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In 2005 Kenyan scholar Dr Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg started Akili Dada, a ‘leadership incubator’ offering high-achieving girls from underprivileged backgrounds scholarships to attend universities in Kenya and beyond. Two years ago she was feted by President Barack Obama as part of the White House ‘Champions of Change’ initiative for her work in developing young African women leaders.
Becky Willmoth's insight:
This article acknowledges the legacy of a patriarchal society on female education and employment, which has resulted in a paucity of female leaders across Africa. The organisation featured, Akili Dada, itself lead by a young female entrepreneur, is seeking to increase representation of women in decision-making and leadership roles in Africa, through a combination of scholarships, workshops and mentoring.
Cultivating female leaders and entrepreneurs is essential to spurring economic growth in Africa. Female economic participation has been shown to have a multiplier effect, as the economic empowerment of one woman spreads meaningfully to her family and even to entire communities.
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