Dr Charity Binka, Chairperson of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN), Ghana Chapter, has charged women who aspire for higher leadership positions to be driven by determination and resilience if they are to realise their goal.

She said with determination and purpose, no challenge was insurmountable, urging them to rise above the long standing culture restrictions against women to achieve higher heights.

“When I was younger, women were expected just to be seen and not to be heard. We were supposed to be quiet, we’re supposed to stay behind, we are to be led by others, but I refused to be silenced even at that time, many years more than several decades ago, I refused to be silenced. I spoke when it was risky, I worked hard when it was necessary and I stood alone when I found myself lonely in the media.

“But my secret weapon has been determination. I made sure I seized every opportunity to add value to myself,” she cited.

Dr Binka gave the charge at a virtual graduation ceremony of the first cohort of the African Women in Global Leadership by the Africa Leaders Institute of Global Affairs’ (AFLIGA), over the weekend.

The five-week intensive training sought to empower young African female professionals by equipping them with the knowledge, skills and networks required to navigate leadership in global affairs.

Dr Binka lauded the programme, indicating that it aligned with the goals and aspirations of AWLN, which sought to enhance the leadership of women in the transformation of Africa, in line with Africa Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

She stressed the importance of the training, indicating that today’s world required ethical, transformative and compassionate leadership to effect the needed change.

She charged the graduates to change the long standing narrative that demanded women to be followers rather than leaders, urging them to be bold in seeking for that change.

“Be audacious in your ambition,” she said. “When you face a challenge, see it as a process to be navigated and never, ever lose sight of the profound prospects that your leadership holds for our beloved continent.”

Dr Binka also charged women to seize every opportunity to add value to themselves, explaining that with the needed qualifications, women stood good chance of serving in the highest leadership roles, globally.

Sara Beysolow Nyanti, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Liberia, speaking at the same event, bemoaned the neglect of women in leadership roles despite having been at the centre of transformation over the years, emphasising the importance of the Women in Global Leadership programme.

She reminded the graduates that leadership was not a title but a responsibility, urging them to be leaders who shaped policies to drive development across the continent.

“Leadership demands courage, compassion and a conviction to challenge barriers, to question systems that have excluded women for too long and to create new pathways where others may follow,” she emphasised.

Dr Joseph Atta-Mensah, Chairman, Governing Council of AFLIGA, emphasised the need for women to be given opportunity to serve in leadership position, describing it as “just not fairness, but for effective governance and development.”

“Women bring perspective rooted in empathy, resilience and collaboration, qualities that strengthen our institutions and societies,” he added.

He charged the graduates to be torchbearers of the initiative by exhibiting ethics, innovative and inclusiveness in the discharge of their leadership duties.

Eva Tandoh, who spoke on behalf of the first cohort, lauded the impact of the programme, describing it as “a deep soul-searching experience.”

She promised that the cohort would be staunch advocates for women’s representation in decision making, not as a favour, but as a necessity for sustainable progress.

Dr Emmanuel Dei-Tumi, Executive Director, AFLIGA, said the development of the programme was necessary considering the leadership gap that persisted on the continent.

He said, by 2030, AFLIGA hoped to train and equip 54,000 young African leaders with transformational leadership skills to address the leadership gap and to drive Africa’s development.

Additionally, he said, the institution hoped to “create sustainable employment opportunities and community impact and establish a legacy of ethical leadership and economic resilience across Africa.”

The AFLIGA is a pioneering leadership and development programme designed to equip Africa’s youth and emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and professionals with the mindsets, skills, knowledge and tools needed to drive transformative change across the continent.