Every March 8th, our African women usually join the rest of the world to celebrate International Women’s Day.

The special day is very important as it reminds them of the historic journey that African women and the ones around the world have taken or adopted to live a better life.

This year’s theme is Women in Leadership which stands for an equal future in a COVID-19 World.

This also challenges everything that has been pulling them back to become better and this is why some African women have been seen in different societies doing Proud of their popular achievements.

These African women didn’t just break the stereotypes and discriminations but also moved further to seek gender equality and have made themselves popular with great achievements.

These African women have also continued to use their good voices and platforms for training young girls, women’s rights, access to quality education, economic opportunities, among others.

In no particular orders, here are the 10 African Women Who Have Made The World Proud With Their Popular Achievements

10 African Women Who Have Made The World Proud With Their Popular Achievements - Ngozi Okonjo Iweala
1.   Ngozi Okonjo Iweala

Ngozi Okonjo Iweala is the first woman and African to get the position of the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation.

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Before this position, she has served twice as Nigerian Finance Minister from 2003 – 2006 and 2011 – 2015.

Not only that, she has once become a Foreign Minister – the first woman to hold both positions.

Multiple reports say that she has spent over 20 years for the World Bank where she clinched the position of Managing Director.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has over 25 years of experience in economics and international development.

She has also received 15 honorary degrees including from Yale University, di University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, Tel Aviv University and Trinity College, Dublin.

 

10 African Women Who Have Made The World Proud With Their Popular Achievements - Amina J Mohammed

2.    Amina J Mohammed

Amina J. Muhammed is the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group.

Just before she got the appointment, Ms Mohammed was serving as Minister of Environment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where she operates the country’s effort on Climate action and efforts to safeguard the natural environment.

In 2012, She first got an appointment as UN Special Adviser to the former Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon with the role for post-2015 development training.

She is the controller of the process which would result in global agreement around the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

She started her career as a designer of schools and medical health centres n Nigeria.

Ms Mohammed works as an advocate that is focused on improving access to education and other social services before she changed to the public sector where her fame earned her a position of adviser to three successive Presidents on poverty, public sector reforming and sustainable development.

Like Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Ms Mohammed has also received many honorary doctorates award.

 

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

3.    Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is a strong politician who served as the 24th President of Liberia.

In Africa, She is considered to be the first female head of state.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf claimed massive victory in the 2005 presidential election and she was re-elected again in 2011.

Madam Sirleaf is one of the three joint winners of the Nobel Peace prize which happened in 2011.

 

Graca Machel

4.    Graca Machel

Graca Machel is among the list of the most powerful and historic women in Africa.

Between 1975 – 1989, She served as the minister of education in Mozambique.

Her achievement made her become the agent of change including her role for the helm of the Graca Machel Trust and a member of the Elders.

Her Graça Machel Trust was created to promote women empowerment and leadership, child rights and good nutrition.

 

10 African Women Who Have Made The World Proud With Their Popular Achievements - Fatou Bedsouda
5.    Fatou Bedsouda

Fatou Bensouda is a professional lawyer in the Gambia and Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Court.

Since 2012, she has been taking the position after serving as the Deputy Prosecutor in charge of the Prosecutions Division of the ICC since 2004.

From 1998 to 2000, she was able to work as a Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Gambia.

Fatou Bensouda has also become a legal adviser and Trial Attorney for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).

She has been rewarded with many awards including the ICJ International Jurists Award in 2009 and the World Peace Through Law Award which was held in 2011.

 

Angelique Kidjo - 10 African Women Who Have Made The World Proud With Their Popular Achievements
6.   Angelique Kidjo

Angelique Kidjo is a well-known Beninese-American singer, songwriter, actress and activist who has won four Grammy Awards and other exciting recognition around the world.

She is not just a regular singer because whenever she sings, her song usually sounds a strong meaning.

Angelique Kidjo is also an advocate for children under UNICEF and OXFAM.

She is also a spokesperson for the AFAWA initiative which stands for Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa.

Kidjo was born in the Benin Republic, the same time when Nigeria got her independence in 1960.

She has travelled around the world to sing and do advocacy for women and children in Africa.

The Grammy Award winner also owns a charity organisation with the aim of giving education to children in African Countries.

 

10 African Women Who Have Made The World Proud With Their Popular Achievements
7.    Lupita Nyong’O

In 2014, Lupita Nyong’O bagged the Oscar Award for the best-supporting actress.

She went ahead to create a movement of self-love and of celebrating being special.

She called herself unique because of her dark and shinning natural hair which requires no weavon or wig cover.

Nyong’O always likes to talk about Beauty because she believes being very dark doesn’t mean people will reject you over it.

She has been seen using her amazing voice and the global stages to promote beauty ideals.

 

 Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili

8.     Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili

Obiageli Ezekwesili was the presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, ACPN for the 2019 general election before she later withdrew from the Presidential race.

She is the former Vice President for World Bank and she has held two popular positions in Nigeria as minister of education and solid minerals.

Obiageli Ezekwesili is the co-founder of ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ Campaign with the aim of creating awareness for over 200 girls abducted by Boko Haram in 2014.

 

Maximilienne Ngo Mbe
9.    Maximilienne Ngo Mbe

Madam Maximilienne is the Director for Network of Human Rights Defenders, REDHAC.

She is a human rights activist who started her advocacy in 1990 as a high school student for Edea, Littoral Region of Cameroon.

The female lawyer has a doctorate degree in Public law, diploma in Information Management.

Between 2007 and 2010, she worked as a secretary in charge of advocacy when REDHAC was established.

For over 30 years now, this woman has risked her life to promote human rights, political freedom, freedom of expression and association in Cameroon.

 

10 African Women Who Have Made The World Proud With Their Popular Achievements

10.    Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie entered the limelight with her novels, Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun in 2003 and 2006.

Purple Hibiscus was listed for the Man Booker which is one of the most popular global literary awards while her Half a Yellow Sun was also copied into a film in 2013.

However, what made her more popular as a prominent thinker and voice of change is her 2014 essay titled ‘We Should All Be Feminists.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

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