How African Women Can Drive Policy Solutions

The IE Africa Center recently held a forum in Accra, titled “African Solutions, Global Challenges.” The forum featured a rich intellectual discussion with speakers invited to share ideas they developed addressing global challenges.

Takyiwaa Manuh, Professor Emerita of the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana, gave a talk on “Learning from women, shaping the future”, which highlighted how the experience of African women could be instructive for effective policymaking.

Addressing African leaders as a whole, Professor Manuh stated that while there had been a marked improvement in female representation in the government and in C-suite positions, there was still a long way to go until women are afforded a fair and equal opportunity to drive change.

Professor Manuh went on to emphasize the need to train women in the workplace to build on their existing skills set and prepare them for the realities of today’s world. While exemplifying this by focusing on the pharmaceutical industry’s role in public health, Manuh stressed the importance of encouraging young professionals across the continent, giving them real hope for the future.

“Often when we hear about youth unemployment in Africa, there is the fear it’s going to spill over into migration schemes. I do believe that the government and the private sector, and everybody in Africa really, need to act and give hope to young people in Africa. “They need to know that the future is here and not across the Mediterranean. It is about creating societies where young people can feel they have a future, and the young people include young women as well.”

The “Learning from women, shaping the future” talk was one of the numerous speeches that took place during the “African Solutions, Global Challenges” forum. Other topics included the necessity to reinvent higher education, pharmacy of the future, social change, Fintech and the power of bitcoin, among others.

With over ten years invested in helping business flourish in Africa, the IE Africa Center is IE University’s most recent project, partnering with local leaders, universities and businesses to help bring about a better future for all.