Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Monday received Graça Machel, the founder of Graca Machel Trust, and The Foundation for Community Development, who is in Rwanda for the African Philanthropy Forum (APF) Conference themed “African Philanthropists Closing the Gender Gap”. Photo: Paul Kagame/Rwanda Presidency.
Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame joined more than 200 philanthropists, social investors, high-net-worth individuals, corporate foundations, and thought leaders for the 2022 African Philanthropy Forum (APF) Conference on Monday.
Themed "African Philanthropists Closing the Gender Gap,” the 2022 APF gathers stakeholders in the African philanthropy community to intensify partnerships for greater impact in the gender equity and empowerment space.
According to organisers, the conference, which runs for two days, will also provide an opportunity to launch the Africa Gender Fund, an initiative designed to unblock pathways for women and girls to exercise their power, agency and leadership at all levels.
“Discrimination against women and girls is fuelled by distorted mindsets that perceive women as inferior to men. To begin with, men must reject and reverse this. Now even women must refuse that,“ President Kagame said.
“Increasing philanthropic initiatives by African individuals and organisations is critically important, but not only because of the money. It is about having the dignity, as Africans, to choose for ourselves the future we want.”
Graça Machel is a Mozambican politician and humanitarian. She is the widow of former president of Mozambique Samora Machel (1975-1986) and former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela (1998-2013).
Machel is an international advocate for women's and children's rights and was made an honorary British Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997 for her humanitarian work.
She is the only woman in modern history to have served as First Lady of two countries, South Africa and Mozambique.
The African Philanthropy Forum community consists of experienced individuals with a track record of success in various fields across the continent.