As part of its celebration around International Women’s Month, Facebook today announced the launch of ‘LeadHERs: Life Lessons From African Women’, a collection of beautifully inspired stories & life advice from 19 women who are breaking boundaries in fields such as media, entertainment, politics, education and business.

Available for free in digital and physical formats, the book provides inspirational real-life stories for future generations and young leaders.

Each chapter focuses on a personal experience and life lesson around how these women have navigated their path to success, alongside the challenges they have had to overcome along the way.

‘LeadHERs: Life Lessons from African Women’ isaimed at encouraging, inspiring and guiding the reader - no matter the background, age or ambition.

‘LeadHERs: Life Lessons from African Women’ follows on from the successful 2020 launch of ‘Inspiring #Changemakers: Lessons from Life and Business’ in South Africa.

This 2021 book is further brought to life through a series of beautifully illustrated artwork specially commissioned from four female artists from across the continent - Massira Keita from Côte d'Ivoire, Lulu Kitololo from Kenya, Karabo Poppy from South Africa, and Awele Emili from Nigeria.

With over 5,000 copies printed, the book will be provided for free to a number of Facebook’s local training partners including She Leads Africa, Fate Foundation, DigifyAfrica, Siyafunda, Smart Ecosystems for Women and cCHub.

These will be distributed across 15 countries, including South Africa, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Senegal and Kenya - in schools and to beneficiaries of training(s) offered by Facebook partners.

Nunu Ntshingila, Regional Director, Facebook Africa, said: “At Facebook, we know that African women are at the helm of shaping the future of our promising continent - they are changemakers, mothers and CEOs. This book is a celebration of just some of the exceptional African women who in their own right are trail-blazers, motivating and inspiring people and advocating for good across Africa, and the world.

"We’re excited about their individual stories, inspired by challenges they’ve endured and how they’ve risen above these, and importantly how they’ve turned these into important life lessons to help inspire others.”

The women featured in ‘LeadHERs: Life Lessons From African Women’, include:

• Tara Fela-Durotoye - Entrepreneur and CEO [Nigeria]
• Elizabeth Akua Ohene – Journalist and Politician [Ghana]
• Hawa Sally Samai – Founder, CEO and Campaigner [Sierra Leone]
• Saran Kaba Jones – Founder and CEO [Liberia]
• Temi Giwa-Tubosun – Founder and CEO [Nigeria]
• Baratang Miya -Tech entrepreneur and CEO [South Africa]
• Dr Judy Dlamini – Entrepreneur, Author and Philanthropist [South Africa]
• Yvonne Okwara – Journalist and News Anchor [Kenya]
• Tecla Chemabwai – Athlete and Educator [Kenya]
• Alice Nkom - Lawyer and Human Rights Activist [Cameroon]
• Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim - Global Activist [Chad]
• Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu – Founder and CEO [Ethiopia]
• Lelemba Phiri - Entrepreneur, Investor, Educator [Zambia]
• Vanessa Hau Mdee – Media personality, Musician and Podcaster [Tanzania]
• Monica Musonda – Lawyer, Entrepreneur and CEO [Zambia]
• Kalista Sy – Showrunner and Screenwriter [Senegal]
• Noella Coursaris Musunka - Model and Philanthropist [Democratic Republic of the Congo]
• Samantha ‘MisRed’ Musa – Media personality, Social Influencer and Philanthropist [Zimbabwe]
• Djamila Ferdjani - Doctor and Entrepreneur [Niger]

This March marks the three year anniversary of Facebook’s #SheMeansBusiness programme in Sub-Saharan Africa, an initiative designed to inspire, empower and train female entrepreneurs across the continent to build, grow and start their own businesses.

As part of this, Facebook is launching a new training component on business resiliency through financial education in Nigeria, South Africa and Senegal, with the additional modules aimed at improving female business owners’ financial management skills, whilst addressing challenges that women entrepreneurs face, such as access to capital.