When President Donald Trump said in his State of the Union Address March 4 that Lesotho is an African nation “nobody has ever heard of,” the highly mountainous constitutional kingdom was suddenly on many more minds. Trump announced a 50 percent tariff on the tiny country on April 2, leaving it feeling besieged.
African women are increasingly playing a leadership role in communities affected by the president’s dramatic decisions, from shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development to invalidating visas for South Sudanese passport holders.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Vicentia Kgabe, Bishop of Lesotho, says the time has come to start meaningful conversations about Africa’s contemporary leadership challenges and to celebrate women’s vital role in crafting sustainable solutions for the continent.
“The rise of women bishops across the Anglican Church in Africa marks a transformative moment in the church’s life,” she told TLC. “It signals a shift in leadership dynamics and opens new avenues for women to profoundly influence the church and society.”
The bishop helped organize a breakfast meeting April 29 at All Saints’ Cathedral in Nairobi, Kenya, for women in leadership. The meeting included a panel discussion on “The Warrior Within: Embracing Your God-Given Power—Shared Experiences and Potential Collaborations.”
Africa’s six pioneering women in the episcopate—Dalcy Badeli Dlamini of Swaziland, Filomena Tete Estevão of Bom Pasteur (the Good Shepherd), Angola, Elizabeth Awut Ngor of Rumbek, South Sudan, Rose Okeno of Butere, Kenya, Emily Onyango of Bondo, Kenya, and Kgabe—established the Centre for Anglican Women’s Leadership and Research in Africa (CAWLRA) on February 6.
Kgabe, who leads the center, says it is committed to equipping women within the Anglican Church and beyond in the next five years to model courage, wisdom, and resilience through leadership development, mentorship, advocacy for gender justice, and research.
The firebrand cleric believes women leaders in Africa continue to face significant obstacles that hinder their full participation and potential.
“Gender inequalities, patriarchal systems, higher societal expectations, and limited access to quality education, healthcare, and economic resources all undermine leadership development while highlighting the urgent need for focused support, systemic change, and visionary leadership,” she says.
Amid the challenges, opportunities are emerging and CAWLRA is poised to seize them.
“The credibility and respectability of the Anglican Communion enhances the platform for women’s leadership, with a growing number of young women seeking mentorship, inspiration, and role models,” Kgabe says. “There is an expanding landscape for research into women’s issues, leadership, and development. Partnership opportunities with women from different sectors—including non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and faith-based organizations—are increasing.”
Daisy Amdany, executive director at the Community Advocacy and Awareness Trust, agrees.
“We need to consider shifting gender dynamics in Africa and how they can be harnessed to expand equitable spaces for women, including the low status of women, femicide, exclusion from leadership, and communication,” she says. “Legislation is a tool for social change, but not without implementation. It is okay for us to demand for our space, even when that pressure is seen as a nuisance by some.”
Dr. Gladys Mwiti, a clinical psychologist who participated in the event, urges the elevation of women’s presence and voice.
“Before we do, we need to know,” she says. “That is the place of therapy for women in the African marketplace. Like everyone else, they struggle with integrity in stigmatizing and often abusive environments. But they don’t seek help. Women are not crazy, but need support.”
Mwiti leads Oasis Africa, a professional indigenous psychological counseling and training organization that has been equipping professional and lay workers since 1990.
Bishop Onyango, CAWLRA’s executive director, believes that partnership with Oasis Africa and similar organizations across the continent is critical in cultivating a new generation of transformative leaders.
“Together, we can shape a future in which African women’s leadership is celebrated, empowered, and deeply impactful. At CAWLRA, we believe that communities thrive, churches grow, and nations are transformed when women lead,” she says.
“The breakfast was a first,” she says. “We are indebted to St. Paul’s University, Amethyst International, alongside global advisory and consulting firm EKOG, for helping make it happen. We are creating a dynamic research platform for exploring emerging issues, informing policy, and contributing to the global conversation on women’s leadership.”
Jesse Masai is TLC’s East Africa correspondent, a longtime journalist and communications professional who has worked in South East Asia and the U.S., as well as in his native Kenya.
