Luanda - Journalist Joana Tomás was elected today, by a qualified majority, secretary-general of the Organisation of Angolan Women (OMA), female wing of the ruling MPLA party, during its VII (seventh) Ordinary Congress, which is being held in Luanda.
The announcement was made on the last day of the OMA Congress, in a session chaired by Luísa Damião, MPLA's vice-president.
Joana Tomás replaces Luzia Inglês, who was in charge of OMA for 22 years, contributing for several conquests reached by Angola in the fight for women empowerment.
Speaking on Thursday at the opening ceremony, Luzia Inglês thanked all the support given to her by the MPLA President, the party, OMA and its militants, from Cabinda (north) to Cunene (south), as well as all the delegates accompanying the congress by videoconference, including those living outside the country.
She stressed the importance of OMA joining forces with MPLA against domestic violence, disorder, corruption, nepotism and impunity, with a view to building a better Angola.
In a farewell message to Luzia Inglês, the OMA stressed that it had been a great pleasure to work with "a humble, generous person who is always ready to listen and who leaves the Organization strong, cohesive and indivisible".
They consider that although a cycle is ending, a new stage is beginning and new horizons are opening up to Luzia Inglês' accumulated experience.
At least 1,500 delegates from all 18 provinces and from OMA committees around the world are participating in this meeting, which ends this Friday, both in person and by videoconference.
Joana Tomás is the fifth Secretary General of the women wing of the country´s ruling party (MPLA), since the national independence on November 11, 1975, after Luisa Pereira Inglês, Maria Carlos, Ruth Neto and Luzia Inglês.
Biography of OMA new Secretary General
The new Secretary General of the Organization of Angolan Women (OMA), Joana Tomás, member of the Political Bureau of the MPLA Central Committee, is a journalist by profession.
Joana Domingos dos Santos Filipe Tomás Martins, married, is the daughter of Domingos Tomás and Suzana dos Santos Tomás, was born in Calandula, Malanje province, on 13 October 1969.
Joana Tomás has a degree in Social Communication from the Methodist University of São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo State (Federal Republic of Brazil), since 1993, and has been a journalist for state-run television Televisão Pública de Angola (TPA), since 1995.
She is the winner of the Maboque Journalism Award, in 2004, and the National Journalism Award, in 2008.
Militancy
Joana Tomás joined the MPLA 25 years ago and holds militant card number 006972331. She joined OPA (Organization of Pioneers of Agostinho Neto), currently Organization of Angolan Pioneers, in 1980, in the province of Uige, in the MPLA Committee of the Popular Neighborhood nº 1.
He went to Brazil with her parents to continue her studies. In that country, she joined JMPLA's nucleus and became a member of the António Agostinho Neto Association, in the State of São Paulo.
On her return to Angola, in 1995, she integrated the nucleus of OMA at TPA, until the transfer of the party and associative base organisations to the places of residence.
In 2005, she was elected member of OMA's National Committee at the IV Ordinary Congress of the organization and re-elected at the V and VI Congresses that followed.
Ana Tomas was deputy coordinator of the OMA National Committee's Monitoring Group for Benguela and Cunene provinces from 2005 to 2014.
She participated in the I (first) MPLA Leaders' Course held at the Party Training Centre (CEFOP) in 2014.
During her Service Commission in Cuando Cubango province from 2016 to 2018, she participated in various activities of the OMA Provincial Committee.
She is Secretary for Information and Propaganda of Action Committee No. 221, of Bairro Sapú II e III, Casas Azuis - Sector 9, of the Urban District of University City.
Currently, she is militant of OMA, section 313, of the Urban District of the University City, having accomplished diverse missions for MPLA, in the scope of the Information and Propaganda, with prominence for congresses and electoral campaigns.
She is a member of the Political Bureau of the MPLA Central Committee, elected at the VII Extraordinary Congress of the MPLA, held in June 2019.
