Pan-African Women Leaders Caucus (PAWLC) - Founding Convention, Dar Es Salaam, 11 Nov. 2026
Theme: Building Africa's Founding Leadership Architecture : Convening Influential Women Leaders to Shape the Future of Continental Leadership
Introduction
PAWLC Founding Convention is scheduled for 11 November 2026 at 10:00 EAT at the Julius Nyerere Convention Centre (JNICC), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as part of the AFRICON Leadership, Investment & Entrepreneurship Summit & Awards 2026, taking place from 9–11 November 2026.
The event is endorsed by H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, and will take place with Hon. Dr. Judith Salvio Kapinga, Minister of Industry and Trade, as Guest of Honour.
Background
The Pan-African Women Leaders Caucus (PAWLC) is an emerging continental strategic coordination platform established to strengthen the collective influence of African women leaders across governance, diplomacy, business, academia, civil society and other strategic sectors.
Conceived under the convening leadership of Leading Women of Africa (LWA), PAWLC seeks to foster strategic collaboration among Africa's most influential women leaders to contribute meaningfully towards good governance, policy dialogue, economic transformation, peacebuilding, continental integration and sustainable development.
The Caucus is being established as a non-partisan, pan-African platform that transcends institutional, political and geographical boundaries, creating a trusted space where distinguished women leaders can collectively shape Africa's future through dialogue, collaboration and strategic action.
The Founding Convening marks a historic milestone in the institutional development of PAWLC. Rather than serving as a ceremonial launch, it is designed to establish the first continental leadership architecture that will guide the Caucus through its formative phase.
Hosted in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, during the AFRICON Leadership, Investment & Entrepreneurship Summit & Awards 2026, the Convening recognises the significance of launching this continental initiative in a country led by H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, one of Africa's few female Heads of State, whose leadership continues to inspire women across the continent.
Purpose
To convene a distinguished group of influential African women leaders who will collectively establish the institutional foundation of the Pan-African Women Leaders Caucus through the constitution of a Founding Members Committee and the adoption of the Dar es Salaam Founding Declaration.
Objectives
The Founding Convening seeks to:
Officially introduce the vision, mission and strategic purpose of PAWLC.
Bring together distinguished women leaders representing Africa's five regions and the African Diaspora.
Establish the inaugural Founding Members Committee to guide the institutional development of PAWLC.
Foster strategic relationships among women leaders committed to Africa's transformation.
Build consensus around the governance roadmap for PAWLC.
Secure commitment from founding leaders to support the next phase of institutional establishment.
Participants
Participation will be strictly by invitation.
The gathering will bring together distinguished participants from around the continent including:
Current and Former Ministers
Members of Parliament
Ambassadors and Diplomats
Senior Government Officials
CEOs and Business Executives
Academic Leaders
Women leading continental and regional institutions
Representatives of the African Diaspora
Virtual participation will be facilitated for distinguished leaders who are unable to attend physically, ensuring balanced continental representation
Expected Outcomes
By the conclusion of the Founding Convening:
The vision and strategic direction of PAWLC will have been formally introduced.
The inaugural Founding Members Committee, comprising up to fifteen distinguished leaders, will have been constituted.
The Dar es Salaam Founding Declaration will have been formally adopted and signed.
Strategic commitment will have been secured from influential women leaders across Africa and the Diaspora.
Institutional partnerships supporting the next phase of PAWLC will have been strengthened.
A clear roadmap towards the First Constitutional Assembly will have been endorsed.
PAWLC will have established a credible and representative continental leadership architecture to guide its future growth.
Why Tanzania?
The United Republic of Tanzania provides a fitting and symbolic setting for the Founding Convening of PAWLC.
Under the leadership of H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania has become a powerful symbol of women's leadership at the highest level of governance in Africa. Launching the institutional journey of PAWLC in Tanzania reflects a shared aspiration to strengthen women's influence in shaping Africa's future and reinforces the continent's commitment to inclusive, visionary and transformational leadership.
Conclusion
The Founding Convening represents more than the introduction of a new continental platform; it marks the beginning of an enduring institutional journey. By constituting a representative Founding Members Committee and adopting the Dar es Salaam Founding Declaration, distinguished women leaders from across Africa and the Diaspora will lay the foundations for a credible, inclusive and future-oriented institution dedicated to advancing women's strategic leadership and collective influence.
The legacy of the evening will not be measured solely by the launch of PAWLC, but by the establishment of a committed founding leadership entrusted with shaping its governance, expanding its continental reach, and guiding its evolution into a respected Pan-African institution serving present and future generations.
Contact
Madelein Mkunu
Founding Convener & Interim Head of Secretariat
Pan-African Women Leaders Caucus (PAWLC)
President, Leading Women of Africa (LWA)
Email: madelein@leadingwomenofafrica.com | Tel: +27 81 218 54736
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Dr Daisy Owomugasho
Coordinator: Pan-African Women Leaders Caucus (PAWLC)
Email: daisy@lwacorporate.com | Tel: +256 772 472064
ABOUT THE PAN-AFRICAN WOMEN LEADERS CAUCUS
The Pan-African Women Leaders Caucus (PAWLC) is an emerging continental strategic coordination platform convened under the leadership of Leading Women of Africa (LWA). This form is intended to support stakeholder engagement, founding participation mapping, institutional alignment, and strategic coordination during the formative phase of the initiative.”
An Opportunity to Contribute to the Founding Leadership
We are hereby inviting leaders to express their interest in being considered for the PAWLC Founding Members Committee.
The Founding Members Committee will serve as the temporary continental leadership body responsible for guiding PAWLC through its formative phase until the establishment of its permanent governance structures.
Prospective Founding members need to align with the Leading Women of Africa (LWA) institutional requirements.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF PAWLC
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