Congratulations & Commiserations

This week has flown by so quickly and so much has happenned. Today's blog update is just a collection of my thoughts and feelings.

Congratulations to 'Auntie Ama', you will all know her as Ama Ata Aidoo, internationally renowned author and educator. Auntie Ama is the Executive Director of Mbaasem which translates from the Ghanaian language Akan as 'Women's Affairs'. Mbaasem was set up by Ama Ata Aidoo to increase the literary outputs of African women writers. Auntie Ama has also been recently nominated by the Arts Critics and Reviewers Association of Ghana for the association's highest honour of the Flagstar. Yours truly will be in attendance to support Auntie Ama so expect a blog on the events of the night. Auntie Ama was also featured in AWDF's launch edition of our e-newsletter. Click the following link to read the full interview http://awdf.org/nletter/index.php/interview_with_mbaasem-3-1

Commiserations to Angela Dwamena-Aboagye, Executive Director of the Ark Foundation in Ghana. The Ark Foundation is a vibrant women's rights organisation doing fantastic work in developing women's leadership and advocating for women's human rights. The Ark Foundation was part of the National Coalition that worked tirelessly to ensure the passing into law of Ghana's Domestic Violence Bill. Unfortunately Angela and her family were targets of armed robbers two days ago when her home was attacked. A delegation from AWDF visited Angela today and are pleased to find her safe and well. She is already back at work continuing the vital work The Ark Foundation does.

Nana Sekyiamah
Programme Officer
Fundraising & Communications
AWDF

AWDF at the Civicus Assembly, Glasgow, Jun 18-21

AWDF's Executive Director Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi was interviewed by Terraviva, the official newspaper for the CIVICUS, 8th World Assembly recently held in Glasgow. The interview is reproduced below:

TV: How does AWDF resonate with this years Civicus World Assembly theme of people participation and power? What are you expecting from this assembly?

BAF: The theme of people, participation and power is critical to the work AWDF does because we support the women’s movement in all its diversity. AWDF works to empower women in order to enable the voice of women to be heard not only in their communities, but at the national and international levels.We want women to be strong and independent, taking charge of their lives .Our belief is that collective action and voices add up to collective power.

We are hoping this assembly will give us new opportunities for fresh networking and of course, consolidating our relationships with our old partners. It is important for us to attend the assembly so that we remain abreast of current thinking on development issues and share our experiences with other organizations.

TV: There are a number of grant-making organisations servicing African civil society. Is there anything that AWDF does that makes it different from other funding agencies?

BAF: AWDF is unique because we do not pay lip service to women’s issues but instead place women at the centre of our work. We genuinely engage women in all our planning and operations; this is demonstrated in how we fund women’s organisations. Apart from our mainstream grant-making programme, we have different grant making processes to enable us cater for the needs of all women. We have grants for local grassroots organisations where the women are usually illiterate and have no means for advancement; we have a rapid response fund which is a solidarity fund for emergencies affecting women, we also have a legacy fund for women’s right activists. This honors the memory of women who have fought for their rights and others, so that their work is remembered and continued. This is part of what makes us unique as a grant-making foundation.

TV: What are the challenges that AWDF faces in its work?

BAF: The challenges faced by AWDF are varied and similar to those faced by organizations working on the African continent. Some civil society groups working in repressive socio-political environments can be weak and have difficulty functioning, other organizations may have human resource challenges. We try to meet the needs of our various organizations by providing funding for capacity building and by encouraging networking amongst our grantees partners.

One of the challenges women’s rights organizations face is the resurgence of ‘issues”. For example, in Nigeria, we thought we had made some huge leaps in dealing with women’s rights and were moving forward. Now we see a resurgence of religious conservatism which is taking us back to where we started. We have to go back and start fighting for women’s rights all over again when we should be going forward.

TV: What does the future look like for AWDF?

BAF: The future has never looked brighter. We are in the process of setting up liaison offices in South Africa to cater for Southern African grantees, and another in Uganda for east and central Africa. We are also setting up an African Philanthropy network, getting all African grant-making organisations under one roof.

