From 3–7 August, Kigali, Rwanda, became a meeting point for a new generation of women political leaders from across Africa and the Caribbean, as the African Academy for Women in Political Leadership launched its inaugural cohort.
Established by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the African School of Governance (ASG), the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN), the Academy brings together 40 women political leaders from 28 African countries and the Caribbean. The cohort was selected from more than 1,300 applications and includes ministers, parliamentarians, mayors, governors, senators, political party leaders and emerging political leaders.
The Academy’s launch reflects an important shift in the conversation around women’s political leadership: from increasing women’s participation to strengthening their ability to lead, influence institutions and shape political outcomes.
Among the senior leaders sharing their experience with the inaugural cohort were H.E. Sahle-Work Zewde, former President of Ethiopia and WPL Trailblazer Award recipient, and H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, former Chairperson of the African Union Commission. Their participation offered the next generation of leaders an opportunity to learn directly from women who have reached some of the highest levels of political leadership on the continent.
For Women Political Leaders, the Academy also represents the continuation of a longstanding relationship with the African Women Leaders Network. WPL and AWLN have consistently worked together to strengthen women’s political leadership and create opportunities for women leaders to connect across generations, countries and political contexts.
The role of H.E. Bineta Diop, Co-Convenor of the African Women Leaders Network, has been particularly important to this shared work. At the Academy’s launch, she described the initiative as a defining moment for AWLN, highlighting the move from advocating for women’s leadership towards building the structures and opportunities that enable women to exercise it.
For WPL, initiatives such as the African Academy underline why building women’s political leadership cannot stop at representation. Political leadership also requires networks, knowledge, mentorship, resources and opportunities to exercise influence. The launch in Kigali is an investment in the political leadership pipeline and in the women who will help shape Africa’s governance in the years ahead.
