Spotlight: AWOMI at the UN's 55th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)

The 2011 YOWLI Monologues Crew

The 2011 YOWLI Monologues
After a whirlwind two weeks in New York for the CSW, the AWOMI delegation is back on the continent. Our premiere edition of the YOWLI Monologues was launched on March 1st in New York with the theme: Young African Women Speak Out on Climate Change, SRHR and Youth Leadership, and from the reviews we've gotten, it was a successful event which employed a creative approach at highlighting the linkages between climate change and sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) issues. The YOWLI Monologues crew consisted of Tantely Ravelomanana (YOWLI '06 - Madagascar), Omar Dibba (YOWLI '08 - Gambia), Esther Sheehama (YOWLI '08 - Namibia), Moiyattu Banya ( YOWLI '08 - Sierra Leone), Nwanneka Nnoli (YOWLI '10 - Nigeria), Sahiya Umuhoza (YOWLI '10 - Rwanda), Musa Soko (YOWLI '10 - Sierra Leone),  AWOMI Web Manager Kudzanai Chizarura (Zimbabwe), and AWOMI Program Coordinator Jemila Abdulai (Ghana). We would like to extend an arm of gratitude to each member of the YOWLI Monologues crew and also to our panel chair, UN-Women Africa Section Chief Letty Chiwara, AWOMI Mentor Yassine Fall, AWOMI Board Member Arame Tall and YOWLI Facilitator Hameda Deedat for their unfailing support and guidance.

For those of you who were unable to join us in New York, we invite you to relive the YOWLI Monologues experience by checking out our photos on the AWOMI Facebook Page. Over the next couple of weeks we will be putting up videos of the monologues as performed by the YOWLI graduates, as well as The 2011 YOWLI Monologues Script. We hope these insights will stimulate awareness, discussions and action on the attendant challenges of climate change, particularly as it concerns women and youth across Africa.

AWOMI Delegation with some UN-Women Africa Division Staff

AWOMI Participation in UN-Women Youth Event
As part of the CSW, AWOMI partnered up with the UN-Women Africa section to hold a youth side event on March 2, 2011 called Youth Perspective on Development: Gender Equality and New Technologies. YOWLI 2010 graduate Musa Soko participated in the panel event while AWOMI Coordinator Jemila Abdulai moderated the town hall discussion. A warm thanks to Letty Chiwara and the UN-Women Africa team for all their consideration and assistance. Kindly find a video of the entire event.

The YOWLI Monologues (AWOMI CSW 55 Parallel Event)

The African Women's Millennium Initiative (AWOMI) would like to invite you to attend our CSW parallel event entitled: "The YOWLI Monologues: Young African Women Speak Out on SRHR, Climate Justice and Youth Leadership". The event will take place on Tuesday March 1 from 2:00pm to 3:30pm in the 10th Flr Room of Church Center.

It consists of a panel session: "Assessing the Impacts of Climate Change on Women and SRHR in Africa" which will be co-chaired by UN-Women Africa Division Chief Letty Chiwara and UNFPA Chief of Gender, Human Rights and Culture Aminata Toure (TBC) and include graduates from AWOMI's Young Women's Knowledge and Leadership Institute (YOWLI).

In addition, there will be an "Africa-Style" Monologues presentation featuring representatives from Sierra Leone, Namibia, Madagascar, Rwandaon the aforementioned issues. To RSVP for the event kindly email awomiweb@gmail.com by Feb. 27 at 5pm ET.

Please find the concept note and official flyer (English and French) below. Feel free to share with interested persons and organizations. We look forward to meeting and interacting with you. Thanks!

Official Flyer (English) - Design by Sughey Abreu

Official Flyer (French) - Design by Sughey Abreu

The YOWLI Monologues CSW - Concept Note