclaim popular culture to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment’.

ENDS

The African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) is a grant-making foundation which supports local, national and regional organizations in Africa working towards women’s empowerment. AWDF through institutional capacity building and program development seeks to build a culture of learning and partnerships within the African women’s movement.

The vision of AWDF is for African women to live in a world in which there is social justice, equality and respect for women’s human rights. To this end, our mission is to mobilize financial resources to support local, national and regional initiatives led by women, which will lead to the achievement of this vision.

Press Enquiries

Nana Sekyiamah – Programme Officer (Fundraising & Communications)

Tel: + 233 (0) 302 521257

Email: nana@africlub.net/awdf

Websites: www.africlub.net/awdf[/tp]

[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”en”]Le Fonds Africain de Développement de la Femme (AWDF) en collaboration avec Lufodo Productions est la convocation d’une des femmes africaines dans le forum du film, le 16-Juin 17th 2010 à Lagos, au Nigeria.

 

Ce forum est organisé pour faciliter un dialogue sur les droits des femmes avec les producteurs et les auteurs de cinéma, et d’établir un dialogue entre les sexes avec le secteur `Nollywood” au Nigeria. Afin de promouvoir davantage l’égalité des sexes et l’autonomisation des femmes, il ya un besoin pour les organisations des droits des femmes à adopter des stratégies qui peuvent cibler une base de masse de la population si les perceptions, les comportements et les attitudes doivent être influencé. Cette activité est une composante essentielle du projet Culture Populaire de AWDF, qui est soutenu par le Fonds OMD3.

 

Selon le directeur exécutif de l’AWDF, Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi «Les femmes africaines dans Film Forum rassemblera un certain nombre d’éminents africains cinéastes, écrivains et créateurs, dont le Professeur Abena Busia, Tsitsi Dangaremba et Akin Omotoso d’entamer un dialogue entre les sexes sur la façon dont nous pouvons récupérer la culture populaire pour promouvoir l’égalité des sexes et l’autonomisation des femmes ».

 

 

Le Fonds Africain de Développement de la Femme (AWDF) est une fondation d’octroi de subventions qui soutient des organisations locales, nationales et régionales en Afrique travaillent à l’autonomisation des femmes. AWDF à travers le renforcement des capacités institutionnelles et le développement de programme vise à construire une culture de l’apprentissage et des partenariats au sein du mouvement des femmes africaines.

 

La vision de AWDF est pour les femmes africaines de vivre dans un monde dans lequel il ya la justice sociale, l’égalité et le respect des droits humains des femmes. À cette fin, notre mission est de mobiliser des ressources financières pour soutenir les initiatives locales, nationales et régionales dirigées par des femmes, ce qui mènera à la réalisation de cette vision.

 

Questions presse

Nana Sekyiamah – Administrateur de programme (Levée de fonds et des communications)

Tel: + 233 (0) 302 521 257

Email: nana@africlub.net/awdf

Sites Web: www.africlub.net/awdf[/tp]