5 years of advancing women's public leadership in Africa
On March 8, 2025, we launched our fifth anniversary celebrations — a significant milestone in our mission to advance gender parity in public leadership and dismantle systemic barriers for women and girls.
To mark this auspicious occasion, we are forging ahead with a series of bold, innovative activities towards advancing African women in Public Leadership.
Visit our FIVE page regularly for updates and new features as we continue on the Journey to #GapZero.
Anniversary Updates
Latest on our celebration activities and events.
Five years of the EJS Center
Join us as we journey through the EJS Center's remarkable history, celebrating milestones in advancing women's public leadership across Africa. This exhibition is a celebration of five years of empowering change, a testament to the power of vision, research, and the extraordinary individuals driving progress.
Launch of the Amujae Initiative
Launched on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2020, the vision for the Amujae Initiative 
is to shift the landscape for women in public leadership in Africa, moving from a culture of tokenism to one that truly values women leaders.
Celebrating the first cohort
The first cohort of ‘Amujae Leaders’ was made up of 15 women from backgrounds in law, government, business, education and activism, their achievements are as varied as their origins, but they all have a common purpose; to serve their countries and advocate for their fellow women.
Spotlight a COVID-19 Heroine
African women were at the forefront of pandemic responses in communities across the continent. These twelve women were nominated to feature in the EJS Center’s initiative, “Spotlight a COVID-19 heroine” , shining a light on the amazing work they were doing.
Taking stock of Women's Public Leadership in Africa
2020 was a year of mixed success for the advancement of women’s public leadership in Africa. Read the report .
Second cohort joins
The second cohort of ‘Amujae Leaders’ featured 15 women leaders came from 11 countries across the African continent, and included government ministers, a governor, a member of parliament, senior government advisors, and activists engaged with issues ranging from refugee rights to gender equality and youth empowerment.
2nd Amujae Leadership Forum
The second Amujae Leadership Forum , held in Monrovia, Liberia saw Amujae Leaders shared lessons from their leadership journeys. The women heard insights from former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and distinguished global speakers about bouncing back during periods of uncertainty and hardship.
EJS Center starts Liberian Support Program
The African Women Development Fund (AWDF) granted President Sirleaf a total of USD 100,000. The EJS Center served as recipient and administrator of the grant, which was used to start the Liberia Support Program.
#HaveHerBack Campaign
The EJS Center launched the #HaveHerBack campaign – an exciting initiative to mobilize male leaders and members of the public from across Africa to make concrete pledges to advance gender equality. These commitments are part of a game-changing bid to shift perceptions of African men’s support for gender equality.
Gender-sensitive media training
One of the barriers to women’s advancement in public leadership is adverse media coverage which includes both under-coverage and negative/ toxic coverage. The EJS Center carried out a pilot program delivering gender sensitivity trainings for journalists and producers in three countries over the course of 2021.
Mapping progress in Liberia
The EJS Center hosted ‘Mapping Progress in Liberia, ’ a webinar that convened several leaders to discuss and assess Liberia’s past, present, and future governance trajectory, utilizing the Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG).
#BreakTheBias
“We cannot be celebratory when our Liberian sisters are still facing the threat of violence. Instead, let us break the bias in our homes, schools, universities, communities, courtrooms, and institutions that perpetuates violence against women and girls, and stands in the way of its eradication.” -
H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Given the disheartening spike in gender-based violence in Liberia, the EJS Center decided that they could not celebrate their second anniversary while mothers, sisters, and daughters continue to face the threat of violence.
The Voices Forgotten by the 4th Estate
This report released by the EJS Center highlighted the chronic underreporting of women candidates in the run-up to the Zambian 2021 general and presidential elections, with only 18.15% of 1,344 articles across 8 Zambian news outlets mentioning women candidates. The report also uncovered the use of toxic and derogatory language targeted at women candidates.
African female architects design African Women's House
The EJS Center announced a collaboration of celebrated women architects: Mariam Issoufou Kamara, Sumayya Vally, and Karen Richards Barnes to design the African Women's House.
Liberian organisations receive grants
The program achieved positive results across participating organizations: Girls in Tech Liberia, Jaster Town (FACE Africa), Healing Liberia, LEAD Monrovia Football Academy and Organization for Women and Children.
Shifting the Landscape: The 2021 Year in Review
As part of its ongoing effort to chart the progress of women’s public leadership across Africa, the EJS Center published its second annual report .
The Data Hub
The EJS Center has launched the first data tool dedicated to tracking women’s public leadership in Africa — the Data Hub for Women’s Leadership in Public Governance. The goal of this innovative initiative is to harness the power of data to inform advocacy and policymaking and advance women’s representation in public governance.
