Category: Africa

Source: APO

• Marking International Women’s Day 2026: Merck Foundation’s 14-Year Journey of Empowering Women, particularly Infertile Women, and supporting Girl Education
• On International Women’s Day 2026, Merck Foundation CEO, Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej Champions Girl Education as the Foundation of Women Empowerment

Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com), the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany together with First Ladies of Africa and Asia who are also their Ambassadors, and partners including Ministries of Health, Education, Communication & Gender mark ‘International Women’s Day 2026’, through their impactful and transformative development programs, reaffirming over 14 years of their sustained commitment and legacy in empowering women and girls.

Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej (Ret.), CEO of Merck Foundation and One of the Most Influential African and African Women for Seven Consecutive Years (2019 – 2025) expressed, “At Merck Foundation, empowering women and girls is not confined to a single day, rather it is embedded in everything we do. It shapes our vision and guides our programs. Together with my dear sisters, and our Ambassadors, the First Ladies of Africa and Asia, we have celebrated this day for 14 years not just in words, but through sustained action across our programs including ‘More Than a Mother’, ‘Merck Foundation Scholarships Program’, ‘Educating Linda’, and ‘STEM Program’.

On this special occasion, I extend my warmest wishes to all women and girls around the world. May you continue to rise with confidence, break barriers, and realize your full potential.”

“Merck Foundation More Than a Mother” is a strong movement that aims to empower infertile and childless women through access to information, education, health, and change of mindset.

Through their “Scholarships program”, Merck Foundation is transforming the patient care landscape across Africa, Asia and beyond, having provided more than 2500 scholarships for healthcare providers from 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved medical specialties to date.

“I am proud that out of the 2500+ scholarships provided across 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialties, about 1200 scholarships, that is nearly 50% have been provided to women medical graduates, empowering them to become future healthcare experts and leaders.

Also, I am happy to share that we have provided over 770 scholarships for young healthcare providers, dedicated to advancing women’s health by strengthening reproductive & sexual health, and fertility care capacity.”

Merck Foundation CEO strongly believes that Education is one of the most critical areas of women empowerment.

“As a part of our Educating Linda program, together with my dear sisters, the First Ladies of Africa, we have year to date provided more than 1200 annual scholarships to deserving yet underprivileged African schoolgirls from 19 countries, enabling them to complete their education and reach their full potential,” shared Dr. Kelej.

Merck Foundation also actively empowers women in Science and Technology through its STEM Program and the annual Merck Foundation Africa Research Summit (MARS) Awards that recognize and celebrate the Best African Women Researchers and Best Young African Researchers, fostering research excellence.

“Our goal is to empower women and young African researchers, enhance their research capacity, and promote their contributions to STEM,” emphasized Dr. Kelej.

Moreover, Merck Foundation in partnership with First ladies of Africa and Asia announces annual Awards of Media, Song, Film and Fashion to raise awareness about women empowerment, supporting girl education and related themes like breaking infertility stigma, ending female genital mutilation & child marriage, stopping gender-based violence.

Merck Foundation is also raising awareness about the importance of supporting girls’ education through a range of creative initiatives, including inspiring children’s storybooks, animation films, awareness songs, and dedicated episodes on this theme through their Our Africa by Merck Foundation TV program.

Watch episodes of Our Africa, focusing on Supporting Girl Education:

Episode 2: https://apo-opa.co/47zJWgX

Episode 11: https://apo-opa.co/4lhPHpm

Episode 14: https://apo-opa.co/4bcc5eW

Read Educating Linda Storybook here: https://apo-opa.co/40fgclF#

Watch Merck Foundation Animation Films on supporting girl education:

• Jackeline’s Rescue: https://apo-opa.co/4ssAi7R
• Ride Into the Future: https://apo-opa.co/4baGHxA

Listen to Merck Foundation songs to support women empowerment and girl education:

1. Watch, share & subscribe “Girls Can” song here, sing by Cwesi Oteng from Ghana and Irene Logan from Liberia: https://apo-opa.co/4cv6HpL
2. Watch, share & subscribe the “Like Them” song here, sung by Kenneth, a famous singer from Uganda: https://apo-opa.co/40eZtyS
3. Watch, share & subscribe “Take me to School” song here, sung by Wezi, Afro-soul singer from Zambia, to support girls’ education: https://apo-opa.co/3NbY895
4. Watch share & subscribe “Tu Podes Sim” Portuguese song, which means “Yes, You Can” in English by Blaze and Tamyris Moiane, singers from Mozambique in English here: https://apo-opa.co/4cwG0kB 
5. Watch, share & subscribe “ABC, 123” by Sean K from Namibia song here: https://apo-opa.co/4bbJJBP
6. Watch, share & subscribe “Brighter day” song by Sean K and Cwesi Oteng from Namibia and Ghana respectively: https://apo-opa.co/4rUAtcf

Watch and share “Superwoman Song” by singers Cwezi and Adina from Ghana here: https://apo-opa.co/3OV9sH7

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Merck Foundation.

