First Lady Rachel Ruto has emphasized the pivotal role of African women in driving the continent’s economic transformation.
Speaking at the African Young Women Leaders (AfYWL) Fellowship Programme 2025 held at the Africa School of Governance Campus in Kigali, Mrs. Ruto urged women to become architects of Africa’s renaissance.
“Let us build an Africa where every girl knows that her voice matters, her dreams are valid, and her potential is limitless,” she said.
She called on African governments to support women through economic empowerment and capacity building.
“Every time we empower a woman, we are not just changing her life; we are multiplying the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), stabilizing our communities, and strengthening our democracy,” she added.
Back in Kenya, Mrs. Ruto highlighted that this transformation is being driven by intentional efforts to elevate women into leadership roles across the judiciary, diplomacy, security, and other key sectors of public service. She noted that President William Ruto has consistently demonstrated his commitment to advancing women’s empowerment and inclusion in leadership as a central pillar of his administration.
Mrs. Ruto has championed women’s empowerment through the Joyful Women Organization, which she founded in 2009.
“This organization was not born from policy, but from proximity—from walking beside women who simply wanted what all of us desire: dignity, opportunity, and agency over their own lives,” she said.
“When I became the First Lady of Kenya in September 2022, I knew I needed to continue amplifying these voices at the center of our national vision. Where a woman’s potential is unlocked, a nation’s prosperity is inevitable,” she added.
Addressing the graduating young leaders, Mrs. Ruto encouraged them to embrace the African women’s dream in whatever leadership roles they undertake.
“The journey has just begun; we are aiming to build the next generation of captains of industry and leaders of businesses across the continent,” she said.
She emphasized that gender equality is not an act of generosity but one of justice, moral duty, and economic necessity.
“All that women need is a chance, not sympathy—just a chance like the one you have received,” she stated.
Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, UN Assistant Secretary-General, UNDP Assistant Administrator, and Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa, applauded the graduates’ skills and potential.
“We are creating opportunities for intergenerational dialogue—not only by training them but also by allowing them to contribute their own ideas,” she said, urging them to serve others rather than themselves.
“Leadership is not about proximity to power but proximity to the people. This is what First Lady Rachel Ruto represents,” Ms. Eziakonwa added.
Also present was Ms. Prudence Ngwenya, Director of the Women, Gender, and Youth Directorate at the African Union Commission, along with partners, faculty, and champions of the Fellowship Programme. Ms. Ngwenya praised Mrs. Ruto for her advocacy of women’s empowerment and urged the young leaders to lead inclusively and boldly.
Established in 2019, the African Young Women Leaders Fellowship Programme seeks to cultivate a new generation of African women leaders equipped to implement development programmes aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Africa’s Agenda 2063. A joint initiative of the African Union Commission and the UNDP, the Programme advances gender equality by investing in global women’s leadership.
