Addis Ababa - The First Lady of the Republic of Angola, Ana Dias Lourenço, on Saturday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was elected, vice-chair of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) for the 2025-2027 term.
The election took place during the 29th Ordinary General Assembly of OAFLAD, which took place in the Ethiopian capital from Saturday and ends on Sunday.
According to a press release from the Office of the First Lady, it reinforces Angola's commitment to promoting women's rights, resulting in the development of the African continent.
The event, considered as one of the most relevant moments of the first day of the works of the General Assembly of OAFLAD, also served for the election of the First Lady of Sierra Leone, Fátima Maada Bio, as chairwoman of the organization.
In addition to the First Ladies of Angola and Sierra Leone, the organisation's Steering Committee is made up of the First Ladies of Malawi, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea, the Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Ethiopia.
During the first day of the Assembly, the Strategic Plan for the 2025-2030 period was approved, highlighting the contribution of the First Ladies as the main vectors for advocacy and resource mobilisation for the implementation of the organisation's projects and programmes, with an impact on their respective countries.
The event, which took place under the theme “Beijing: First Ladies Championing Women's Leadership and Rights Through African Heritage”, was part of the 38th Summit of Heads of State and Government.
This theme coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and aligns with the African Union's 2025 theme of "Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations." It further emphasizes OAFLAD’s commitment to advancing women's leadership and promoting gender equality.
OPDAD implements projects to support integrated and sustainable community development in the areas of education, health, the environment and school sport, with a view to empowering families and rural communities, as part of the “We Are All Equal” campaign.
In Angola, the initiative, under the leadership of the First Lady of the Republic, was launched during the Conference “Education for Gender Equality and Combating Child and Youth Violence”, held in August 2024 in Luanda, an event opened by the Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço.
The campaign carries out advocacy and awareness-raising activities in favour of this initiative, which contributes to the protection and education of children and promotes rural intergenerational relations, giving greater attention to projects and platforms such as the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) free generation.
On the occasion, Ana Dias Lourenço said that child and youth violence is a social problem that disproportionately affects women, girls and boys, has an impact on all areas of their lives, jeopardises their fundamental rights, physical and mental health, financial freedom, and prevents their full development and happiness.
Since its launch in the country, the “We Are All Equal” campaign has worked closely with civil society organizations, schools, universities, public and private institutions, the media and local communities.
However, initially called the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS, OAFLAD is a non-governmental and non-profit institution founded in 2002 by 37 African First Ladies.
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