Girls, women unite across 23 African nations as THAG holds ‘Rise Up Conference’

The Healthy African Girl, THAG— an organisation committed to empowering African girls and young women through health, education, and leadership development, recently held the 2025 edition of its annual Rise Up Conference, drawing to the virtual space over 1,925 women and girls from 23 African countries.

The transformative two-day event held July 4–5, 2025, uniting young women under the inspiring theme: “Rise Up: Becoming a Voice of Influence.”

According to Chinekwu Oreh, Founder, THAG Foundation, the conference aimed to tackle one of Africa’s pressing gender gaps: the underrepresentation of women in leadership and decision-making roles.

“With women making up nearly 50% of the global population, gender inequity—particularly in leadership, remains a major obstacle to sustainable development according to global statistics.

“This challenge aligns closely with Sustainable Development Goal 5 which seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

“Through this initiative, THAG Foundation set out to catalyse a generation of young African women who will rise above limitations, embrace their identity, and influence their communities with purpose-driven leadership,” she said.

Oreh went on: “The Rise Up Conference 2025 was designed to inspire young women to lead without waiting for titles. Equip them with tools for personal branding, networking, and leveraging technology, as well as create a movement that will outlive the event through mentorship and continuous engagement.”

The event featured interactive sessions with renowned speakers such as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health, Dr. Adanna Steinacker; award-winning Kenyan environmentalist, Elizabeth Wathuti; Founder of Girls Health Alliance, Liberia, Pauline Faith Gartor; Founder of She is Brave, South Africa, Amanda Nomnqa; among others who shared insights on purpose, influence, technology, and leadership without titles.

Session highlights included conversations like “Becoming a Voice of Influence,” where Dr. Adanna Steinacker encouraged participants to “turn discomfort into growth when it is rooted in purpose,” and “Leading with Purpose and Influence,” where Elizabeth Wathuti urged young Africans to showcase their work because “you never know who you will inspire.”

In addition to thought-provoking sessions, the conference marked the launch of the Akpajima Magazine – Rise Up Edition, a platform amplifying the voices of young African women through articles, stories, and creative expressions on leadership, identity, and impact.

Another major highlight was the announcement of the Rise Up Mentorship Collective, a three-month mentorship program designed to support young women in building purpose-driven lives, personal brands, and networks that matter.

Earlier in her address, Oreh described the event as more than an event, saying: “It was a movement. Our mission is to give young African women the tools, confidence, and community they need to rise and create sustainable impact. Every session reinforced that leadership is not about titles, but about influence and values.”

The post Girls, women unite across 23 African nations as THAG holds ‘Rise Up Conference’ appeared first on Vanguard News.