FEMNET

**FEMNET**, wey people also dey call **African Women's Development and Communication Network,** be organization wey dem start for 1984 to push women development for Africa. FEMNET dey help other NGOs make dem share information and ideas on top women development, equality, plus other human rights matter.

## Activities
FEMNET be group wey Eddah Gachukia, Njoki Wainaina, den Norah Olembo start for 1984 to help prepare African women for the Third World Conference on Women wey happen for Nairobi, Kenya, for 1985. As part of de work to mobilize African women wey go attend de conference, de three women come register FEMNET and write the group’s constitution. De first chairperson be Gachukia. She work together plus Olembo, Wainaina, Sara Hlupekile Longwe, Pamela Kola, den Mama Koite Doumbia to bring women join hand plan de NGO Forum wey go happen for de conference. De organization base for Nairobi. FEMNET work plus United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, de World Conference against Racism, plus African Union (AU). De things wey dem focus on plus AU include de protocol wey dey talk about Women Rights for Africa insyd de African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, de Economic, Social den Cultural Council, den de New Partnership for African Development.

FEMNET do dem first gender training workshop for 1990 inside Kenya. Dem work plus UNICEF den Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). De workshop be make dem train people wey go train others, den FEMNET come improve de training method den create new material from de results. Between 1993 to 1999, FEMNET run training for Swaziland, Zambia, United States den Malawi. Dem get support from UNFPA, UNICEF, den USAID. Then for 2000, FEMNET do "Train the Trainers" workshop for partner groups insyd South Africa, Uganda den Ghana. Trainers wey focus on gender matter work for chaw oda countries insyd Africa too.

FEMNET find say e dey very important to carry men join de fight for gender equality. Male gender trainers make strong impact to introduce gender awareness insyd areas like developmental research, wey before no dey take gender matter serious. People dey think say e go hard well-well to talk about gender matter for Swaziland secof dema tradition strong for male power. But plus FEMNET help wey pass thru UNFPA, top government people come understand gender wahala, wey na dem put plans wey go solve gender issue insyd de country ein main national strategies. For Malawi, FEMNET work plus UNFPA den UNICEF make dem train den make political leaders, agencies, den oda groups understand gender matters well. De country make good progress insyd dis kind work.

For July 2008, FEMNET organize de official launch of United Nations' Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR) Campaign for Africa wey happen for Nairobi. By 2010, FEMNET be dey active plus members den local organizations insyd more dan 37 African countries.

## Former executive directors

* Njoki Wainaina, founding member
* Lynne Muthoni Wanyeki
* Dinah Musindarwezo

## Former chairpeople

* Eddah Gachukia, founding member den inaugural chair (1984-1992)
* Sara Hlupekile Longwe, winner of de 2003 Africa Prize for Leadership.
* Mama Koite Doumbia, winner of the 2011 FAMEDEV Gender Award.

## Oda women dem associate plus FEMNET

* Sandra Kwikiriza

## References