WHY THIS,
WHY NOW?

Thirty years after the Beijing Declaration, gender equality faces new and complex challenges, from climate change to economic inequality and shrinking spaces for women's voices. In Africa, women are leading and innovating, yet remain underrepresented and excluded from key resources. With a young, digital‑driven population, the time is now to reframe narratives, address intersectional barriers, and ignite lasting change.

NXT HER SUMMIT 2025 REPORT

PAN-AFRICAN GENDER REALITIES

Understanding the current landscape of women's progress and challenges across Africa provides the foundation for our collective action.

Media Representation

20%

Only 20% of editors-in-chief in African newsrooms are women. Women are quoted more in 'soft news' (lifestyle, family) than in economics or politics.

African Women in Media, 2022

Health Access

66%

Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 66% of global maternal deaths. Access to reproductive health info is lower among women with no media exposure.

WHO, 2023

Education & Digital Literacy

30-50%

In Sub-Saharan Africa, women are 30-50% less likely to use the internet than men. This digital divide widens among youth.

GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report, 2023

African women and traditional crafts background

GROUNDED IN LEGACY
DESIGNED FOR IMPACT

The summit drew on the 1995 Beijing Declaration's landmark framework for women's rights, distilling its 12 critical areas of concern into five strategic pillars that reflected the evolving realities, challenges, and achievements of African women today.

At the heart of these was our anchor pillar:

Women & the Media — recognizing the media's unique power to shape narratives, amplify voices, and influence policy, perception, and power.

EDUCATION & TRAINING OF WOMEN

Closing literacy gaps, advancing digital proficiency, and fostering the skills women need to excel in an increasingly dynamic and technology‑driven world.