NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 11 – The inaugural She Leads Africa Summit will be held in Nairobi from August 11–14, bringing together Girls and Young Women (GYW) from across the continent to push for greater representation in decision-making spaces. Organised by the Horn of Africa Youth Network and Terre des Hommes Netherlands, in partnership with regional and international advocacy groups, the event is billed as the first continental civil society-led summit convened for and by young women.
The meeting, themed “Sustaining Girls and Young Women Leadership in Key Decision-Making Spaces in Africa”, comes as the continent approaches the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals deadline.
Organisers say the gathering will seek to secure policy commitments from regional and continental bodies to integrate young women’s leadership into governance and development agendas.
“We need to ensure Girls and Young Women continue to lead with impact in all spheres of life, now and in the future,” said Linnet Awor, Technical Expert for Lobby and Advocacy at Terre des Hommes Netherlands.
She said the summit would strengthen feminist and youth-led movements and encourage regional commitments for meaningful engagement of GYW.
The event will also serve as the culmination of the five-year She Leads programme (2021–2025), producing a Pan-African roadmap for a gender-equal post-2030 agenda and expanding cross-border and intergenerational feminist networks.
