Giving Compass' Take:

• Here is a list, originally from Forbes Magazine, detailing the 50 most powerful and influential women in Africa. 

• These women are using their platforms to take action for women's and girls' rights. How can donors support them in this cause? 

• Read more on how to support young women and girls of color. 

Forbes Magazine Africa has released its list of the 50 most powerful and influential women from across the continent.

Ranging from media personalities to business women, artists, and political leaders, the list celebrates women who are changing the status quo in the continent and, in some cases, globally.

“They are reshaping history, closing inequalities, and pioneering new avenues of wealth creation and in turn, lifting others with them,” reads an editorial announcing the list in the March edition of the magazine.

Among the 50 incredible women on the list are the following formidable movers and shakers who continue to use their voices and platforms to champion girls and women’s rights, access to quality education, and economic opportunities.

  1. Bonang Matheba, South Africa
    “From moghel to mogul,” Bonang Matheba, 32,  tweeted after the list was made public. Moghel is a South African slang word that loosely translates into homegirl. It was popularised by Matheba’s reality TV show, Being Bonang. The show is just one of many hats that Matheba wears.
  2. Graça Machel, South Africa and Mozambique
    Graça Machel, 74, is one of the most powerful and historic women in Africa. Her first platform was as the minister of education in Mozambique, a position she held from 1975 to 1989. She has been an agent of change ever since, including her role at the helm of the Graça Machel Trust and a member of The Elders — a group of global leaders working together to promote peace, justice, and human rights.
  3.  Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Nigeria
    Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 40, caught the world’s attention with her novels, Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun, which were released to great critical acclaim in 2003 and 2006.

 Read the full article about powerful African women by Lerato Mogoatlhe at Global Citizen.