(this was culled from Forbes. It's meant to test run my blog.)
This is a guest post by Zimbabwean TV Personality / Producer and Entrepreneur Farai Gundan
As Africa continues to rise, so do African women. With the upward
economic, social and political trajectory of the continent, a new breed
of African women continues to emerge. So much so, that the
African Union christened the years 2010 to 2020 as the “African Women’s Decade”.
For the first time in history, the African Union voted an African woman to its helm. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma,
South Africa‘s
Minister of Home Affairs and a medical doctor, will lead and usher the
54-nation organization into a new era of possibilities for the
continent. In her keynote address honoring her as the first female chair
of the African Union, Dlamini-Zuma said: “African women make up over
fifty percent of the continent, and let’s not forget that they produce
the other fifty percent–men.”
Additionally, this year Africa welcomed its second female head of State and
Malawi‘s first female president, Her Excellency President
Joyce Banda. In August, Forbes published its 2012 annual list of the
World’s 100 Most Powerful Women and of the 100 women selected, 11 were Black, of whom 3 were Africans: Presidents Joyce Banda and
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of
Liberia
and Nigerian Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. To solidify the
African Union’s “African Women’s Decade” theme, Nigerian oil tycoon,
fashion designer and philanthropist Folorunsho Alakija became the first
woman on Forbes’ annual ranking of the
40 richest Africans, with a net worth estimated at $600 million.
African women are unconflicted about themselves, who they are and the
role they play, not only within their families but in their countries
and the world at large. These are African women changing the face of the
continent, hopping on planes from one to another of its major cities –
Lagos, Dakar, Nairobi, Accra – cutting big deals and preferring to see
Africa’s much storied deficits as HUGE investment opportunities.
Divine Ndhlukula did it with her Harare-based Securico firm, one of Zimbabwe’s largest security companies. The winner of the prestigious
Legatum Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship,
Securico is an industry leader in providing custom guard services and
cutting-edge electronic security solutions. Or Chairperson of
Africa Fashion International,
Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, whose mission is to create global demand for
African designers and brands. To that end, her company, in partnership
with Mercedes-Benz, hosts fashion weeks throughout South Africa as the
premier gateway to African fashion.
These African women are comfortable in any setting, corporate or
traditional. They are able to hold their own in chic Parisian, Dubai or
Wall Street circles but totally at home in some of Africa’s great
cities: Yaounde, Cameroon; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Cape Town, South
Africa; Harare, Zimbabwe. It is the way they embrace this duality of
outlook and perspective that defines this new breed of African women.
Last year Forbes readers were introduced to a remarkable group of the
20 Youngest Power Women In Africa,
heralding a new wave of African women taking control of their economic,
social and political destinies. Here are the 20 Youngest Power Women in
Africa for 2012,
all under age 45, shaping the narrative of the continent’s rising.
Leymah Gbowee, Liberia, Peace and Women’s Rights Activist
The peace activist was one of three female recipients who were awarded
the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize “for non-violent struggle for the safety of
women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building
work.” Gbowee helped organize and lead the Liberian Mass Action for
Peace, an alliance of Christian and Muslim women, in public protest
during Liberia’s tumultuous times. Now, through her organization
Women Peace and Security Network Africa,
Gbowee trains and empowers women in Africa to bring peace to their own
countries. Gbowee is a recipient of multiple awards including the Blue
Ribbon Peace Award from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School,
Gruber Prize for Women’s Rights, the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage
Award, the Medal for Justice from New York’s John Jay College of
Criminal Justice and the Women’s eNews Leaders For the 21st Century
Award.
Cina Lawson, Togo, Minister of Post and Telecommunications, Togo
Lawson is currently the Minister of Post and Telecommunications of
Togo. Prior to her appointment, Lawson was a Manager of Corporate
Strategy and Business Development at the France Telecom/Orange Group in
New York City and Alcatel-Lucent in Paris. Lawson began her career in
telecommunications at the
World Bank
in Washington DC where she focused on regulatory reforms for developing
nations. She is a graduate of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of
Government and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris and was named a
2012 Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
Juliana Rotich, Kenya, Co-Founder
Ushahidi
Rotich is Co-Founder and Executive Director of
Ushahidi,
a Nairobi-based tech company that specializes in developing free and
open source software that aggregates and curates crisis data on a
real-time basis and collates the data into live, interactive maps. She
was named one of the “Top 100 Women” by the Guardian newspaper, “Top 2
Women” in Technology and “Social Entrepreneur of the Year” in 2011 by
The World Economic Forum. Rotich is a technologist and a TED Senior
Fellow.
