Empowering Female Leaders with Albinism

In celebrating International Albinism Awareness Day, we highlight the successful forum hosted by Africa Albinism Network, empowering female leaders with albinism in Africa.

Within the albinism movement and civil society at large, men have traditionally occupied leadership positions, leaving little space for the development of women’s voices and leadership. A recent survey of albinism groups by the AAN in 2022 and 2023 indicated that only 30 percent of the leaders with albinism who responded were women and only 16 percent of albinism groups prioritize issues affecting women impacted by albinism. Empirical research done by groups such as our project, Mothering and Albinism, and others shows that women impacted by albinism face the brunt of the human rights violations experienced by persons with albinism and are acutely vulnerable to violence, socio-economic deprivation, and lack of access to health services and yet are often absent from leadership positions within and outside the albinism movement.

In response, the AAN, in collaboration with Positive Exposure Kenya, hosted a Women’s Learning Forum for this group of women on May 28-30, 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya. Among the participants were female leaders impacted by albinism from 30 albinism groups from across 17 countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe), female representatives with albinism from government ministries and agencies as well as women leaders from the broader disability rights and women’s rights movement.

The Forum which was funded by Under the Same Sun, Ford Foundation and Wellspring Philanthropic Fund aimed at supporting leadership development of women impacted by albinism, cross movement exchange and co-learning. It was hoped that this would increase women leadership within albinism groups and other spaces, enhance the inclusion of women impacted by albinism in feminist and disability movements; and strengthen the capacity of female leaders to address specific needs of women and girls with albinism. The Forum comprised of interactive plenary sessions, panels discussions, group mentoring sessions and skills building workshops which touched on diverse topics including qualities of a female leader, entrepreneurship, human rights advocacy reporting and developing a fundraising proposal and approaching funders.

One of the highlights of the Forum was the self-defence training in which participants were taught easy to use self defence techniques such as awareness, assertiveness, and verbal confrontation skills in combination with safety strategies and physical techniques to prevent, resist, and escape unsafe situations. Tapiwa Gwenlisa Marange founder of the organisation Alive Albinism Initiative in Zimbabwe who attended the Forum had this to say about the experience,

When people organise leadership forums, women with disabilities including those with albinism come as an afterthought. So, to have a world class conference that is organised by a regional albinism organisation led by a woman for women is mind blowing. I am grateful that we could have a safe space where we could really talk about our issues as leaders and share our experiences and I am hoping and looking forward to more platforms like this.

The closing ceremony saw a lifetime award being given to Commissioner Nomasonto Mazibuko from South Africa, a veteran in the albinism movement for her tireless work in advocating for the rights of persons with albinism and paving the way for other female leaders.

For the full report, click here.

As the world celebrates albinism awareness day under the theme, “10 years of IAAD: A decade of collective progress’’ we hope that all stakeholders will heed to call to support and build capacity of women impacted by albinism.

The Mothering and Albinism project works in partnership with AAN.