The Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OPDAD) will celebrate its 20th anniversary on June 17 in Kinshasa. The objective is to take stock of two decades of action for the benefit of the most vulnerable African citizens and to anchor its ambitions for the next twenty years.
To mark this celebration, OPDAD will officially launch its “Uniting for the Achievement of Gender Equality in Africa” campaign. This campaign will focus on access to education, health, empowerment of women and the fight against violence against women and girls. The goal is to mobilize all partners to accelerate the progress already made and enable the full participation of girls and women in the socio-economic development of the continent.
More than 500 participants are expected at this event, including heads of state and representatives of civil society. The latter will have the opportunity to attend three main activities: the plenary conference to be held at the People’s Palace, the “OPDAD Village”, specially built for the occasion on the lawn of the Académie des Beaux- Arts and will be open to the public from June 15 to 18, 2023, and an exceptional anniversary evening with an auction for the benefit of the OPDAD.
Founded in 2002, OPDAD’s vision is a developed Africa with healthy and empowered children, youth and women. Its mission is to contribute to the health and well-being of children, youth and women through advocacy, resource mobilization and strategic partnerships.
In short, this celebration of OPDAD’s 20th anniversary is a great opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of African First Ladies to the emancipation of women and girls on the continent. It is time to capitalize on the collective influence of these women to drive bold transformations and build a future where every African can thrive.