Amujae Leadership Forum: Bellagio, Italy
Coming together for the 2022 Amujae Leadership Forum from 12 to 14 July, the Amujae Leaders exchanged ideas and lessons learned on the theme “Enduring Bonds.” The Forum was generously supported by Big Win Philanthropy, which has provided funding and collaborated closely to design and implement the Amujae Initiative program.
Amujae Strategy Retreat, New York
Over a two-day retreat held in New York on 14 and 15 September 2022, participants reviewed the Amujae Initiative, considered its implementation progress, consolidated learnings and honed a forward-looking strategy that builds on the program’s foundation.
Exhibition community engagement
As part of the EJS Center's efforts to create an exhibition paying homage to the journey of women leadership, the content team visited Liberia to conduct strategic workshops with key stakeholders, including rural communities, experts, and women and youth groups.
The Third Cohort joins
The third cohort is made up of 12 women leaders from 10 countries across the African continent. They include current government ministers, members of parliament, senior government advisors, and activists engaged with issues ranging from economic development to gender equality and youth empowerment.
Amujae Leadership Forum: Nairobi, Kenya
The third cohort was inducted into the Amujae network at the 2023 Amujae Leadership Forum held on the 26th and 27th of April 2023 at the Radisson Blu Hotel (Upper Hill) in Nairobi, Kenya.
Shifting the Landscape 2022
African women are drivers of progress, and this yearly publication is dedicated to celebrating their efforts and contributions towards Africa’s success. Centring on African women’s progress throughout 2022, this Shifting the Landscape report notes the achievements of women at the highest levels of the Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary.
Shapers and Shakers: Climate Change
African voices, including those of Africa’s women, must be heard when decisions are made that will affect our collective futures. In our first Shapers and Shakers we spotlight African women who are shaping climate discussions and engaging communities to respond to the climate crisis.
Signed partnership with Harvard Library
Harvard Library, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and the EJS Center announced a partnership to steward and provide access to President Sirleaf’s personal and professional archives. Under an innovative partnership agreement, President Sirleaf will place personal archives that document her life with Harvard University Archives reading room for at least 25 years. The collection will then return to the EJS Center.
Amujae Pop-Up! University of Ghana
Ghanaian Amujae Leaders, Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, Yawa Hansen-Quao and Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings joined former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in a panel discussing various pathways to women’s political leadership. Hosted by the University of Ghana, it was attended by hundreds of university students and academics.
Manifesto for African Women in Finance declared
At the Women Deliver 2023 Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Angaza Forum together with the EJS Center hosted a special gathering for women leaders in the financial sector. During this dialogue, a set of recommendations emerged, delineating the critical priorities for African women in the financial sector, which shaped the Manifesto for African Women in Finance.
EJS Center and partners @UNGA 78
‘Achieving #GapZero: evidence-driven inclusive governance in Africa’ was co-organised alongside the Ford Foundation, IDinsight, UNDP, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. ‘Intimate Fireside Dialogue on the Advance of a Future Feminist Democracy’ was in collaboration with the Open Society Foundations and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimnation against Women.
Amujae High Level Leadershp Forum: Kigali, Rwanda
On 18 and 19 April, 2024, the EJS Center hosted the first Amujae High-Level Leadership Forum in Kigali, Rwanda with H.E. President Paul Kagame of Rwanda in attendance. In support of the EJS Center’s renowned Amujae Initiative, the Forum gathered a broad cross-section of attendees, from government; private sector; civil society; and partners.
Shifting the Landscape 2023
Examining the state of women leadership in the legislatures, executives, and judiciaries across the continent, this 2023 Shifting the Landscape review offers a nuanced perspective on the progress made and the formidable challenges that persist.
Shapers and Shakers: Technology
The role of women in Africa’s tech landscape is becoming multifaceted as it evolves. This 2023 Shapers & Shakers: Technology report explores the current state of women in Africa’s tech scene, highlighting their contributions, challenges, and future prospects.
EJS Center Country Snapshots
To complement it's Data Hub, the EJS Center launched it's Country Snapshots. Designed to serve as advocacy tools, each Snapshot gives an overview of the key indicators, with an objective presentation of the country's performance.
MUSIEHJAH: Soft groundbreaking ceremony
In October 2024, dignitaries including H.E. Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria, attended an intimate groundbreaking ceremony for the site of MUSIEHJAH: The African Women's House.
Namibia follows suit
In December 2024, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was declared the winner in Namibia's general election. The President-elect's party, Southwest Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO), led the way to put gender parity quotas into the country's constitution, making Namibia one of a few Southern African nations that fosters female political leaders.
The EJS Center is 5
On March 8, 2025, we launched our fifth anniversary celebrations — a significant milestone in our mission to advance gender parity in public leadership and dismantle systemic barriers for women and girls. Themed '#Journey to #GapZero in women public leadership', it marks another milestone in the Center's efforts.