Patience Mthunzi, PhD. South Africa, Senior Scientist, CSIR
Born in Orlando West, Soweto, Dr. Mthunzi is currently South Africa’s
only Senior Scientist for the Biophotonics Research Group within the
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) National Laser Center
in biophotonics – a field of study that enables microscopic study of
biological molecules, cells and tissue using laser. Unable to study
biophotonics in South Africa, she became the first South African PhD
student at the School of Physics and Astronomy of the University of St
Andrews in Scotland. Dr. Mthunzi was recently
awarded one of the country’s highest orders, the
Order of Mapungubwe, for her contribution in the field of biophotonics.
Maud Chifamba, Zimbabwe, 14-year old University Accounting Student
At 14-years old, Chifamba made history this year when she became the
youngest student (male or female) in Zimbabwe and possibly the whole of
Southern Africa to enroll at university. The young genius was admitted
to the
University of Zimbabwe
where she will study towards a Bachelor of Accountancy Honors Degree.
An orphan, Chifamba’s mother passed away last December, days after she
sat for her final exams, and her father nine years ago when she was five
years old. Despite this and abject poverty (her two brothers were
unable to pay her fees for regular school), Chifamba home schooled
herself and broke academic records earning a four-year scholarship of
nearly USD$10,000.
Florence Iwegbue, Nigeria, Attorney & Co-Founder,
LiveWello
A life-changing event, the diagnosis of her son with Autism gave birth to
LiveWello™,
social network targeted at health. A U.K-trained attorney, Iwegbue and
her physician husband, a self-taught software developer, built
LiveWello
to support their Autistic son’s health while harnessing the best
elements of their African culture: village life. By building a health
app that was social in nature, they were able to collaborate with their
son’s health providers, their health coaches and the rest of their
family back home in Africa, to collectively manage his health. Now
Iwegbue is helping other people manage their own health with the social
network app she built.
Lisa Opoku, Ghana, Chief Operating Officer,
Goldman Sachs
US-based Black Enterprise magazine named the Wall Street executive one
of its 2012 “40 Rising Stars Under 40″ and one of “75 Most Powerful
Women in Business” for 2010. She is the Chief Operating Officer for
Goldman Sachs‘
securities division for the Asia Pacific region. Opoku Busumbru earned a
Bachelor of Arts degree with high honors in Sociology from the
University of Minnesota in 1993 and a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law
School in 1996.
Leila Lopes, Angola, 2012
Miss Universe
On September 12, 2011, Lopes was crowned
Miss Universe,
becoming the first Angolan woman to win the position, the fourth
African to win the title (Miss South Africa took the title in 1978, Miss
Namibia won in 1992, Miss Botswana won in 1999) and the second Black
African woman to win following Mpule Kwelagobe from Botswana in 1999. As
the reigning Miss Universe, Lopes used the platform for advocacy for
HIV and AIDS patients worldwide.
Isha Sesay, Sierra Leone, News Anchor & Journalist,
CNN
Sesay reports for “
African Voices” and “
Inside Africa“,
CNN International’s award-winning, weekly program that covers
political, economic, cultural and social trends in Africa. Sesay is also
an anchor on CNN International and a contributor to CNN’s Anderson
Cooper 360 and HLN’s nightly news show “Evening Express.”
Rainatou Sow, Guinea, Women’s Right Activist, Founder & Executive Director,
Make Every Woman Count
Originally
from the West African country of Guinea, Rai is a human rights and
social justice advocate and women’s rights activist. Founded in
December 2010, two months after the declaration of the “African Women’s
Decade” by the African Union, “
Make Every Woman Count” is a U.K-based non-profit organization that monitors women’s rights in every African country. The organization publishes an
annual report
as an audit of the status and conditions of women in each African
country. Rai was awarded the “Most Inspirational Woman of the Year 2012″
by
Women4Africa.
Biola Alabi, Nigeria, Managing Director, MNET Africa
As Managing Director for multi-national cable and satellite content
company, MNET Africa, Alabi is one of the most powerful women in African
media. Named a 2012 Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum,
she has been at the forefront of the expansion of the
AfricaMagic
channels brand across the continent. In 2010 she served as a member of
the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Future of
Entertainment.
Lorna Rutto, Kenya, Sustainable Living and Green Technology Entrepreneur,
Ecopost
Rutto is the founder of
Ecopost whose vision is “To Transform Africa’s Waste into Wealth.” Her Nairobi-based company,
Ecopost,
converts consumer plastic into durable, easy to use and environmentally
friendly plastic lumber, an eco-friendly alternative to timber. Rutto
is the
2011 Sub-Saharan Africa Cartier Laureate. She also won the 2010 Bid Network Nature Challenge Award, 2010 SEED Award and the 2009 Enablis Business Award.
