Women Rising: Political leadership in Africa cocumentary launched

In Africa, as in the rest of the world, women are largely underrepresented in the political arena. However 2011 and 2012 saw an unprecedented number of female presidential candidates vying for office. 2012 also ushered in the second female Head of State as well as a female Chairperson of the African Union Commission for the very first time. Rwanda ranks highest in the world in terms of female representation in Parliament with over 50% representation.

Women Rising features President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and President Joyce Banda of Malawi amidst Boussaina Kamel, the very first female presidential aspirant of Egypt (2012), Honorable Rebecca Kadaga, first female Speaker of the House in Uganda’s Parliament, Honorable Rabiaa Nejlaoui, youngest Member of Parliament in Tunisia, and Honorable Hlobisile Ndlovu, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture of Swaziland.

These women leaders share their experiences and challenges running for office, their ambitions, their role models and their vision for the development of the countries on continent in which both women and men participate. All of those featured in Women Rising are trailblazers; women who have taken up the mantle and paved the way for others to follow not only in aspiring for leadership positions but also willing to partner with men in meeting national development goals.

Is one born or made a leader? What are the lessons that can be learnt from those who have made it this far? What are the characteristics that lead to success in leadership? These are explored in Women Rising.

The documentary was commissioned jointly by FEMNET and UNDP as part of a series on Women in Leadership in Africa. It can be accessed on FEMNET and UNDP youtube pages.