Editoral/Editorial.

• Author: Kagoiya, Rachel

Are leaders born or made? Many leadership gurus have proved that we are all leaders, whether born or made because leadership skills can be developed and mastered over time. Yes.... you, me and all of us, men and women are leaders! The last two decades have seen African women demonstrating diverse experiences and levels of leadership. In every country, we now have the 'firsts' or role models to emulate be it in economic, social or political environment and women's leadership has been exemplary in positively impacting the lives of African people in many countries. In actual fact, every woman has the potential and innate power to be a leader at whatever level, of course starting from the household level, all the way to international arenas. Unfortunately millions of women, particularly young women have been denied the opportunities, skills, resources and space to get into and stay in positions of leadership and power. Obstacles such as pervasive and often subtle attitudes and traditional beliefs that women are unequal to men at home, at work and in government stand in the way of women. Regardless of race, class or ethnicity, women are consistently defined as outsiders whose participation in public life is conditional upon their maternal roles.

So how have we been creating and advocating for appropriate solutions to the things that stand in women's way so as to further develop their leadership potentials?

Since Beijing, where governments set an international benchmark for women's participation (30 per cent of posts in decision-making positions), African women have continued to press for higher goals and thanks to their advocacy, institutions such as the Pan-African Parliament have fifty-fifty female-male representation. This percentage has been seen as crucial in creating a "critical mass" of the optimal level of representation required for women to make a difference in policy-making.

For nineteen good years now, FEMNET has been at the fore front pushing for African women's collective leadership for equality, peace and sustainable development. As such, the fourth Programming Conference and General Assembly held in September 2007 under the theme of 'Enhancing African Women's Leadership' was quite fitting in taking stock of the progress made and strategize on the way forward. Members recognized the persistent advocacy and lobbying role played by the African women's movement in ensuring the advancement towards the goal of gender equality, noting...