In April 2023, the EJS Center – in partnership with Big Win Philanthropy – welcomed the third cohort of Amujae Leaders. This intergenerational cohort comprises 12 high-achieving women public leaders with great aspirations for their countries. Among this year’s cohort are former and current cabinet ministers, parliamentarians, and advisors to executive and civil society leaders. This 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. Beyond the induction forum, Amujae Leaders have access to an array of capacity-building and visibility-enhancing opportunities, as well as a committed network of peers and coaches through the EJS Center.

According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2022, it will take another 132 years to close the gender gap. Despite all these limitations, 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, the report notes the achievements of women at the highest levels of the Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary. 

African voices, including the voices of Africa’s women must be heard as decisions are made that will affect the future of the world as we know it. This means that solutions to the crisis must take into account the realities on the ground for Africans and other heavily affected people in the world, but also that Africans must have a seat at the decision making table. This is the reason why in this report we look at the top Africans who are shaping discussion and shaking up their communities to respond to the climate crisis.

Since the Center’s launch three years ago, it has supported African women leaders to advance on their leadership journeys. The year 2022 was no exception, and the Center made significant strides in its mission to break down the barriers that often hold women back from reaching the highest levels of public leadership. This Progress Report outlines the EJS Center’s activities and achievements over the course of 2022. 

The world we live in today is different from the world we knew just a year ago. This year, we can start contemplating with hope a post-pandemic era where a sustainable healing process can begin and where many valuable lessons can be learned…

The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center) was founded in 2018 to be a catalyst for change across Africa, by helping unleash its most abundant untapped power—its women…