New York, September 27, 2025 — The Africa Women Leaders Network (AWLN) is set to host a landmark high-level forum on women’s political leadership in New York, on the margins of the 80th Session of  United Nations General Assembly(UNGA80). This event will bring together government delegates, parliamentarians, civil society actors, and youth leaders to chart a bold path forward for women’s leadership across Africa and the world under the theme, “High-Level Africa Women’s Leadership Forum: Advancing Women’s Political Leadership in Africa.”

Background

The timing of the forum is both symbolic and urgent. It comes as the international community reflects on the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, a milestone agreement that set the global agenda for gender equality. While progress has been made since 1995, across Africa, women are increasingly taking up leadership roles in governance, business, civil society, academia, and community development. Despite progress, barriers such as gender inequality, limited access to resources, and underrepresentation in decision-making spaces persist. The High-Level Africa Women Leadership Forum seeks to provide a platform for dialogue, networking, and strategic action to amplify women’s voices and leadership across sectors.

This gathering will therefore focus on accelerating change, not only by celebrating trailblazers but also by building alliances, mobilizing resources, and equipping women to step into political leadership.

The Africa Facility for Women in Political Leadership

Central to this effort is the Africa Facility for Women in Political Leadership, a flagship initiative in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the African Union (AU) under AWLN’s Governance and Political Participation pillar. The initiative aims to create a robust support system for women in politics through:

• Leveraging leadership training to strengthen campaign management,
• Conducting research and policy analysis to dismantle structural barriers
• Establishing safe spaces to protect women against gender-based political violence

Distinguished leaders and trailblazers

The Forum will feature the voices of prominent leaders who have shaped the course of women’s leadership in Africa and globally, including:

• H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Former President of the Republic of Liberia & AWLN Patron
• H.E. Sahle-Work Zewde, Former President of the Republic of Ethiopia & AWLN Elder
• H.E. Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations
• Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, Assistant Administrator, Assistant Secretary General, and Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa

A platform for change

Beyond the policy discussions and institutional frameworks, this Forum is above all a gathering of women who carry stories, resilience, and vision. From presidents to young leaders, their presence in New York is a reminder that every step forward is hard-won, and every voice matters.

As the world reflects on 30 years since Beijing, this moment is not only about commitments: it is about courage, solidarity, and the belief that when women lead, the entire societies rise.