By Abbas Nazil
The Africa Women and Children Conference (AFRIWOCC) 2025 has opened in Accra, Ghana, with a strong continental focus on empowering young Africans as central players in climate solutions.
The hybrid conference, taking place at the Labadi Beach Hotel from October 6 to 7, brings together ministers, development leaders, and youth advocates to discuss how Africa can lead climate action through youth-driven innovation and inclusion.
Founded and chaired by Ghana’s Second Lady, Samira Bawumia, AFRIWOCC is being co-hosted with the United Nations Ghana Office under Resident Coordinator Zia Choudhury.
The hybrid format allows in-person and virtual participation, extending engagement to audiences across Africa and beyond.
This year’s speaker lineup reflects a balance of authority and activism, featuring environment ministers from Guinea, Zimbabwe, and Uganda, alongside Dr. Kevin Kariuki from the African Development Bank, who will highlight climate financing.
Youth advocates such as Fatou Jeng, founder of Clean Earth Gambia, and Joshua Amponsem from the Youth Climate Justice Fund bring grassroots energy to the discussions, ensuring the youth perspective is fully represented.
Organizers acknowledge the paradox confronting Africa — a continent contributing minimally to global carbon emissions yet suffering the harshest climate impacts.
From destructive floods and worsening droughts to collapsing food systems, these challenges fall disproportionately on young people who did little to cause them.
AFRIWOCC’s theme emphasizes the need to empower this generation with the leadership and tools to build resilience and drive adaptation.
Building on its 2023 maiden edition, which produced a six-point communique referenced in policy discussions, AFRIWOCC 2025 aims to deepen its policy impact.
The event now partners with organizations including German Cooperation, Ashesi University, Kosmos Innovation Center, and the Clean Cooking Alliance, alongside the United Nations and the Government of Ghana.
Sessions focus on youth leadership, education for climate literacy, inclusive governance, and entrepreneurship as pathways for sustainable development.
Organizers stress that Africa’s climate strategy must integrate economic realities, turning environmental challenges into opportunities for innovation in agribusiness, technology, and green financing.
With Africa home to the world’s youngest population, the conference underscores the demographic urgency of giving young people a voice in climate policy.
The hybrid setup also ensures accessibility for participants unable to travel, allowing students and activists from across the continent to join virtually.
Bawumia has repeatedly advocated for women and youth inclusion in addressing Africa’s development challenges, and the conference’s structure mirrors that commitment by blending government leadership with grassroots engagement.
Whether these discussions translate into actionable policies remains to be seen, but the framework for inclusive climate dialogue is clearly in place.
AFRIWOCC 2025 comes at a pivotal moment as global climate negotiations continue to be dominated by high-emitting nations.
By amplifying Africa’s unique narrative of adaptation, justice, and lived experience, the conference redefines what meaningful climate leadership can look like on the continent.
As the sessions unfold, attention turns to whether AFRIWOCC can produce measurable outcomes that extend beyond Accra’s halls and bring tangible benefits to African communities grappling with climate change.
The continent does not lack climate conferences, but it urgently needs those that deliver results — and AFRIWOCC 2025 aims to prove it can do just that.
