1. Aoua Keita
1912-1980, Mali
Madam Aoua KEITA was a Malian. She was a Midwife and a freedom fighter under the Polical party- RDA. She entered in politics in 1946 and was the President of women of the Party.She led the Malian delegation in 1962 in Tanganyika (Tanzania).
3. Putuse Apollos
(1930-1986)
Namibia /South Africa. Represented SWAPO women at Dar es Salaam founding conference. Later worked in the PAWO Algiers office for over 14 years. Died in Zambia in exile her remains were later repatriated to Namibia.
5. Betty Kaunda
1928-2012
Zambia. Represented UNIP women’ league and chaired the 1962 Conference. Was later First Lady of Zambia (1964-1991)
7. Jeanne Martin Cisse
1926-2017 Guinea
First PAWO Secretary General, worked with members of the Ghana-Guinea-Ghana Women’s Committee and other colleagues in the run up to the Dar es Salaam founding conference. First woman in the history of the UN to chair the Security Council in November 1972.
9. Radhia Haddad
1922-2003
From the National Union of Tunisian Women, a noted militant for girls’ education having been forced to drop out of school at the age of 12.
11. Jeanne Gervais
1922-2012
Côte d’Ivoire. A teacher and education inspector by profession. Was a PAWO founder in 1962.Participated in Women’s protest March in December 1949 at Grand Bassam. Member of Parliament later first woman Cabinet Minister in her country.
13. Trénou Marguerite Thompson
1921-2008
Togo. Originally a teacher and Principal of the Rufisque Normal School for girls, she later trained as a lawyer and was Togo’s first woman advocate graduating from Abidjan in 1971.She was called to the Bar in 1972 and served as Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce, Director of the National Social Security Fund and elected to Parliament as one of 6 women in 1979.
15. Likimani Muthoni
Kenyan activist and writer, who has published works of both fiction and non-fiction, as well as children’s books. In her career she has also been a broadcaster, actress, teacher and publisher. She was the first Kenyan beauty queen, the first African to establish a public relations firm in Kenya and one of the country’s earliest female authors.
17. Maria Nyerere
born Maria Waningu Gabriel Magige; December 31, 1930
Served as the inaugural First Lady of Tanzania from 1964 to 1985.
18. Joyce Mpanga
She is the Author of the book ‘it’s a pity she is not a boy’ Joyce Mpanga began her career as a teacher at Makerere College in 1958 and headmistress of Gayaza High School in 1962. During her time in Makerere, Mpanga was elected onto the Uganda Legislative Council in 1960. Mpanga left for England in exile after the 1966 attack of Lubiri and returned to Uganda in 1972. While in England, she was an elementary school teacher. In 1988, Mpanga became Uganda’s first Minister of Women in Development.
20. Fatia-Bettahar-algeria.
Mrs. Fathia Bettahar was born in Aleppo, Syria on August 27, 1936 by a Syrian mother and Algerian father. She joined the National Union of Algerian Women (UNFA) and, together with other members of the organization, devoted herself to the education and vocational training of Algerian women.
21. Maria Ruth Neto ,Sister of Angola's Founding President Dr Agostinho Neto. Ruth Neto’s youth was characterised by acts of leadership and defiance against injustices in her own country of Angola or in countries with a history of injustices. She served on the Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (MPLA-PT) Central Committee and as secretary-general of the Pan African Women’s Organisation (PAWO), which had its headquarters in Luanda. PAWO helped sponsor Angola’s annual celebration of Women’s Day, which was also attended by representatives from neighbouring countries and liberation movements in South Africa and Namibia.
24. MADAM SOW AISSATA COULIBALY
1er mars 1920- 22 Août 1971, Mme SOW Aïssata OULIBALY graduated in 1944 from « Ecole Normale de Rufisque », as a Teacher. She has been Director of Maginot Girls School and « l’Ecole des Filles de la Poudrière » at Bamako, the first woman in that position. She also militated in politics and syndicalism and African women’s movements. In 1956 she ws the Secretary General of Women Workers within « Union Territoriale des Travailleurs du Soudan ». She is a co- founder of « Union des Femmes de l’Afrique de l’Ouest » (West African Women’s Union), and of Panafricain Women’s Organization (PAWO), in Tanganyika, in 1962.
25. MADAM TRAORE Aïssata BERTHE Madam TRAORE Aïssata BERTHE has been born in Sikasso, 3rd administrative Region of Mali. She was a Secondary School Teacher. She was part of the Malian delegation to the 1rst African Women’s Conference in 1962, in Tanganyika, called today, Panafrican Women’s Organization (PAWO). She died in 2005 at 78 years old.
26.Madam Jacqueline Tapsoba Madam Jacqueline Tapsoba, is one of PAWO founding members from Burkina-Faso, West Africa. She was a diplomat of carreer and she took part to PAWO Constitutive Congress in 1962, in Tanganyika (Tanzania). She died some years ago.
2.Adelaide Tambo
(1929-2007)
South Africa, Represented ANC Women’s league at Dares Salaam 1962
4. Bibi Titi Mohamed
1926-2000
Tanzania. Leader of UWT, women’s league of the ruling Party TANU, Organizing committee of the founding conference in 1962.
6. Angie Brooks
1928-2007
Liberia. Represented her country at the Dar es Salaam conference. Later became the first African woman to preside over the United Nations General Assembly 24th Session 1969 and only one of four women to do so in the 76-year history of the UN.
8. Margaret Wambui Kenyatta
1928-2017
Kenya Attended WIDF Conference in Vienna in 1958 at which 5 African women decided to set up their own continental organization. Attended Dar Conference. Was later the first African woman Mayor of Nairobi and her country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme today known as UN Environment.
