Daniel Athior Atem Manyuon
For International Women’s Month for the month of March, we take time to celebrate women who embody commitment, values, and self-sacrifice, all of which form the true backbone of societal progress and development. Africa is no exception, as the continent is undergoing a profound and dynamic transition, with women being the main architects of change, using their unyielding spirit, creativity, and strong values to propel the continent forward.
The influence of African women is indeed gradually, but surely, permeating all facets of life on the continent. This is evident in leadership and government, with women such as Graça Machel leading as a symbol of women’s influence in Africa and globally. Her relentless fight for women’s and children’s rights demonstrates her impact and compassionate leadership, transforming politics and governance across Africa; Joined by other prominent women, including Africa’s first elected female head of state, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Tanzania’s first female president, President Samia Suluhu Hassan, and Jemma Nunu Kumba (South Sudan’s first elected female Speaker), who are redefining leadership and politics across the continent.
In the education sector, women have laid the groundwork. From the passionate activists who advocate for girls in education to the chancellors of the continent’s top learning institutions, women have continued to break the barriers. Their commitment ensures that the continent’s greatest resource, its youth, gets the knowledge they deserve, effectively addressing the cycle of poverty and gender inequality. In the science and technology, women have continued to break new frontiers. From the continent’s top physicists, such as Professor Francisca Nneka Okeke, to the increasing number of coders, engineers, and biotechnology innovators, Africa’s women have shown that they are at the heart of solving the world’s challenges.
The entrepreneurial spirit of women in Africa powers the continent’s economic engine. From tech start-ups in Lagos, Nairobi, and Kampala, to agriculture cooperatives in Rwanda and Malawi, women have continued to prove that business can achieve its goals while making an impact. Their spirit embodies the power of purposeful business.
In the arena of politics and public policy, women are the blueprint for a better tomorrow. As lawmakers, government employees, and advocates from the realm of civil society, they advocate for policies that promote gender equality, social protection, and economic justice—in ways that are sustained and dynamic, moving from the present into the future.
These women, the ones in the spotlight and the ones in the background, the ones who are famous and the ones who are unknown, tap into the same well of values within their communities: Ubuntu, resilience, and the unrelenting commitment to what is yet to come. Their work is a powerful testament to the fact that the renaissance of Africa is being written, driven, and made possible by women across the continent. As we celebrate women this month, their commitment is not only recognized but understood as the pulse of progress across the continent.
Written by Daniel Athior Atem Manyuon
Daniel is MINDS Africa Alumni, Mandela Scholar and Financial Economist. He’s a member of the World Bank Youth Transforming Scholars. He is an opinion writer on issues related to Socio-finance-economics, Education, Youth-in-Sports, Governance, and Corruption.
