Achievements
Dialogue on challenges and opportunities for women's leadership in Africa's development. Over 50 participants, comprising men and women from Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone and other African countries, joined Ghanaian participants from key sectors including civil society, government, education, the private sector, the international community, and the wider public to brainstorm feasible and sustainable leadership models for African women. Participants examined a range of factors affecting women's access to and occupation of leadership roles, from macroeconomic and political reforms, to the role of international organizations and gender relations at the family and community levels.
Essay competition for girls during to open up a dialogue on the issue of Gender and HIV AIDS. The topics of the competition were :1) The Connection between HIV/AIDS and Sexual assault of girls and, 2) the role of the girl child in fighting the spread of the disease. The competition was a nationwide effort targeted at girls in JSS/SSS, aged 18 years and below. The aim of the follow-on workshop was to deepen the dialogue around the issues of HIV/AIDS, sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) and the role of the girl child in fighting the spread of the disease. An all-girls space provided a conducive environment for discussions around the issues of HIV/AIDS and SGBV
Strategy workshop on lobbying to advance women's human rights in national legislation. The event was chaired by Ms. Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, Executive Director of the African Women's Development Fund, and featured an international lobbying strategy specialist, Ms. Alex Arriaga, Director of Government Relations for Amnesty International USA. Over twenty prominent leaders of women's rights and humanitarian aid organizations in Ghana were present. Ghana's proposed Domestic Violence Bill, drafted recently by the Attorney General in response to the size and urgency of the domestic violence problem in Ghana, was specifically addressed at the session.
Women's Leadership Research: Objectives of the research were to:
1) identify influential African business sectors and understand the qualifications for top positions in those areas;
2) collect data and statistics on the current status of African women's leadership;
3) identify possible donors and partners of the Moremi Initiative program;
4) outline procedures for recruiting Moremi Initiative fellows and faculty; and
5) identify potential individuals to serve on the Moremi Initiative faculty, International Advisory Committee, and Curriculum Development and Selection Committee.
Media strategy workshop to develop a targeted media strategy to advance women's human rights in national legislation. Participants included prominent publishers, editors, producers, reporters, and radio presenters from major Ghanaian media sources.
UNIFEM supported workshop on Transformational Leadership and Women in Politics, which resulted in nine Members of Parliament from Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Ghana trained in transformational leadership skills. In particular, the women gained an increased sensitivity to the critical importance of catering to the needs of their female constituents
Women leaders representing twelve countries in Africa and the African Diaspora gathered in Accra, Ghana to design and launch the Moremi Initiative Leadership Development Institute targeting women and girls. The new program represents an opportunity to increase the representation of women in leadership positions throughout Africa.
Launch of the diverse Moremi Initiative Advisory Committee which included representatives from six West African nations, two countries in Southern Africa, two East African nations, and two countries in the African Diaspora. The two-day meeting, held at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel in Accra, laid the groundwork for the MOREMI INITIATIVE, which will recruit and identify a team of women and girls from Africa and the African Diaspora to serve as senior and junior fellows in the Moremi Initiative program.
The Moremi Initiative Curriculum Committee convened a meeting to develop a world-class curriculum for fellow of Moremi Initiative . The Moremi Initiative Curriculum Development Committee Meeting was attended by 29 individuals with expertise in Moremi Initiative's seven program areas. Committee members were primarily drawn from organizations and universities in Accra, Ghana. The primary objective of the three-day meeting was to develop a curriculum plan for each of Moremi Initiative's seven program areas: leadership development, mentoring, solidarity, advocacy, research, networking & collaboration, and social activism and transformative service to society. Additional objectives were to develop a curriculum appropriate for the junior fellows at the Moremi Initiative Congress, and to offer recommendations on Moremi Initiative's participant selection process and in-country programs.