Committed to empowering African girls and young women through health, education, and leadership development, The Healthy African Girl (THAG) Foundation has successfully concluded the Rise Up Conference 2025.
The two-day virtual event held recently attracted over 1,925 participants from 23 African countries, uniting young women under the inspiring theme: “Rise Up: Becoming a Voice of Influence.”
The conference aimed to tackle one of Africa’s most pressing gender gaps: the underrepresentation of women in leadership and decision-making roles. With women making up nearly 50 per cent of the global population, gender inequity particularly in leadership remains a major obstacle to sustainable development.
This challenge aligns closely with Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5): Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Through this initiative, THAG Foundation set out to catalyse a generation of young African women who will rise above limitations, embrace their identity, and influence their communities with purpose-driven leadership.
The Rise Up Conference 2025 was designed to inspire young women to lead without waiting for titles. Equip them with tools for personal branding, networking, and leveraging technology. Create a movement that will outlive the event through mentorship and continuous engagement.
Participants experienced rich, interactive sessions with renowned speakers such as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health, Dr. Adanna Steinacker; award-winning Kenyan environmentalist, Elizabeth Wathuti; founder of Girls Health Alliance, Liberia, Pauline Faith Gartor; She is Brave, South Africa, Amanda Nomnqa; among others who shared insights on purpose, influence, technology, and leadership without titles.
Session highlights included conversations like “Becoming a Voice of Influence,” where Dr. Adanna Steinacker encouraged participants to “turn discomfort into growth when it is rooted in purpose,” and “Leading with Purpose and Influence,” where Elizabeth Wathuti urged young Africans to showcase their work because “you never know who you will inspire.”
In addition to thought-provoking sessions, the conference marked the launch of the Akpajima Magazine Rise Up Edition, a platform amplifying the voices of young African women through articles, stories, and creative expressions on leadership, identity, and impact. Another major highlight was the announcement of the Rise Up Mentorship Collective, a three-month mentorship program designed to support young women in building purpose-driven lives, personal brands, and networks that matter.
The impact was undeniable. Across Facebook and YouTube, the event garnered 3,300+ views, over 6,300 combined engagements, and 165 mentorship applications a clear signal of young women’s readiness to lead change. Participants described the experience as “life-changing,” with one attendee stating, “This conference gave me permission to dream bigger, to see myself as a leader right where I am.” Another noted, “It was the push I needed to start taking action.”
According to Founder of THAG Foundation, Chinekwu Oreh, “This was more than an event it was a movement. Our mission is to give young African women the tools, confidence, and community they need to rise and create sustainable impact. Every session reinforced that leadership is not about titles, but about influence and values.”
