Julie Gichuru, Patricia Amira, Graca Machel-Mandela and President Joyce Banda On One Podium.

This is one of those stories that you read twice before you share. It’s true though, media personalities Julie Gichuru and Patricia Amira have been picked as key note speakers for the inaugural WIE symposium in Cape Town, South Africa from May 5th to 7th 2013. 

This symposium focuses on indigenous achievements and human interest stories across Africa. WIE Africa will be the first women’s symposium on the African continent to bring together female leaders from the worlds of politics, business, philanthropy, media, fashion, entertainment and the arts to empower and inspire the next generation. It’s the first time, that the WIE Symposium founded by Dee Poku and June Sarpong will be venturing into Africa, and breaking new ground by bringing together the continent’s stars and emerging young female leaders.

Joyce Banda, President of Malawi, humanitarian campaigner Graca Machel and Wellbeing Foundation President, Toyin Saraki have been confirmed as the headline speakers. Her Excellency Joyce Banda, Africa’s third ever female head of state will open the women’s symposium and Graca Machel, humanitarian and the wife of Nelson Mandela will close proceedings.

Founded in 2010, WIE is a global annual conference and online community designed to empower the next generation of women leaders. WIE Africa is timed to coincide with the World Economic Forum Africa and will showcase the women taking a central role in shaping the Africa of tomorrow. Following Cape Town, the pan African event will occur in a different African city annually.

When requested to take part in the event, Julie was so humbled and grateful.

“I was very humbled to be approached by aequitas about the Wie Symposium. It’s amazing to see the African woman being appreciated and recognized worldwide. I will humbly carry the Kenyan flag everywhere I go,” she commented.

Patricia couldn’t hide her delight either; “This, to me is a great opportunity that I could not turn down. I am very thankful to aequitas for including me in the symposium. The African woman is definitely on the right path worldwide and we will continue with the same spirit. I look forward to the event and am very grateful”.

Following the symposium, WIE will host a fundraising dinner to benefit the Graca Machel Trust. The Graca Machel Trust fosters and promotes African women’s leadership and contributions in economic, political and social frameworks in national, pan African and international arenas; and to improve the lives of children through the promotion and protection of their rights.

Julie Gathoni Sumira Gichuru is a Kenyan journalist and News Anchor. She initially worked at Capital FM before moving to television as a reporter and News Anchor at Kenya Television Network, part of The Standard Group. During her time there, she the investigative series ‘The Inside Story’ focused on corruption, crime injustices and inequity in Kenya. She later worked at NTV before moving to Royal Media Services.

Patricia Amira, most people refer to her as ‘Africa’s own answer to Oprah’. The Kenyan-born media personality is one of the continent’s most popular talk-show hosts. Her daytime talk show, The Patricia Show is broadcast in over 45 African countries and watched by over 10 million people.

The Wellbeing Foundation Africa: Established in 2003 by Her Excellency Mrs. Toyin Ojora-Saraki, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA) seeks to create real and sustainable change for families in Africa by working with communities across the continent to build capacities and empower women. Toyin Saraki’s aim from the start was to reverse the debilitating cycle of poverty in society by creating a state of wellbeing, or in her own words, “a satisfactory condition of existence in health, happiness and prosperity”.

All I can say to this news is wow, what an awesome opportunity that these two women have been accorded.