10. Ms. Judith (Yodit) Imru
?-2007
Ethiopia. Diplomat at her country’s UN Mission from the early 50’sand later Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs.
12. Ms. Bembelo Fatoumata A. Diaroumeye,Niger.
President of the Network of women for Peace (REFEPA)in Niger and former advisor to the Economic commission for Africa. Pioneer of the Pan-African women’s Organisation.
14. Rebecca Mulira
Was a Ugandan women’s rights advocate and social activist. One of the earliest Ugandans to travel to the USA, 1950s the fact that so little was known about Uganda in the United States at the time she and Kate Kibuuka visited that country in the early 1950s. A measure of that ignorance may be gathered from the fact that when Rebeccas companion Kate Kibuuka was asked to make her speech to the UWCA Conference, she was introduced as Mrs. Uganda.
16. Pumla Ellen Ngozwana Kisosonkole
Kisosonkole was born in South Africa in 1911 to Methodist church ministers. She received education at mission schools and attended the University of Fort Hare. She travelled to London, furthering her education at the Institute of Education. She then wrote the pamphlet “Education as I Saw It in England”. She married Ugandan Christopher Kisosonkole in 1939. They moved to Uganda, where Pumla became involved in politics. She spent eight years as a senior community development officer and taught at King’s College Budo. In 1956 she was nominated to the Uganda Legislative Council (LEGCO) of the Protectorate Government. She was the first African woman to enter the legislative council. She served as a representative in the legislature during Uganda’s transition from a British colony to independence. She started a four-year stretch as president of the Uganda Council of Women in 1957. She was the first African to serve in that role. From 1959 to 1962 she was president of the International Council of Women.
19. Phoebe Asiyo
born 1932
Kenya Phoebe Asiyo former parliamentarian of Kenya, ambassador to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), mother, and grand mother.She was UNIFEM’s ambassador from 1988 to 1992.She was the first woman elevated to the position of Luo elder for her efforts to promote education for girls, women’s rights, and gender equality in Kenya. Fondly called Mama Asiyo, she has dedicated her life to improving the political arena in Kenya, the role of women and girls, and those affected by the HIV epidemic. She was the first woman in Kenya with its 42 communities to become elder.
22. Fatia Nkuruma, Born Fathia Halim Rizk in February 22, 1932, El-Zaytoun, Egypt. Was a Coptic Egyptian and the First Lady of the newly independent Ghana as the wife of Kwame Nkrumah, its first president.
23. MADAM MAIGA ATTAHER JEANNETTE HAIDARA
25 Décembre 1924- 15 mai 2008 à Bamako, Madame Attaher Jeannette HAIDARA, Epouse MAÏGA was born in Mopti, in Mali. She graduated from « Ecole Normale de Jeunes filles de Rufisque », in 1943 as a Teacher and was a member of the 1st Promotion of Women Teachers, « Promotion Ecureuil. From 1959 to 1968, she has been Director of l’Ecole des Filles » (Girls school). She militated in politics and syndicalism. She led many women’s movements such as « Djémanguélé, Ségou » from 1951 to 1959, « Intersyndical of Women Workers of Soudan, from 1958 -1960. She was one of Malian delegates to the First African Women Conference in Tanganyka, in 1962, actually, PAWO. She led Mali delegation at PAWO 3rd Congress, at Alger, in 1968
27. Nima BA was born on the 13th of July 1927 at Kissidougou, Guinea
She spent her primary school at Boké, Dinguiraye, Siguiri and Mamou, and Conakry. She has been admitted at « Ecole Normale des Jeunes Filles de Rufisque » at Senegal from 1942 to 1946. After graduating as a teacher, she returned back to Guinea where she taught at Faranah, Siguiri and Dinguiraye, her native town, where she has been the first civil-servant. She got married with Mamadou SOW, in 1949. She has been elected as Deputy at the National Assembly of Guninea where she was the President of the Social Commission. She was one of the members of the delegation of Guinea at Tanaganyika (Tanzanie) in 1962. She has been decorated in 1964 Unfortunateley, she has been put in jail, in 1973 in « Camp Boiro ». She went in exil, after being relaxed. After the death of president Sekou TOURE, she came back to Guinea and militated in many associations suh as « Réseau des Femmes Ministres et Parlementaires (REFAMP), where she was a founding member, Lions’Club Mont Loura… She died on the 20th of february, in 2021.
28. Mme CONDE H. Fatou TOURE is borned the 11th mars 1929 at Mamou, Republic of Guinea. She studied at Rufisque, Senegal, where she got other opportunities to continue her studies at « Ecole Régionale Willliams Ponty de Dakar, where she graduated as a midwife. She got married in 1952 with Dr. Youssouf CONDE. After the studies, she returned to Guinea and has worked as a midwife at Kissidougou Hospital then at Telemele ant Boke where she has been member of the Syndicate. In 1962, she began political activities in Conakry and entered the Women’s Federal Bureau of Conakry 2 where she has been elected as the President of women. She finally entered the Conakry Women’s National Bureau for which she travelled to many countries such as Congo, Tunis, en Tanzania et Tanģanika and at United Nations General Assembly at New York in 1968. Unfortunately, she has been put in jail at « Camp Boiro » at Conakry and has been relaxed in 1977 after Seven years of detention. She has been rehabilited by the President of the Republic as the Regional President of Conakry Women and the National Director of the Women Condition at the Ministry of Social Affairs of Guinea. She remained at this position till her retiring.