I can't stand feminists! and can women play squash better than men?

Last Saturday I went with my Uncle to our local squash courts. A few months ago I had started to learn how to play squash and had really enjoyed myself hence my return to the squash court.

After a game, one of the members started to chat to me ( all the members were male, I was the only female there) and asked ' So, what do you do?' and I replied ' I work for the African Women's Development Fund'. His response? ' ' Is that a women's organisation? Are you a feminist? My response ' Yes', to which he retorted ' I can't stand feminists! So are you trying to say women can play squash better than men'. I simply replied 'I wish it was as simple as that'.

Honestly I was in no mood to engage with a narrow minded person who has pre-conceived ideas of who or what a feminist is? In the past I have had too many arguments with many such people and the result is often me fuming, angry and my blood pressure probably way higher than it ought to be. Why did this man think this squash club at 10am on a Saturday morning was only full of men? In an earlier conversation (before he found out I was a feminist) he said to me that he looked forward to playing squash on Saturdays. I wonder if his wife/partner has that luxury. Where were all the women on Saturday morning? Knowing Ghanaian society the way I do, the women were probably at the market shopping for food or at home making sure food will be available for these men when they return from their squash games.

Men who hate feminists do not get the subtle nuances behind comments made in my presence about me whilst at the squash club:

Nana's Uncle: (Introducing me) This is my daughter, my brother's daughter whom I told you about, she wants to learn how to play squash

Man 1: Nice to meet you

Man 2: Is this the one you said you will give to X

Nana's Uncle: I never said that

Man 1 and Man 2: (laughing and teasing my Uncle)

Nana: (thinking, for goodness sake, I am not a possession and are there any female squash clubs about?)

Of course Mr feminist hater would be oblivious to the insidious nature of comments such as these. If I had responded they would probably all have been shocked. We were only joking they would probably have cried out! Gosh you feminists are so sensitive. Are we? Am I? Should I have responded in an assertive manner to Mr feminist hater and the group of men making jokes about me being a gift? Your thoughts please.

Nana Sekyiamah
Programme Officer
Fundraiser & Communications

Measuring self confidence, empowerment and leadership skills

One of the challenges that women’s organisations persistently face is measuring impact. How do you measure self confidence, empowerment and leadership skills? The story told us by the members of the Bekuw Mea Fekuw confirm AWDF’s belief that if women are given skills, information and sustainable livelihoods, we in Africa can have vibrant, prosperous and healthy communities.

After a visit to Bekuw Mea Fekuw Bakery with colleagues from AWDF and our sister fund Urgent Action Fund – Africa, I was simply blown away by the difference a grant of US$2000 had made to the lives of the members of Bekuw Mea Fekuw Bakery. The name translates from the Ghanaian Akan language as ‘United Women’s Group Bakery’ and the group is situated in a town called Apeguso, in the eastern region of Ghana.

The group was founded by Sophia Amponsaa who was inspired by seeing women’s groups engaging in income generation activities on her travels to Suhum (a small town in Ghana) with her husband, a school teacher. Sophia has had minimal formal schooling and was grappling with the daily struggles of meeting her family’s needs with little income. On returning to Apeguso, Sophia invited local women to join her in setting up a women’s group and after discussions amongst group members the decision was taken to start a bakery as there were no bakeries in Apeguso.

The group started operating the bakery with a makeshift oven consisting of mesh wires on coal pots and little knowledge of bakery. The bread they produced was sub-standard in quality but they persisted and sold the bread at discounted prices asking the local community to support them by purchasing the bread. The members of Bekuw Mea Fekuw Bakery then decided to recruit an experienced baker to help them learn how to bake bread properly which is how Comfort Owusu from Akwamufie joined the group and started the process of training group members how to bake bread.

A foreign volunteer believed to be with the American Peace Corps happened upon the group and introduced them to the District Assembly in Apeguso The group then registered with the Ministry of Women and Children, a process which enabled them to learn about AWDF.

