The Young African Women Congress, an annual residential Pan-African women’s congress organized by the ExLA Group under the umbrella of the ExLA Group Gender Programme (EGGP) is set to take place this year in Accra from July 22 to 26, 2018.

The theme for the congress is: “Economic Empowerment of Women: A Prerequisite for Continental Development”.

YAWC brings together young educated African women of various backgrounds within the age limits of 18 and 40 years across the globe for intellectual discourse, knowledge sharing, mentorship and cultural exchanges to enhance cohesion and drive for Africa’s development in the five-day residential event.

Just like previous YAWC events, YAWC 2018 will engage women leaders of enviable reputations who would take participants through the various topic areas under the theme for the congress.

Activities will therefore include keynote, presentations, panel sessions, group discussion sessions and career fairs.

Participants will also be taken on a full day tour to the Ashanti region of Ghana to experience the history and heritage of Africa, not forgetting the night of cultural display by participants of various backgrounds to advance progress in diversity.

YAWC is endorsed by UN Women through the West and Central African Regional Office (WCARO) and is duly represented by a top official every year during the congress.

The AU Commission’s Women and Gender Development Directorate (WGDD) also recognizes the congress as a potent tool for the total transformation of the continent of Africa.

Specific areas to be discussed for the 2018 edition of the congress include: Women and Entrepreneurship; Women as Private and Public Sector Workers; Women as Agents of Economic Development through Governance/Politics; and Sexual Harassment at the Workplace. The segment, “Time with the Men” will this year discuss shared responsibilities of both men and women in unpaid care and household work toward the economic empowerment of women.

Meanwhile, EGGP has set up a fund to support participants of YAWC who take on social and economic transformation projects which promote the women empowerment agenda in various ways. Details of accessing the fund will be elaborated during YAWC 2018 for participants to take advantage and be supported to accomplish their visions for transformation.

Registration is currently on-going and interested participants can logon to the official website for the Young African Women Congress 2018, www.yawcafrica.org to register and participate in the biggest gathering of women in Africa.