First Lady of Namibia Monica Geingos highlighted the effectiveness of the Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLAD) as a powerful advocacy platform to close the gender gap in Africa.

Geingos made this remark at the inaugural programme of the Global First Ladies Academy (GFLA), co-hosted by OAFLAD, the GFLA, and the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, in New York, United States of America (USA), on Thursday.

Speaking at the event, Geingos said the campaign will leverage the social capital of African First Ladies throughout the continent to spotlight the unfinished business of gender equality and the multiplier effect it will have on Africa’s developmental trajectory.

“We are equal, and by working together, our society can be too,” Geingos said.

Geingos also called on the multiple research partners who attended the public sessions to help shape effective messages on the collective action required to close the gender gap across four campaign pillars, namely health, gender-based violence, education, and economic empowerment. The tools learned during the First Ladies Academy will enable the enhancement of advocacy tools to be used during OAFLAD’s ‘We are Equal’ campaign.

The First Lady also extended her gratitude to the GFLA and Columbia University for being incredible partners in the ideation and execution of the GFLA.

Moreover, she thanked the First Lady of the USA, Jill Biden, for her friendship, sincerity, and commitment to building a meaningful relationship with African First Ladies.

This is due to Biden’s first trip to Africa as First Lady, during which she visited Namibia and then Kenya.

Participating First Ladies from Botswana, Burundi, the Gambia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe were awarded certificates for their participation in the graduate level Executive Leadership Programme to advance health and development.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency