Page 11 - Power. Parity. Profit. Africas women...OUR time is now_Book 1

M e s s a g e f r o m E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r
PABWA
_____________________
& E d i t o r

The struggle for Gender equality & the economic and financial empowerment
of Africa's women will only be achieved if we stand together to ensure we
"Build Back Better” (a phrase coined by the great Madame Phumzile Mlambo-
Ngcuka).

IWith all their tangible presence and achievements, it’s easy to assume UN
Women has been around longer than 10 years. This is the mark of their success
– integration into the lives of ordinary women all over the world, capacity and
influence to catalyse movements knowing that UN Women ‘is there’ for them.

PABWA was started because as a business woman I felt there was a gap in the
specific needs of doing business in Africa as a woman, and the gender
blindness/discrimination of policies and processes across the continent. Then I
realized the extent of the issues for women from all walks of life, especially
those in the informal sector across Africa. My purpose was revealed! As the
continent with the most number of businesses, we needed to engender a voice
specifically for economic empowerment in the context of gender equality.

PABWA was founded on 3 February 2020. Our goal is to ensure that money is
put into the hands of women. Women run Africa, afterall. Sub Saharan African
has the highest % of single mothers in the world at 32%, so it stands to
reason that we should put money into 50% of the continent’s population,
which means Africa can then thrive. As caregivers to the world’s youngest
continent, it means that the youth will have a brighter future, if their mothers
can take care of them.

We have dedicated this inspirational book to UN Women, to H.E Phumzile
Mlambo-Ngcuka and to Anne Githuku Shongwe (of UN Women SAMCO). The
foreword could be written by no other person but the historical 1st SG of the
AfCFTA, H.E Wamkele Mene, who is a true feminist in ensuring that his
administration is not gender and youth blind – actually he not only ‘sees us’,
but lights our path. We are honoured and take our support of them seriously.

Our appreciation knows no bounds to each of the people featured, especially
to UN Women and the AfCFTA secretariat. We thank you for ‘igniting our
graph’, so that we in turn bring light to others on the continent and the world.

Yavi Madurai
Yavi Madurai
Yavi Madurai