It is true that African Women in Leadership Organisation is solidifying the niche ‘women in leadership’ for women of African Descent. Yes, we want to sporadically increase the representation of women in leadership.

[Tweet “it’s a fundamental human right for women to have equal rights and opportunities”]

Before we go into how…

We believe it’s a fundamental human right for women to have equal rights and opportunities, to harness their leadership prospects.

Do you remember the incident of Facebook COO; Sheryl Sandberg, while at Google, marching up to her superior’s to announce that there was need for (urgent) pregnancy parking lot at Google? Inclusion means providing an enabling environment, thereby maximizing the potential of women to lead.

We also believe that women need to take their ‘rightful place’ as home and nation builders. Not a one-sided narrative anymore.

Naomi King – Activist; Supporter and Sister-in-law of Martin Luther King Junior at African Women in Leadership Conference 2015

[Tweet “leading is an attitude, and we want this for more women”]

We have Identified a real Problem

The Niche – ‘Women in Leadership’ is still untapped because it is reserved for a few women who are in leadership positions. For us leading is an attitude, and we want more women to imbibe it.

AWLO is identifying opportunities for women in leadership. Removing barriers, challenging women, and channeling their leadership potential.

In a patriarchal society where women leaders are emerging; becoming self-aware and attuned to their innate capabilities. We continue to fan the flames of budding leaders.

[Tweet “super heroes and real-life ‘wonder women’ can exist.”]

How does African Women in Leadership Conference accomplish this?

By Magnifying opportunities for women in Leadership

Every year we gather to buttress the need for women’s leadership, and are validated by such victorious stories as Ayodeji Megbope’s; who has risen to her full potential. Also giving credit to a supportive husband showing how men can get involved…

She says hers’ is the biblical metaphor of ‘The rejected stone has become the chief corner stone’.

If not having her special moimoi recipe served at the white house and specially received by Michelle Obama, perhaps she might have become defined by the circumstances of an abusive childhood or her potential shortchanged due to academic difficulties; on whole a defeated self-esteem.

She has re-written her story and become a model; that women can lead outstandingly.

Every year AWLO raises a new standard by creating a platform for women to challenge each other and leverage on each other’s experiences to do exploits.

Bridging the gap of women in leadership

We want the biblical metaphor of ‘The rejected stone has become the chief corner stone’ to be the coveted narrative not reserved for only the Ayodejis.

We are afraid that women may go into obscurity because of a narrative that doesn’t support women’s empowerment.

African Women in Leadership Organisation is set out to promote the discourse of women’s leadership and create development opportunities for women through our Conferences.

The first female vice president of Liberia; Chief Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor is a member of AWLO and exemplifies that super heroes and a real-life ‘wonder woman’ can exist.

Engaging Stakeholders in Women’s Leadership

Yes, women’s leadership is possible, and we are not just creating a discourse around this. Our efforts will be more potent when we liaise with stakeholders who play a key part in creating opportunities and proffering solutions to implement women’s leadership.

In addition to our array of passionate speakers and panelists, and engaging symposiums and leadership roundtable topics; we are more interested in engaging stakeholders for long-term impact.

We engage leaders from all sectors, professionals, opinion leaders, leaders in governance, diplomats, emerging leaders and others. AWLO is also signed unto the United Nations Global Compact and was represented at the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles Forum to include women in workplace leadership on International Women’s Day 2018.

Identifying and Penetrating Niches

African Women in Leadership Organisation envisions that women break into sectors where they hitherto lacked presence, and we want to weigh in on issues that prevent women from penetrating such sectors.

In sports, politics, technology, media, oil and gas, and many other male-dominated fields.

For the first time this year we are creating an opportunity for such discourse and strategizing to have more representation of women in such sectors.

African Women in Leadership Conference holds at the AWLO 10th Anniversary in Abuja from 19th – 21st July 2018 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Center. You can find out more about it via awlo.org/anniversary