Congolese First Lady Antoinette Sassou Nguesso elected new President of OAFLAD
First ladies of the countries members of the African Union pose for a family picture during a meeting at the palais des Congres in Niamey, on July 6, 2019, on the sidelines of the African Union summit. (Photo by ISSOUF SANOGO / AFP) (Photo credit ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP/Getty Images)
Congo’s First Lady Antoinette Sassou Nguesso was on Sunday elected as the new president of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) succeeding First Lady Sika Bella Kabore of Burkina Faso.
Zimbabwe’s First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa also took over from Kenya’s Margaret Kenyatta following changes effected during the 23rd OAFLAD General Assembly meeting in Niamey, Niger.
Various nations were also nominated to represent their respective regions. Burundi and Congo were nominated to represent Central Africa Region, Mozambique and Namibia were nominated for the Southern African region while Niger and Sierra Leone were nominated for the West African region.
Kenya retained her seat in the body’s steering committee for a period of two years. The country will represent East Africa for a third time. Rwanda was also nominated to represent the East African region.
The theme of the Assembly is ‘Collaborating to Transform Africa, Addressing the Needs of Vulnerable Populations’.
The First Ladies’ meeting is usually held on the sidelines of the Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Africa Union (AU).
The OAFLAD is an advocacy organization where First Ladies of Africa seek to leverage their unique position to advocate for policies that make health services accessible and laws that boost women and youth empowerment.
The body, previously known as Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) changed its name and phase in February this year to help broaden the scope of its activities beyond HIV/AIDS.