Yolanda Sangweni, South Africa, Senior Editor/Producer,
ESSENCE.com
Born to a South African freedom fighter mother, who fled from the
apartheid regime to the United States when Sangweni was a small child
and lived in Harlem during her formative years, she is Senior Editor at
ESSENCE.com, one of the leading publications for Black women in the United States. Sangweni is also co-founder of
AfriPOP!,
an online magazine focusing on contemporary African youth culture,
music, fashion and film from an Afropolitan perspective. Sangweni worked
as a Features editor at TRACE Magazine and contributing writer for “
O: The Oprah Magazine” (South Africa), Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar,
Arise Magazine, and Time Out New York covering music, fashion and culture.
Danai Gurira, Zimbabwe, Actress & Writer
One of the lead characters on the popular
HBO
show, “The Walking Dead,” based on the popular American comic book of
the same name, now currently in its third season, Gurira plays Michonne,
a fearless woman warrior. A graduate of New York University’s
prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, Gurira has guest starred on “Law
& Order: Criminal Intent”, “Life on Mars”, “Lie to Me” and had a
recurring role on “Treme” on
HBO.
Her movie roles include The “Visitor,” “Restless City” and “MaGeorge.” A
recipient of the Obie Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, and Helen
Hayes Award for Best Lead Actress for an off-Broadway play, Gurira
recently won the
2012 Whiting Award for USD$50,000, bestowed annually to 10 rising stars.
Eunice Cofie, Ghana, Founder & Chief Cosmetic Chemist,
Nuekie
A former Miss Black Florida USA, Cofie is the President and Chief Cosmetic Chemist of
Nuekie
– an ethnic dermatology company. She was also featured in Scientific
American as “What a Scientist Looks Like.” Cofie was recognized by the
Governor of Florida and the Florida Commission on the Status of Women
with the prestigious
Florida Achievement Award for her
commitment to improving the lives of women and families in her
community. Cofie was named by the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper as one
of the
“25 Women You Need to Know in Tallahassee” and a 2012 Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum
Marieme Jamme, Senegal, Social Entrepreneur, Technologist & CEO,
SpotOne Global Solutions
Senegalese-born Marieme Jamme is London-based CEO of SpotOne Global
Solutions, a UK-based company that helps IT organizations establish a
global footprint in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. CNN named
Jamme one of
Top Ten African Tech Voices to follow on Twitter. Jamme is also a co-founder of
Africa Gathering,
the first global platform where entrepreneurs and experts meet and
share ideas about development in Africa. A prolific speaker,
particularly on Africa, Jamme is also the organizer of TEDx Accra and
Dakar.
Jepchumba, Kenya, Digital Content Creator, Cultural Curator,
African Digital Art
Jepchumba is the Founder and Creative Director of
African Digital Art,
a platform for innovation and inspiration which is dedicated to African
digital media. Originally from Kenya, but based in Cape Town, South
Africa, Jepchumba travels the world to share her views on African art
and technology at popular conferences including South by Southwest
(SXSW) in Austin, Texas and most recently at TedxEuston in England.
Redi Tlhabi, South Africa, Journalist, Broadcaster & Author
She hosts the “Redi Tlhabi Show” on
Talk Radio 702 and
567 Cape Talk.
She has interviewed prominent newsmakers including Nelson Mandela,
South African President Jacob Zuma, former British Prime Minister Tony
Blair, Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Tlhabi is also the producer of a
much-talked about documentary on the former South African President
Thabo Mbeki. She is also a columnist for the
Sunday Times newspaper and author of
Endings and Beginnings: A Story of Healing,
a book based on her childhood experiences. The popular host has a new
talkshow on Al Jazeera English television channel that will focus on
politics, culture, music, health and science.
Swaady Martin-Leke, Ivory Coast, Entrepreneur & Founder,
Yswara
The former high-ranking
General Electric executive left her job in 2011 to launch
Yswara, a luxury brand committed to offering the best African teas and cultural experiences. The
Yswara collection of teas include “African Queen Health Teas”, “Seven Wonders of Africa” and “Kingdoms of Africa”.
Yswara
opened its flagship store in Johannesburg and two more are planned for
Cape Town and Nigeria. Swaady is a member of the invite-only
African Leadership Network which one of the leading organizations of young, dynamic and influential leaders in Africa.
Jacqueline Chimhanzi, PhD. Zimbabwe, Corporate Executive
Dr Jacqueline Chimhanzi is Senior Strategist with the
Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), a leading development finance institute on the African continent. Prior to that, she was Lead: Africa Desk with
Deloitte South Africa. She is a Fellow of the highly competitive pan-African Arch-Bishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Program run by the
African Leadership Institute
(AfLI) at Oxford University and is also a founding member of New Faces
New Voices, under the patronage of Mrs Graca Machel committed to
widening financial access for African women entrepreneurs. In 2010, she
appeared on South Africa
Destiny Magazine’s
list: “The Power of 40” and in 2012 was part of a group of “esteemed
Africa watchers” invited to submit their views on Africa to the leading
journal Development for a special Africa-focused edition, Africa
Strategies for Transformation.
