According to the African Women’s Development and Communications Network (FEMNET), “While women constitute an average of 40% of judges across the continent, their representation thins at the upper ranks of power, where the most consequential decisions are made.” Under the theme “Women Leading in Shaping Justice Across Generations,” women from different sectors across the legal and justice field recently met in Nairobi, Kenya, for a conference co-hosted by FEMNET and Co-Impact. Thanks to this platform for problem-solving and movement-building, participants reflected on and exchanged solutions to systemic barriers (e.g., patriarchal laws, institutional sexism, new digital-age obstacles) to leadership in Africa.
But throughout generations, African women have shown resilience. As stated by The Reporter Ethiopia, “At the heart of this exchange is a call for structured mentorship and coaching, recognizing that continuity of leadership in justice can only be ensured when knowledge is intentionally transferred.”
Our GC Africa Programme (HRDA) was represented by Dr Michelle Maziwisa, programme manager, and two alumnae of different generations committed to women’s rights and gender justice.
Awa Gai (2023 cohort), a feminist laywer from The Gambia, conducted in-depth research during her master’s programme on advancing access to justice for women in her country using transitional justice mechanisms. Her work earned her third place in the Dean’s Essay Competition at the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria. Since completing the HRDA, she has taken up an internship as a Professional Assistant at the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, and was thereafter awarded the Mandela Washington Fellowship in the United States, where she worked with the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. Upon completion, she returned to The Gambia and has been supporting her government’s work on transitional justice for women. She is now a fellow at the Clooney Foundation for Justice.
For Awa, “Pursuing a Master of Laws in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa at the Centre for Human Rights has profoundly enriched my career as a thriving feminist human rights lawyer. This programme has provided me with the critical knowledge and platform to advance my advocacy for systemic change in the pursuit of justice and equality.”
Henrietta Ekefre (2015 cohort), an international lawyer and policy advocate with 10+ years’ experience advising African human rights bodies, was also a fellow at the Clooney Foundation, supporting women through mobile legal clinics—resolving cases of forced eviction, marital disputes, and financial abuse, and reaching over 1,200 women and girls. She is now engaged in research on reparations for historical injustices, including apartheid, colonialism, and transatlantic enslavement. Henrietta recently launched a background paper she co-authored, “Creating Feminist Perspectives and pathways for Justice,” at the GIMAC – African Union’s Gender Is My Agenda Campaign Network (6–10 July, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea), in line with the AU theme for 2025, “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.”
The contributions and achievements of Awa Gai and Henrietta Ekefre highlight the continued impact of GC Africa alumnae in advancing gender justice and leadership in law across the continent. Their work reflects the programme’s enduring role in strengthening human rights and democratisation in Africa.
