These Women are doing Africa proud!

The general belief  in Africa  is that men  set the space, while  women follow the trend. But over time,  this norm is changing, as women  are gradually taking the front row among their male counterparts, thereby  making their mark in the sands of time. TOLUWANI OLAMITOKE looks at some of these women. As Managing Director for multi-national cable and satellite content company, MNET Africa, Alabi is one of the most powerful women in African media. In 2001 mic Forum named Alabi,Young Global Leader.She has been at the forefront of the expansion of the AfricaMagic channels brand across the continent. Before becoming managing director, Alabi served as director for international strategy at Sesame Street where her first project was working the Nigerian Sesame Street. On September 12, 2011, Lopes was crowned Miss Universe, thus  becoming the first Angolan woman to win the position. She’s also the fourth African to win the title Miss South Africa in 1978 while she  also crowned Miss Namibia  in 1992 and  Miss Botswana in 1999. As the reigning Miss Universe, Lopes used the platform for advocacy for HIV and AIDS patients worldwide.

Sesay files reports for “African Voices” and “ Inside Africa“, CNN International  award-winning, weekly programme that covers political, economic, cultural and social trends in Africa. Sesay is also an anchor on CNN International and a contributor to CNN’s’’ Anderson Cooper 360’’ and HLN’s nightly news show “Evening Express.”

 In its 2013 edition of Time 100,  the magazine included the Nigerian actress on its icon list, describing her as the queen of Nollywood. Other celebrities on the list included Michelle Obama, Kate Middleton, Aung San Suu Kyi, Beyonce and Malala Yousafzai, the 15-year-old Pakistani activist shot by the Taliban. Omotola,  who is married to pilot for whom she has four children, was also recognised for her initiative in starting an empowerment scheme known as the Omotola Youth Empowerment Programme. In addition, she writes a column for Nigeria’s Saturday Sun known as Omotola’s Diary and occasionally gets involved in women and charity homes.

The peace activist was one of the  three female recipients who were awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize “for non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work.” Gbowee helped organise and lead the Liberian Mass Action for Peace, an alliance of Christian and Muslim women, in public protest during Liberia’s tumultuous times. Now, through her organisation, Women Peace and Security Network Africa, she  trains and empowers women in Africa to bring peace to their own countries. Gbowee is a recipient of multiple awards including the Blue Ribbon Peace Award from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School; Gruber Prize for Women’s Rights, the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, the Medal for Justice from New York’s  John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the Women’s eNews Leaders For the 21st Century Award.