Shifting the Landscape 2024
This Shifting the Landscape: 5th Anniversary edition report provides a detailed analysis of the status of women’s leadership in legislatures and executive positions throughout the continent. Progress is highlighted and obstacles that remain pointed out. These emphasize the urgent necessity to keep on with initiatives that aim to close the gender gap in leadership.
Launch of the Amujae Initiative
Launched on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2020, the vision for the Amujae Initiative is to shift the landscape for women in public leadership in Africa, moving from a culture of tokenism to one that truly values women leaders.
Celebrating the first cohort
The first cohort of ‘Amujae Leaders’ was made up of 15 women from backgrounds in law, government, business, education and activism, their achievements are as varied as their origins, but they all have a common purpose; to serve their countries and advocate for their fellow women.
Spotlight a COVID-19 Heroine
African women were at the forefront of pandemic responses in communities across the continent. These twelve women were nominated to feature in the EJS Center’s initiative, “Spotlight a COVID-19 heroine” , shining a light on the amazing work they were doing.
Taking stock of Women's Public Leadership in Africa
2020 was a year of mixed success for the advancement of women’s public leadership in Africa. Read the report .
Second cohort joins
The second cohort of ‘Amujae Leaders’ featured 15 women leaders came from 11 countries across the African continent, and included government ministers, a governor, a member of parliament, senior government advisors, and activists engaged with issues ranging from refugee rights to gender equality and youth empowerment.
2nd Amujae Leadership Forum
The second Amujae Leadership Forum , held in Monrovia, Liberia saw Amujae Leaders shared lessons from their leadership journeys. The women heard insights from former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and distinguished global speakers about bouncing back during periods of uncertainty and hardship.
EJS Center starts Liberian Support Program
The African Women Development Fund (AWDF) granted President Sirleaf a total of USD 100,000. The EJS Center served as recipient and administrator of the grant, which was used to start the Liberia Support Program.
#HaveHerBack Campaign
The EJS Center launched the #HaveHerBack campaign – an exciting initiative to mobilize male leaders and members of the public from across Africa to make concrete pledges to advance gender equality. These commitments are part of a game-changing bid to shift perceptions of African men’s support for gender equality.
Gender-sensitive media training
One of the barriers to women’s advancement in public leadership is adverse media coverage which includes both under-coverage and negative/ toxic coverage. The EJS Center carried out a pilot program delivering gender sensitivity trainings for journalists and producers in three countries over the course of 2021.
Mapping progress in Liberia
The EJS Center hosted ‘Mapping Progress in Liberia, ’ a webinar that convened several leaders to discuss and assess Liberia’s past, present, and future governance trajectory, utilizing the Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG).
#BreakTheBias
“We cannot be celebratory when our Liberian sisters are still facing the threat of violence. Instead, let us break the bias in our homes, schools, universities, communities, courtrooms, and institutions that perpetuates violence against women and girls, and stands in the way of its eradication.” -
H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Given the disheartening spike in gender-based violence in Liberia, the EJS Center decided that they could not celebrate their second anniversary while mothers, sisters, and daughters continue to face the threat of violence.
The Voices Forgotten by the 4th Estate
This report released by the EJS Center highlighted the chronic underreporting of women candidates in the run-up to the Zambian 2021 general and presidential elections, with only 18.15% of 1,344 articles across 8 Zambian news outlets mentioning women candidates. The report also uncovered the use of toxic and derogatory language targeted at women candidates.
African female architects design African Women's House
The EJS Center announced a collaboration of celebrated women architects: Mariam Issoufou Kamara, Sumayya Vally, and Karen Richards Barnes to design the African Women's House.
Liberian organisations receive grants
The program achieved positive results across participating organizations: Girls in Tech Liberia, Jaster Town (FACE Africa), Healing Liberia, LEAD Monrovia Football Academy and Organization for Women and Children.
Shifting the Landscape: The 2021 Year in Review
As part of its ongoing effort to chart the progress of women’s public leadership across Africa, the EJS Center published its second annual report .
The Data Hub
The EJS Center has launched the first data tool dedicated to tracking women’s public leadership in Africa — the Data Hub for Women’s Leadership in Public Governance. The goal of this innovative initiative is to harness the power of data to inform advocacy and policymaking and advance women’s representation in public governance.
Amujae Leadership Forum: Bellagio, Italy
Coming together for the 2022 Amujae Leadership Forum from 12 to 14 July, the Amujae Leaders exchanged ideas and lessons learned on the theme “Enduring Bonds.” The Forum was generously supported by Big Win Philanthropy, which has provided funding and collaborated closely to design and implement the Amujae Initiative program.
