The African Women’s Development Fund

The AWDF is an autonomous organisation, founded by three African women ­ Ms Joana Foster (Ghana), Dr Hilda Tadria (Uganda) and Ms Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi (Nigeria/UK), who have all been active in women’s rights issues and social development for many years. The regional office of the Fund is in Accra, Ghana. The Fund has an International Executive Board, an International Advisory Committee and a Regional Advisory Committee. Since October 2001 when we started grant making operations, AWDF has funded up to 144 women’s organisations in 32 African countries, and has awarded approximately U$1.2m in grants. AWDF raises its funding from international funding agencies, private foundations, bi-laterals, corporations and individuals within and outside Africa.

Visit the AMwA-U offices for information on the AWDF.

February 2007: New Executive Director at AmWA

Ms. Solome Nakaweesi Kimbugwe took office on 15th Feb 2007 and will be based at the new headquarters in Kampala,Uganda.

Ms. Kimbugwe brings with her unique skills and experience, which will be a tremendous asset to AMwA and its future development. She is an alumni of the African Women’s Leadership Institute (AWLI), and thus bears testimony to AMwA’s investment in women’s leadership development. Following the AWLI in 2003, she rose through the ranks to head the Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET). During her tenure as Coordinator, UWONET has grown as an institution and has become an effective voice for women’s rights in Uganda. With her experience, skills and energy, Solome is ready to take on the challenge of heading AMwA, an international organization.

In a related development UWONET bade farewell to Ms Solome Nakaweesi Kimbugwe by organizing a farewell party, in honor of her years of service as Coordinator of UWONET. The occasion was attended by several women in different capacities many of whom have worked alongside Ms. Kimbugwe in her efforts to uphold the women’s movement.

Ms. Kimbugwe said she is amazed at how working at UWONET has played a very important part in imparting her with the fundamental principles, values and ethos of human rights and feminist advocacy. She appreciates the fact that members, friends and partners trusted in and believed in what she believed in, respected the right to be different and worked together on the common denominators while respecting the differences.

However she noted that by the time she left UWONET, there were things that had not been successfully achieved: Domestic Relations Bill - DRB, Staging of the Vagina Monologues, breaking the culture of silence and women's effective representation in all spaces, audibility of the voices of the poor, good governance and many more.

Eastern Africa sub regional African Women's Leadership Institute (AWLI) 2006

Since it was established in 1997, the AWLI and its related programmes, has a network of over 700 alumni from all over Africa. The countries from which young women will be selected to participate in this year’s Eastern Africa AWLI are: Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Somaliland, Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania.
The deadline for the receipt of applications for this unique and exciting training programme was Friday March 17th 2006.

This year, a total of 23 participants from East and Horn of Africa attended from Kenya, Tanzania, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi). The Theme for this year’s training was “Women’s Human Rights- Back to Basics”. The opening ceremony of this year’s AWLI took place on Monday 24th April 2006 at the Grand Imperial Hotel, followed by a reception. The ceremony comprised of several presentations from AWLI alumni. These included Solome Nakweesi Kimbugwe of Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET) on The Domestic Relations Bill and Milly Katana on Women’s Right to Health. Others were Hon Dora Byamukama Member of Parliament for Mwenge South Constituency on Women’s Legal Rights and Ms Sheila Kawamara Member of the East African Legislative Council on her personal experience in the fight for women’s rights. For more information on AWLI visit http://www.akinamama.com/africaprogs.html