When women take the lead in Africa, real change becomes possible. Amujae Leader Angèle Makombo voiced her strong belief in the power of women’s leadership while taking part in the Pan-African Women Empowerment Summit in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

The Summit, which gathered representatives from 24 African countries, offered Ms. Makombo the opportunity to join like-minded women leaders in discussing ways to build a stronger future for women and girls in her home country—the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)—and across Africa:

“I feel energized. I made a lot of connections, a lot of friends. I think that, with the support of everybody, we can really build a better Africa, a better Congo.”

Ms. Makombo reflected on her distinguished career as a politician, presidential candidate and UN international civil servant. She spoke about entering politics “to make a change, to do things differently.” She added that a new approach to managing the DRC’s rich resources is needed in order to alleviate poverty and improve the lives of the country’s citizens.

During the Summit, Ms. Makombo received the ‘2022 Women in Politics Award’ from the Africa for Africa Women’s Conference for her public leadership achievements. 

Watch Ms. Makombo commenting on her participation in the Summit here.