Contact:
Mehak Handa
Community Awareness Program Manager 
Phone: +91 9310087613/ +91 9319606669
Email: mehak.handa@external.merckgroup.com

Join the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard!
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Website: www.Merck-Foundation.com 
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About Merck Foundation:
The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality & equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare & scientific research capacity, empowering girls in education and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website.  Please visit www.Merck-Foundation.com to read more. Follow the social media of Merck Foundation: Facebook (http://apo-opa.co/4cBznxl), X (http://apo-opa.co/4sxrfT5), Instagram (http://apo-opa.co/4b0nwI8), YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/4buycyB), Threads (https://apo-opa.co/3P7DBmy) and Flickr (https://apo-opa.co/4sDE0vL).

The Merck Foundation is dedicated to improving social and health outcomes for communities in need. While it collaborates with various partners, including governments to achieve its humanitarian goals, the foundation remains strictly neutral in political matters. It does not engage in or support any political activities, elections, or regimes, focusing solely on its mission to elevate humanity and enhance well-being while maintaining a strict non-political stance in all of its endeavors.

Source: APO

By Marieme-Sav SOW, Vice President for Engagement and Advocacy at TotalEnergies EP Africa (https://TotalEnergies.com).

Often, I am the only woman in the room – sometimes, the only African woman.

This is not a complaint, but a statement of fact. It is my starting point, and it has offered me an unexpected advantage: being the only one sharpens your awareness. You notice what others overlook.

Early in my career, I believed that dedication and results alone would be enough to transform this industry. But I have since realized that progress demands more than just individual determination -it requires intentional, collective action. Years later, the landscape has shifted: more women attend conferences, more enter junior roles, and more appear in the photos that fill diversity reports. Yet in the rooms where real decisions are made, silence persists. Those spaces remain emptier – and quieter – than they should be. So yes, frankly, I’m weary of watching women’s day celebrations substitute for change.

In my industry, this matters even further because energy is not just about pipelines and power. Energy is about who gets light, who gets jobs, who gets opportunity. When half the population is absent from those decisions, we build systems that serve everyone imperfectly. I witnessed the impact of this firsthand.

In Uganda, a family was being compensated for property affected by a project. The husband spoke; the wife listened. But when asked about the family’s needs, about what “fair compensation” really meant, it was the wife who had the answers. She knew what the household required. She knew who in the community would be affected. She knew because she lived it every day.

That moment changed how I think about influence.

But influence is also about who leads projects, who manages budgets, and who sits on executive committees. In Mozambique, I witnessed a mid-level engineer – a woman – identify a technical flaw that had eluded everyone else. She spoke up, her voice calm yet unmistakably authoritative. The room listened. The plan changed. That, too, is influence. It happens when women are not merely present but empowered to challenge, question, and correct.

At TotalEnergies, I have seen what happens when we design for that kind of influence. In our Tilenga and EACOP projects, compensation requires both spouses’ signatures. Joint bank accounts are mandatory. Financial literacy training reaches both partners. These are small shifts with enormous impact. They work because they recognize that women deserve more than just a place at the table.

In our affiliate in Nigeria, important strides have been made in recent years with intentional diverse hiring practices. As a result, over half of the senior roles filled between 2022 and 2024 went to women. This wasn’t the result of quotas, but of deliberate investment in talent pipelines that made such progress possible, proof that when influence is shared, outcomes improve.

This is what I carry into every boardroom. Not frustration at being the only woman, but a quiet responsibility. To notice what others might not. To ask questions that need to be asked. To ensure that the next generation of African women in this industry has more than a seat. They have influence.

But real influence requires a shared commitment. I urge women: seek out opportunities, develop new skills, and step boldly into leadership. I call on companies: create mentorship, training, and policies that allow women to grow and lead. Together, let us actively enable women to drive innovation and guide the future of energy.

The energy transition underway in Africa is the most profound economic shift of our lifetime. It will determine who prospers and who struggles for generations. We must act now – women must claim their voices and roles in this transition. If we do not, we risk building an energy future as unequal as in the past.

I believe we can do better.

