Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – 16 September 2025– The Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), under the leadership of its President, H.E. Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of Sierra Leone, will officially launch its new continent-wide campaign, #BuildingResilience, at a high-level side event on 23 September 2025, at the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80).
Following the success of the #WeAreEqual campaign, this new initiative responds to the escalating dual crises of climate change and conflict, which disproportionately affect women and girls across Africa. The campaign aims to protect and empower women and girls in climate- and conflict-affected regions by promoting access to essential services – including health and education, preventing gender-based violence, and advancing peace and climate resilience.
“Resilience is not a choice, it is a lifeline. Women and girls are not just surviving the crises of climate and conflict, they are leading the charge for change. It is time to stand with them, invest in their protection, elevate their leadership, and secure their future,” said H.E. Dr. Fatima Maada Bio.
The campaign is grounded in existing continental commitments including the African Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063, AU Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy (2022–2032) and the AU Policy Framework on Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD). It will be guided by principles that place women’s empowerment and leadership at the center of climate and conflict responses, ensuring their voices shape inclusive policies and programs.
The side event will convene African First Ladies, Heads of State, senior United Nations and African Union officials, civil society, donors, policy makers and influencers to:
- Discuss the climate–conflict–gender nexus and its impact on women and girls.
- Advocate for the implementation of gender-responsive policies in conflict- and climate-affected regions.
- Secure commitments to fund women-led programs.
- Launch the African Women’s Resilience Charter, co-signed by
The side event reinforces OAFLAD’s Strategic Framework and its commitment to ensuring that women and girls remain at the heart of Africa’s climate resilience and peacebuilding agenda.
📺 Watch the launching video here: : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExHO2Xq-b38
Media Contact
Sharufa Amisi
OAFLAD Communication Officer
📧 [email protected]
About OAFLAD
Founded in 2002, as the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA), the institution evolved into the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) and is able to offer continent-wide leadership in advocacy in the areas of HIV and a broad range of maternal and child health interventions.
As an advocacy organization, the First Ladies of Africa seek to leverage their unique position to:
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Advocate for policies that make health services accessible.
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Promote laws that boost women and youth empowerment.
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Reinforce favorable policies and programs through advocacy, resource mobilization, and development of partnerships at all levels.
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Engage in community-level activities to sensitize the community and raise awareness on health risks and policies.
🌍 For more information, visit www.oaflad.org and follow us on YouTube, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
