The Laureates of the AllAfrica Continental Leadership Award 2023 have called for more initiatives to support the continent's women. It is in a festive atmosphere that the AllAfrica Global Media Group held its the ceremony honouring four women who are outstanding in their field.
Among the winners are two Moroccans.
Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch, Founder and President of the Morocco-based Aksal Group who was the category winner for economic and social development.
Rachida Kaaout, the President of the High Commissioner for African Diasporas in France, received the award for leadership in the diaspora. Kaaout called attention to the importance of the other region of Africa, the diaspora, and called for more action and initiatives for women to enable them to fully play their role.
Cameroon's Vera Songwe was awarded the Special AllAfrica Continental Leadership Award for the work done as the head of the Economic Commission for Africa as part of the United Nations system. Songwe is the current Chair of the Board of Directors of the Liquidity & Sustainability Facility (LSF).
According to Amadou Mahtar Ba, Chairman and CEO of AllAfrica, the initiatives taken by Songwe during the Covid-19 period deserve to be recognised because they have enabled many African countries to cope with the pandemic.
The award in the performance category went to Delphine Traore of Burkina Faso, for her work as the Regional CEO of Allianz Africa for the innovative products implemented in the agricultural insurance sector but also in favour of the financial inclusion of women in Africa.
Sy Mariama Ba, Regional Director of the Francophone Region recalled that the AllAfrica Women's Agenda Forum Awards were initiated to honour women who embody female leadership and who must inspire young girls. Thus, after a day full of proposals and orientations around the theme of the AWA 2023 Forum: "Food Sovereignty: Feeding Africa to Women", the AllAfrica Group has combined business with pleasure.
The dinner with Moroccan flavours served to the guests was seasoned with Senegalese sounds which added to the festive atmosphere in celebration of International Women's Day commemorated in Africa and all over the world.
This highlights the vitality of the cultural mix of Africa and the need to join forces in this context and push for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). An initiative which, according to Mustapha Mellouk, member of the Board of Directors of AllAfrica Global Media, must be accompanied by a media leader like allAfrica.com through platforms for dynamic reflection on the issues of the African continent.
