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Multiplying faces, amplifying voices: Call for nominations
Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA)

Deadline: 30 September 2009

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Background to the Project

Across the continent, African women play a significant role in improving the quality of life in their communities. From grandmothers to young girls, there are women in each country on the continent whose achievements have been stellar, whether in a small community, in their nation or across the continent. Yet many of these women and their achievements go unrecognised and uncelebrated. Their faces are not known and their voices are not heard outside of their sectors. As a result, Africa does not make use of the potential of a strong cadre of current and future leaders. National and international agendas continue to be set and implemented without the influence of experienced and successful African women; international recognition continues to be focused on only a small minority of our African women leaders in a very limited number of sectors.

What is Multiplying Faces Amplifying Voices

Multiplying Faces; Amplifying Voices is an initiative of the African Women Foresight Network which is led by Graça Machel. The African Women's Foresight Network emerged from a historical conference that brought together experts representing various fields of government, civil society organisations, policy makers, nongovernmental organisations, academics, the private sector and economic institutions as well as partners representing the donor community. The African Women's Foresight Group's secretariat is in Maputo. The Women Foresight Network envisions a transformed leadership with visible faces and audible voices of African Women that bring an added value in the promotion of democracy, prosperity and justice to all. Its mission is to amplify the voices and multiply the faces of African Women in political, social, economic areas, facilitating the creation and strengthening of synergies between knowledge, influence and decision making fields.

Objectives of the Project

This initiative seeks to change this by highlighting the work of African women who are making a difference in the fields of Agriculture, Business, Media, and Science and Technology either at local, national or continental level. It will also provide women in leadership with increased exposure and will provide an opportunity for the sharing of experiences and dialogue between women across the continent as well as internationally through regional workshops that would be facilitated by the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA).

Nominations

OSISA in partnership with its sister foundations in Africa: Open Society Foundation for South Africa, Open Society Initiative for Eastern African and Open Society Initiative for West Africa will identify and nominate prominent African women for this initiative in the following fields:

Categories

• Agriculture;
• Business;
• Media; and
• Science and technology

Criteria for Entry

• Nominees must be African women who have demonstrated success in one of the following fields; Agriculture, Business, Media; and Science and Technology;
• Nominees must be able to demonstrate that in addition to their success as an entrepreneur, academic or policy expert in the above fields, they have played a role as a mentor or have been the product of a mentoring relationship themselves; and
• Nominees should have a proven track record of inspiring, motivating and empowering those around them.

How to Apply

• Use the attached form to submit your nominations;
• Attach a detailed CV of not longer than 5 pages;
• Attach one letter of support from a person or organisation that you have worked with closely in the last ten years, outlining how you have either served as a mentor or been mentored in your area of expertise;
• Attach one letter nominating yourself to participate in the process and demonstrating your strengths.

For more information email multiplyingfaces@osisa.org or phone Juliet Mureriwa on +27 10 590 2600.

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