So, I will keep walking into those rooms. I will keep learning from the women I meet along the way. I will give to gain, and I will keep pushing for the kind of deliberate design that turns mere presence into power.

As we mark this month dedicated to the fight for women’s rights everywhere, the goal is not simply more women at the table. The goal is building the table we deserve. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of TotalEnergies.

Source: APO – Report:

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On International Women’s Day 2026, the UK-based international NGO Youth Charter (www.YouthCharter.org) is calling for a new Commonwealth and African partnership to empower women and girls through sport, martial arts and community leadership programmes, arguing that prevention must sit alongside enforcement in tackling violence against women and girls.

While governments around the world are strengthening laws and policing responses to gender-based violence, the Youth Charter believes that community-based empowerment programmes delivered through sport and education must become a central pillar of prevention.

Across many Commonwealth nations and African Union member states, gender-based violence remains a serious social challenge affecting the safety, wellbeing and life opportunities of women and girls.

The Youth Charter’s proposal – announced to mark International Women’s Day – calls for the delivery of one million hours of free self-defence, leadership and confidence training for women and girls across the Commonwealth and Africa, delivered through community sport networks and youth development programmes.

The initiative would be implemented through the Youth Charter’s Community Campus model, which integrates sport, culture, education and digital skills to support youth empowerment and social development.

Sport as a Tool for Prevention

For more than three decades, the Youth Charter has promoted the role of sport for development and peace as a practical tool for building safer, healthier and more inclusive communities.

The organisation argues that while justice systems play a critical role in addressing perpetrators, sport provides a unique platform to build confidence, resilience and leadership among young women and girls before harm occurs.

Participation in sport – particularly martial arts and self-defence disciplines – can help develop:

• confidence and personal awareness
• emotional resilience under pressure
• understanding of personal boundaries
• leadership and teamwork skills.  

These life skills, the Youth Charter notes, are essential protective factors in helping young women navigate social environments that can sometimes feel unsafe.

Leadership of Janice Argyle Thompson

At the centre of this initiative is Janice Argyle Thompson, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Youth Charter and a former World Karate Champion.

Drawing on her own experiences and decades of work in youth development, she has long advocated for martial arts as a powerful pathway to empowerment and confidence for women and girls.

Speaking ahead of International Women’s Day, she said:

“Martial arts are not about teaching violence – they are about teaching awareness, discipline and self-belief. These qualities empower women and girls to feel confident in their communities and in their own lives.” 

Her work has helped shape Youth Charter programmes across the United Kingdom, Africa and the Commonwealth, where sport is increasingly recognised as a vehicle for social change and youth leadership.

A Commonwealth and African Opportunity

The Youth Charter believes the proposal aligns closely with:

• UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 – Gender Equality
• African Union Agenda 2063 youth development priorities
• Commonwealth commitments to youth empowerment and social inclusion
• global Sport for Development and Peace initiatives.

Through partnerships with community sport organisations, martial arts federations, youth networks and educational institutions, the initiative could reach thousands of young women across Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and the wider Commonwealth.

The programme would be trauma-informed, female-centred and community-led, ensuring that participation promotes safety, dignity and personal development.

Community Campuses as Local Hubs

Delivery of the programme would take place through Youth Charter Community Campuses, which act as local hubs for youth engagement.

These campuses provide integrated programmes combining:

• sport and physical activity
• education and leadership development
• cultural and creative expression
• digital and life skills training.  

By embedding empowerment programmes within communities, the model seeks to ensure that prevention is sustainable, locally led and culturally relevant.

A Call for Global Leadership

As the international community reflects on progress made in advancing gender equality, the Youth Charter is urging governments, development agencies and sporting institutions to invest in prevention strategies that empower women and girls.

The organisation argues that tackling violence against women and girls requires a whole-society approach, combining strong legal frameworks with community-based initiatives that build confidence, opportunity and social cohesion.

International Women’s Day 2026 therefore presents an opportunity for African, Commonwealth and global leaders to work together to expand the role of sport as a platform for empowerment.

As the Youth Charter emphasises:

“If we are serious about ending violence against women and girls, prevention must begin in the community – on the training mat, the playing field and in the spaces where confidence, dignity and respect are learned.”  

– on behalf of Youth Charter.

About the Youth Charter:
Founded in 1993, the Youth Charter is an international charity and United Nations-aligned NGO that uses sport, culture and the arts to support youth empowerment, community development and social change.

Through its Community Campus model and Social Coach Leadership Programme, the organisation works with governments, universities, sports organisations and international institutions to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals and strengthen opportunities for young people around the world.

