South Africa: The African Women in Dialogue (AfWID) review consultation
Johannesburg, 24 January 2026 – The African Women in Dialogue (AfWID) Review Consultation is currently taking place in Johannesburg, bringing together women leaders, activists, curators, advisors, and partners from across the African continent to reflect on AfWID’s journey since its establishment in 2018 and to collectively shape its future.
Running from 24–27 January 2026 at Birchwood Hotel and Conference Center in Johannesburg, the AfWID Review Consultation forms part of a broader, phased review process aimed at documenting AfWID’s origins and evolution, assessing its tangible and intangible impact, and reimagining its sustainability as a pan African platform for feminist dialogue, movement building, and solidarity.
The consultation provides structured spaces for deep reflection and learning through group discussions, plenary sessions, intergenerational dialogue, and cultural and movement building activities. Participants are engaging on issues such as coordination and participation in feminist dialogue spaces, content and curation, communications and narrative building, and the lived experiences of women who have participated in AfWID over the years.
- Participation of Southern Africa Gender Protocol Alliance Members
Members of the Southern Africa Gender Protocol Alliance are among the diverse stakeholders participating in the AfWID Review Consultation. Their participation reflects the strong linkages between continental feminist dialogue spaces and regional advocacy platforms, and ensures that experiences and lessons from Southern Africa meaningfully inform the ongoing AfWID review process.
Gender Links staff and Women of the South Speak Out (WOSSO) Fellows are also participating in the review process, contributing to learning, reflection, and exchange alongside other continental stakeholders.
Among the Alliance participants is Emma Kaliya, a seasoned women’s rights activist and Alliance leader, who is playing a key role in the AfWID Review programme. Ms Kaliya will contribute to the closing day of the consultation, supporting collective reflection, consolidation of outcomes from the four day process, and guiding the closing and gratitude session.
2. From AfWID to Regional Institutional Strengthening
Following the conclusion of the AfWID Review on 27 January, Alliance members will remain in Johannesburg to participate in the Southern Africa Gender Protocol Alliance Institutional Meeting on 28 January 2026 at GL Cottages.
The institutional meeting will provide a dedicated space for Alliance members to:
- Reflect on the state of the Alliance as a regional network of networks,
- Strengthen institutional coordination, governance, and ways of working,
- Align regional advocacy priorities with continental and global feminist processes, and;
- Consolidate momentum from AfWID into concrete strategies for advancing gender equality in Southern Africa.
The sequencing of the two meetings is intentional, enabling Alliance members to carry insights, energy, and learning from the AfWID Review directly into regional institutional discussions, reinforcing the link between continental feminist dialogue and sustained regional action.
3. Building Continuity Across Feminist Spaces
The AfWID Review and the Alliance Institutional Meeting together underscore the importance of continuity, learning, and accountability across feminist spaces. By moving from reflection at AfWID to institutional strengthening within the Alliance, women’s movements are reinforcing collective leadership, shared learning, and long term impact.