Amujae Strategy Retreat, New York
Over a two-day retreat held in New York on 14 and 15 September 2022, participants reviewed the Amujae Initiative, considered its implementation progress, consolidated learnings and honed a forward-looking strategy that builds on the program’s foundation.
Exhibition community engagement
As part of the EJS Center's efforts to create an exhibition paying homage to the journey of women leadership, the content team visited Liberia to conduct strategic workshops with key stakeholders, including rural communities, experts, and women and youth groups.
The Third Cohort joins
The third cohort is made up of 12 women leaders from 10 countries across the African continent. They include current government ministers, members of parliament, senior government advisors, and activists engaged with issues ranging from economic development to gender equality and youth empowerment.
Amujae Leadership Forum: Nairobi, Kenya
The third cohort was inducted into the Amujae network at the 2023 Amujae Leadership Forum held on the 26th and 27th of April 2023 at the Radisson Blu Hotel (Upper Hill) in Nairobi, Kenya.
Shifting the Landscape 2022
African women are drivers of progress, and this yearly publication is dedicated to celebrating their efforts and contributions towards Africa’s success. Centring on African women’s progress throughout 2022, this Shifting the Landscape report notes the achievements of women at the highest levels of the Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary.
Shapers and Shakers: Climate Change
African voices, including those of Africa’s women, must be heard when decisions are made that will affect our collective futures. In our first Shapers and Shakers we spotlight African women who are shaping climate discussions and engaging communities to respond to the climate crisis.
Signed partnership with Harvard Library
Harvard Library, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and the EJS Center announced a partnership to steward and provide access to President Sirleaf’s personal and professional archives. Under an innovative partnership agreement, President Sirleaf will place personal archives that document her life with Harvard University Archives reading room for at least 25 years. The collection will then return to the EJS Center.
Amujae Pop-Up! University of Ghana
Ghanaian Amujae Leaders, Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, Yawa Hansen-Quao and Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings joined former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in a panel discussing various pathways to women’s political leadership. Hosted by the University of Ghana, it was attended by hundreds of university students and academics.
Manifesto for African Women in Finance declared
At the Women Deliver 2023 Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Angaza Forum together with the EJS Center hosted a special gathering for women leaders in the financial sector. During this dialogue, a set of recommendations emerged, delineating the critical priorities for African women in the financial sector, which shaped the Manifesto for African Women in Finance.
EJS Center and partners @UNGA 78
‘Achieving #GapZero: evidence-driven inclusive governance in Africa’ was co-organised alongside the Ford Foundation, IDinsight, UNDP, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. ‘Intimate Fireside Dialogue on the Advance of a Future Feminist Democracy’ was in collaboration with the Open Society Foundations and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimnation against Women.
Amujae High Level Leadershp Forum: Kigali, Rwanda
On 18 and 19 April, 2024, the EJS Center hosted the first Amujae High-Level Leadership Forum in Kigali, Rwanda with H.E. President Paul Kagame of Rwanda in attendance. In support of the EJS Center’s renowned Amujae Initiative, the Forum gathered a broad cross-section of attendees, from government; private sector; civil society; and partners.
Shifting the Landscape 2023
Examining the state of women leadership in the legislatures, executives, and judiciaries across the continent, this 2023 Shifting the Landscape review offers a nuanced perspective on the progress made and the formidable challenges that persist.
Shapers and Shakers: Technology
The role of women in Africa’s tech landscape is becoming multifaceted as it evolves. This 2023 Shapers & Shakers: Technology report explores the current state of women in Africa’s tech scene, highlighting their contributions, challenges, and future prospects.
EJS Center Country Snapshots
To complement it's Data Hub, the EJS Center launched it's Country Snapshots. Designed to serve as advocacy tools, each Snapshot gives an overview of the key indicators, with an objective presentation of the country's performance.
MUSIEHJAH: Soft groundbreaking ceremony
In October 2024, dignitaries including H.E. Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria, attended an intimate groundbreaking ceremony for the site of MUSIEHJAH: The African Women's House.
Namibia follows suit
In December 2024, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was declared the winner in Namibia's general election. The President-elect's party, Southwest Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO), led the way to put gender parity quotas into the country's constitution, making Namibia one of a few Southern African nations that fosters female political leaders.
The EJS Center is 5
On March 8, 2025, we launched our fifth anniversary celebrations — a significant milestone in our mission to advance gender parity in public leadership and dismantle systemic barriers for women and girls. Themed '#Journey to #GapZero in women public leadership', it marks another milestone in the Center's efforts.
Shifting the Landscape 2024
This Shifting the Landscape: 5th Anniversary edition report provides a detailed analysis of the status of women’s leadership in legislatures and executive positions throughout the continent. Progress is highlighted and obstacles that remain pointed out. These emphasize the urgent necessity to keep on with initiatives that aim to close the gender gap in leadership.
Key Celebratory Moments
Video Gallery