Source: APO

Delta Air Lines, in partnership with Junior Achievement (JA) Africa (https://JA-Africa.org), has successfully graduated 61 high-potential African girls from the 2026 LEAD Camp, formally inducting them into the 10 Million African Girls (10MAG) community, a long-term leadership and opportunity platform advancing young women across Africa.

Held in Accra from March 2–8 in recognition of this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) theme “Give to Gain,” the 2026 camp convened 61 participants from Eswatini, Ghana, Nigeria, Mauritius, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia. The initiative reflects Delta and JA Africa’s longstanding commitment to expanding access to leadership development, economic participation, and cross-border exposure for emerging female leaders.

The LEAD Camp exemplifies Delta Air Lines’ investment in community partnerships that drive educational access and workforce readiness across its international markets. By collaborating with JA Africa, Delta contributes to building a scalable pipeline of confident, skilled young women prepared to lead in their communities and industries.

“Sustainable progress begins with access — access to knowledge, networks, and opportunity. Our partnership with JA Africa transcends traditional training; it establishes a structured pathway that allows young African women to engage meaningfully in the global economy. Inducting this year’s cohort into 10MAG reflects our long-term commitment to expanding opportunity across the continent.” indicated Ed Bastian, Chief Executive Officer of Delta Air Lines.

Throughout the week, participants engaged in immersive, skills-based learning designed to strengthen executive presence, decision-making, entrepreneurial thinking, and future-ready competencies. The curriculum integrated leadership development, emotional intelligence, financial capability, advocacy, and career pathway exploration through direct engagement with corporate leaders, policy professionals, and industry practitioners.

This approach aligns with global development priorities. According to UNICEF’s Skills4Girls framework, investing in life skills, digital literacy, STEM exposure, and leadership development is critical for preparing adolescent girls to participate fully in evolving labor markets. Research consistently shows that equipping girls with both technical and soft skills improves their transition into higher education, entrepreneurship, and the workforce while optimizing long-term economic resilience.

A highlight of the programme was the “Give to Gain” Social Impact Challenge, where participants worked in cross-country teams to design practical solutions addressing tangible community issues. Finalist teams presented their projects during the graduation ceremony, demonstrating problem-solving, collaboration, and measurable impact thinking, while also highlighting creativity, innovation, and a commitment to driving meaningful change in their communities.

Reflecting on the graduation and induction, Simi Nwogugu, President & CEO of JA Africa, said: “Graduation is just the beginning. LEAD Camp equips young women with leadership capability and strategic exposure, while 10MAG ensures ongoing mentorship, scholarships, and entrepreneurial pathways. By combining these elements, we are cultivating a generation of women prepared to lead in boardrooms, build thriving enterprises, and shape policy across Africa.”

The graduation ceremony marked not an endpoint but a transition. Each participant was inducted into the 10 Million African Girls (10MAG) community, a structured platform that provides ongoing mentorship, scholarships, entrepreneurial incubation, and professional networking. This ensures sustained engagement and positions participants within a broader ecosystem of opportunity and accountability.

Since its inception, the LEAD camp platform has evolved into a pan-African convening point for emerging female leaders. The 2026 edition further reinforced the strategic alignment between Delta Air Lines and JA Africa in delivering structured, measurable leadership development across borders.

As the 61 graduates return to their respective countries, they do so equipped not only with training but with networks, accountability, and a defined pathway to continued growth through 10MAG.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Junior Achievement (JA) Africa.

About JA Africa:
Junior Achievement (JA) Africa is one of the largest and most impactful youth-serving NGOs working on the economic empowerment of young Africans. We deliver hands-on learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness, financial capability, STEM, and digital skills to over 1.6 million young people annually across 23 countries. We empower young people to tackle real-world problems, launch their businesses, and confidently step into the future of work. JA Africa is an ecosystem leader in youth entrepreneurship education across the continent, bringing together governments, corporations, educators, and communities to transform how young Africans are prepared for future success. By creating scalable, inclusive learning experiences and nurturing a generation of changemakers, we are helping to reshape Africa’s economic narrative. www.JA-Africa.org

About Delta Air Lines:
Delta Air Lines is a global airline committed to connecting people, communities, and opportunities across continents. In addition to its role as a leading international carrier, Delta invests strategically in education, workforce readiness, and empowerment initiatives that nurture the next generation of leaders. In collaboration with organizations like Junior Achievement Africa Delta provides young people with access to mentorship, skills development, and transformative experiences that cultivates personal growth, professional confidence, and economic opportunity. Committed to creating lasting social impact, Delta continues to champion programmes that equips future leaders with the tools, networks, and vision to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.