We Will Lead Africa: VOLUME TWO: WOMEN

Who leads Africa? This volume is a collection of stories of impact, change and transformation happening across Africa. These are stories of African women leaders who are having extraordinary impact every day. They provide insight and inspiration about what is possible when the contributions of women are celebrated, valued and amplified. These stories are but a sample of the movement. Featuring 32 submissions by 36 contributors, these stories cannot be put in a box, so, we offer them in the following groupings only as a guide to the reader:* Six Influencers - These women are shaping domestic and international policies in public sector, gender, agriculture, trade and information technology. In this section, you will meet: Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Baratang Miya, Seno Namwandi, Eileen Bogweh Nchanji, Nitasha Ramparsad and Nomusa Taylor-Dube. *Three Health Innovators - Here you will meet the sister-team Yasmine and Heba Aguib who are advancing health research and innovation and catch a glimpse of the health advocacy happening on the continent through the stories of Vanessa Adebayo and Taíla Carrilho.*Six Entrepreneurs & Business Women - These women are leading the way in business, as well as creating opportunities for other girls and women. Meet Lynda Aphing-Kouassi, Sara Fakir & Tatiana Pereira, Ijangolet S. Ogwang, Sandra Onwuekwe, Bezawit Shewarega and Wacelia M. Zacarias Zualo. *Five Educators - These women span generations, showing that African women have and continue to leave their mark in the African Academy. Meet Stella Bvuma, Tshepiso Maleswena, Mbuywana Mbikusita-Lewanika, Audrey Msimanga and Tracey L. McCormick.*Five Bridge Builders - These women are creating platforms to enable and facilitate opportunities and spaces for other women to learn and grow together, support each other and gain access to opportunities that seemed beyond reach now. Meet Marcia Ashong, Vuyi Chaza, Marina Diboma, Kebone Moloko & Siyabonga Ntuli & Buyelwa Xundu and Diana Wilson.*Seven (De)Constructors - These leaders cross the arenas of Sports, Arts and Pan-Africanism. The stories are about women disrupting status quo narratives for social impact. They are pioneers for change in the fabric and culture of African identities. They are the stories of Marcia Tate Arunga, Celma Costa, Elizabeth Mwambulukutu, Dorothy J J Okatch, Caroline Pouw via Lydia Radoli, Peace Hilary Tumwesigire and Maame Afon Yelbert-Sai.This volume exemplifies the We Will Lead Africa ethos and expresses the variety, creativity and magic that the inclusion of women brings. We are proud that this volume was wholly curated by African women - in addition to our editorial team and the contributors, we thank and acknowledge Romy Gad el Rab for her work on cover design with photos supplied by contributor, Elizabeth Mwambulukutu, Oni Aningo for her poetic submission of Steel Magnolia for our prologue and Cheryl S. Ntumy for her science fiction submission of the History of Her to help us imagine future possibilities for girls' and women's lives in our epilogue.