The Association of African Women for Research and Development (AAWORD) is a pan-African non-governmental organization based in Dakar, Senegal. AAWORD undertakes and supports research and training and advocacy with the intention of promoting the economic, political and social rights of African women.
Created in 1977, by a small group of African women, the Association has steadily grown in importance and covers almost all the countries of the continent with 16 national chapters, with 14 in Africa, one in Europe and one for African women living in the Americas.The arrival of young members has contributed to the development of the Association, which has several members spread over Francophone, Anglophone, Lusophone and Arabic-speaking Africa.
The multidisciplinary profile of its members is another characteristic of AAWORD. They are made up researchers, trainers, sociologists, anthropologists, historians, and experts in natural sciences, not to mention advocacy specialists in economics, education, political science, and communication.
To build a powerful African women’s movement linking the fight for the promotion of human rights, especially those of women, to the theory and practice of development; and to bring forth African women’s contribution to sustainable and democratic development.
-To transform gender relations and social conditions in Africa
-To bring forth African women’s contribution to sustainable development and democratic advances in Africa
-To develop the capacities of African women to undertake research and disseminate the results
-To assist policy and decision makers in designing and formulating people centered policies from a gender perspective
-To develop advocacy strategies and the necessary tools to enable African women to influence decision-making in the political, economic and social fields for the promotion of gender equality and democracy in Africa.
-To encourage the setting up of national groups for the development of feminist research at the local level.
-To create networks and strengthen partnership with African women researchers and organizations working on development issues.
They are made up of: the: General Assembly, the Executive Committee and the Secretariat.
· The General Assembly is made of all AAWORD members. It sets the vision and orientations of the Association and takes decisions on the programs and administrative actions undertaken by the Association. The General Assembly meets every four years.
· The Executive Committee executes and elaborates policy guidelines from the General Assembly’s decisions. It meets at least once a year. The Executive Committee members are involved in the Association’s research, training, publication and advocacy activities. The President and Vice-president are selected amongst the elected members of the Executive Committee.
· The Secretariat. It is responsible for developing research proposals; raising and administering funds; implementing research programs, capacity building and advocacy; publishing the ECHO newsletter and other studies undertaken by members; coordinating at the regional level the work undertaken by the national chapters; establishing and maintaining links with African networks in the one hand and international like minded organizations on the other. It is headed by an Executive Secretary.
Its Priority Programme Areas
Gender and Transformation of Economic and Social Policies in Africa
Women's Entry into Sexual Life
Governance, Democratization and Women’s Political Empowerment
Violence against Women, notably the Traditional Practices associated with Widowhood
Conflict Transformation and Peace Building
Youth Leadership
Comparative Advantages
AAWORD is the oldest autonomous regional organization for African women's research and development;
It has more than twenty years experience in the struggle for enhancing women’s status and participation in developing Africa;
AAWORD has expertise in project and implementation design, training and regional coordination on gender and development issues in the African zone;
AAWORD has attained significant expertise in gender analysis and among its members has several university professionals and decision makers known world wide;
The Association has fully integrated in its research programmes, multidisciplinarity and participatory settings as major tools for research and advocacy;
AAWORD has global representation in Africa, Europe and the Americas with the presence of field researchers in African countries;
AAWORD has extensive experience in advocacy work on behalf of African women at national, regional and global levels; and in information dissemination on issues related to gender and development in Africa
AAWORD’s Achievements
On a continental scale, AAWORD champions the promotion of gender equality and the use of gender as an analytical tool in all social sciences. AAWORD has greatly contributed to the promotion of gender and development issues and disseminating important research results in Africa.
The Association’s actions are part of a movement that was instrumental in influencing African governments’ awareness of the importance of taking political decisions in favor of women. AAWORD played a catalytic role in the African and international women’s movement in particular by raising global awareness on gender issues as they relate to social, economic and cultural development in Africa.
Through AAWORD, many African, Caribbean, African-American and other Third World women have developed a strong commitment to gender issues. It is also through AAWORD that new women’s networks such as the Forum of African Women Educationalists (FAWE) was created. AAWORD also initiated the creation of the Association of Women Specialists in Communications. AAWORD members played a key role in assisting CODESRIA in launching its Annual Gender Institute. Furthermore, several Ministries of Women Affairs seek from AAWORD technical back up, advice and intellectual guidance on key policy issues affecting women’s lives.