The members of the group with assistance from the District officials, applied for and received a grant with which an industrial oven was purchased. The industrial oven has enabled the group to produce better quality and more bread which is sold in the local market with profits being shared amongst group members. The group is open to all and one only needs to be willing to provide your labour to be welcomed as a group member. One of the members we spoke to was 75 year old retired school teacher Adwoa Darkoa who said that although she is unable to farm now the group has enabled her to continue to be active.

I was inspired by the leadership of Sophia who learnt from her experiences in other Ghanaian towns and founded a women’s group to enable self-sufficiency and to generate income from members of the group. I was inspired by the determination of the group members to start a bakery as they had recognised a gap in the market. The recruiting of an experienced baker shows the determination of the group members to succeed in running a successful bakery. It was refreshing to find out that members of the bakery were now invited to meetings by the District Assembly and had also received land (an important capital asset) for their hard work and contribution to the development of the town from the local chief. The joy, friendship and unity amongst members of Bekuw Mea Fekuw Bakery was both infectious and a joy to behold.

Thanks to a grant of US$2000 these women now have a source of income, contribute to their district assembly and are landowners! Has this grant resulted in increased self-confidence, empowerment and the development of leadership skills? I leave it to you to answer this question.

Nana Sekyiamah

Programme Officer

Fundraising & Communications

AWDF

Does this statement make any sense to you?

AFRICAN WOMEN CAN CHANGE AFRICA FOR THE BETTER if supported.
Does this statement make any sense to you?

It does make sense to me. Why? Because, I see women highly involved in activities in all spheres of life, be it economic, social, or what have you, giving their best for the betterment of all - men, boys, girls and themselves- but under extremely difficult circumstances created by the patriarchs of the world. I see women as human beings in their own right. In some cases, a woman does not own any resources, not even her own self. Where are the rights of women? Are women’s rights not human rights? Does this make sense to you?

Consider agriculture in Africa. In the fields, women compete with their male counterparts sometimes with babies on their backs. After the hard day’s work, we see them plod down the road with heavy head loads and still carrying babies. When they get home, they take charge of all the home affairs single handedly (probably with some help from the children). It is believed that agriculture is the main stay of African economies. Then if the women are supported can you imagine the gains to Africa? Statistics have it that women generally, service loans better than men. If women were empowered economically, what great development that would be? So, does it make sense to you, that African women can change the African continent for the better?

Talking about peace and tranquility, this has eluded most African women. Right from their homes to national levels, their hearts are almost always heated up. Their so-called lovely boy friends and husbands treat them to various degrees of violence. Some nations of the African continent are yet to acknowledge the values of true democracy and until then, the brunt ultimately has been on women and children. How productive will a person be if all she knows is violence? Wouldn’t it make sense if women were granted their right to peace and security?

Now, just take a stroll down the general health and reproductive rights of women, what do we see? Women are dying during childbirth, about 60% of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infected people on the African continent are women and they lack access to family planning. What about fathers, would they give their partners any chance to contribute to the decision making process of reproduction? Ok, having reproduced would all fathers join hands with their partners to take acceptable care of their children? If not, does this make any sense to you?

Not forgetting the right to education for women. Some African nations have scratched the surface, where are the rest? A Ghanaian scholar, Dr. Kwegyir Aggrey, said “when you educate a man you educate an individual, but when you educate a woman you educate a nation”. So, should a girl / woman be denied education? What sense does that make to you?

Doesn’t it make much sense therefore, that organisations such as the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) and others should be supported to fund women’s initiatives in a well organised manner all over Africa working towards improvement of the lives of African women? If I may ask you, where is your heart?

By the way, how far is Africa with achieving the 8 MDGs especially MDG (3)? Year 2015 is right around the corner. Indeed, it makes much sense that supporting women’s empowerment would accelerate achievement of the MDGs and Africa will change for the better.

Grace Amenyogbeli
Administration Manager
AWDF