WANEP Participates in Africa Facility for Women in Political Leadership Co-Design Workshop

From 10–11 April 2025, WANEP participated in the Africa Facility for Women in Political Leadership Co-Design Workshop, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The workshop was organised by the UNDP Regional Programme for Africa, in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Women’s Leadership Network (AWLN). The Africa Facility for Women in Political Leadership is an initiative aimed at addressing the persistent underrepresentation of women in political leadership across the continent.

The objective of the workshop was to shape and inform the development of a comprehensive project document for the Facility. The workshop provided a platform to refine the Facility’s objectives, define clear implementation modalities, and ensure alignment with broader goals of gender equality and women’s empowerment.

The Facility will adopt a three-pronged approach:

1. Establishment of an Academy to deliver experiential learning and mentorship for aspiring women politicians;
2. Advocacy and Policy Influencing at regional and national levels to foster an enabling environment for women’s political leadership;
3. Technical and Financial Support for aspiring women politicians, addressing the financial barriers often faced by women in pursuing leadership positions.

The workshop brought together approximately 30 participants, including representatives from the African Union Commission, expert politicians from the AWLN, women politicians, civil society organisations working on women’s political empowerment, gender equality and political participation experts, development practitioners, resource persons, and the UNDP team.