Partner Organizations of AAWORD
AAWORD National Chapters
Association of African Universities (AAU)
Association of African Women Specialists in Communications (APAC)
Association of Women in Development (AWID)
Center of Concern (CoC)
Conseil des ONGs d'Appui au Développement (CONGAD)
Council for the Development of Social Sciences Research in Africa (CODESRIA)
Development Alternatives with Women for a new Era (DAWN)
ECA-African Center for Women
Ford Fondation
Forum for African Women Educationalist (FAWE)
Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Foundation
Gender Economic Reform in Africa (GERA)
International Alert
Network Women in Development Europe (WIDE)
Path Finder International
Plan International
AAWORD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS (2003-2007)
Names Contact Tel / Fax / E.mail
NORTH AFRICA
Malika BENRADI
(President) BP 8057, Nations Unies 10102
Agdal, Rabat Morroco Tel/Fax : (212-37) 713450
Cell : 212 61489348
E.mail : malika_benradi@hotmail.com
Selwa KENNOU
(Alternate) Ecole Supérieure d'Agriculture de Mograire 3, Rue Ahmed Ibn Droud 2083 La Gazelle Tunis - Tunisia Tél : 216-71-757003/9
98-827041
E.mail : sa.hou@planet.tn
ANGLOPHONE WEST AFRICA
Stella Y. ERINOSHO
(Vice-Presidente) Professor
Olabisi Onabanjo University (Ogun State University) PMB 2002
Ijebu-Ode Nigeria
or P.O Box 036, Ijebu-Ode, Nigeria
Tel/Fax : 234-37-432517
E.mail : erinosho@skannet.com
Ifueko BELLO-FADAKA
(Alternate) Secretary
AAWORD Nigeria
366 Murtala Mohamed Way
Lagos - Nigeria Tel : (234)1-5456243/5456618
Fax : 234-1-2634640
E.mail : ifueks@yahoo.com
LUSOPHONE AFRICA
Zuleika Salazar-Levy
(Full member) C.P.619 Praia CAPE VERDE Tel : 238-912335/612475/628321
(House) 612475
Cell : (238) 912335 Fax : 628356
E.mail : josulevy@cvtelecom.cv
flordelakakan@cvtelecom.cv
Antonietta R. GOMES
(Alternate) C.P. 808 Bissau
Guinea Tél : 245-204230/31
Fax : 245-201265
E.mail : cvamain@yahoo.fr
FRANCOPHONE WEST AFRICA
Massan D'ALMEIDA
(Full member) B.P 30888. Wuiti
Lomé TOGO or BP 10133 Lomé Tel/Fax : (228) 2266225
E.mail : andree29@hotmail.com
afardtogo@caramail.com
Maréma Touré-Thiam
(Alternate) BP 3448, Dakar Senegal Tel : (221) 63 79 616
E.mail : matoure@refer.sn
EUROPE
Maïmouna NDOYE
(Full member) Résidence St boniface, Chambre 404 Avenue du Mail 14
1205 Geneve - SWISS Tel : 41-22-3222744/41788963414
E.mail : sokhnamay@yahoo.fr
SOUTHERN AFRICA
Maimbo ZIELA
(Titulaire) Zambian Association for Research and Development - ZARD
PO Box 37836
Lusaka - Zambia
Tel : (260-1) 224536/097-744299
E.Mail : zard@zamtel.zm
maimboziela@yahoo.co.uk
Zanelle HLATSHAWO
(Alternate) Advocacy Program Officer
Women's Health Project University of Witwatersrand South Africa Tel : 2771-489 99 18
E.mail : zanelek@hotmail.com
EAST AFRICA
Astronaut BAGILE
(Full member) C/o WRDP Po Box 35108
Dar-Es-Salaam Tanzania E.Mail : ishi@healthscope.or.tz
arutenge@yahoo.com
Wangari MWAI
(Alternate) Aaword Kenya P.O Box 40710, Nairobi or PO Box 333 Maseno or PO Box 6303 Kisumu KENYA Tel/Fax : 254-2-719526 / 722 653745
E.mail : aawordk@insightkenya.co
wangaridoc@yahoo.com
CENTRAL AFRICA
Agnès Ildjima-Lokiam
(Full member) BP 5500 N'Djaména CHAD Tel Port : (235) 288388
House: 235-533185 Off. : 235-520342
E.mail : ildjimalokiam@yahoo.fr
Solange Elenge-Molayi
(Alternate) BP 9986 Kinshasa I
Républic Democratique of Congo
Tel : (243) 98478229
E.mail : solelengemol@hotmail.com
