{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}} {{Use British English|date=April 2019}} {{Infobox organization | name = ABANTU for Development | native_name = <!-- Organization's name in its local language --> | native_name_lang = <!-- ISO code of the above language --> | nickname = | named_after = | image = ABANTU for Development logo.jpg | image_size = | image_alt = <!-- see WP:ALT --> | caption = | map = <!-- map image --> | map_size = <!-- defaults to 250px --> | map_alt = | map_caption = | map2 = <!-- second map image, if required --> | map2_size = | map2_alt = | map2_caption = | abbreviation = | predecessor = | merged_into = <!-- Any other organisations with which the organisation was merged --> | successor = | formation = {{start date and age|df=yes|1991}} | founder = <!-- or: | founders = --> | founding_location = London, United Kingdom | extinction = <!-- or: | dissolved = --> <!--e.g. use {{end date and age|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD}}--> | merger = <!-- Other organisations (if any) merged to constitute the organisation --> | type = INGO | status = <!-- Organization's legal status and/or description (company, charity, foundation, etc) --> | purpose = Women's issues<!-- or: | focus = --> <!--(humanitarian, activism, peacekeeping, etc)--> | professional_title = <!-- for professional associations --> | headquarters = {{ubl|London, United Kingdom|Nairobi, Kenya|Tanzania}} | location = | coordinates = <!-- location's {{coord}}s --> | region_served = Africa<!-- or: | region_served = --> <!--Any particular region or regions associated with or served by the organisation--> | services = | membership = <!-- Usually the number of members --> | num_members_year = <!-- Year to which membership number/data apply --> | language = <!-- or: | languages = --> <!--Any official language or languages used by the organisation--> | secretary_general = <!-- Name of the organisation's Secretary General (if post exists) or gen_sec for General Secretary --> | leader_title = Director | leader_name = | leader_title2 = | leader_name2 = | leader_title3 = | leader_name3 = | leader_title4 = | leader_name4 = | board_of_directors = | key_people = | main_organ = <!-- or: | publication = --> <!--Organization's principal body (assembly, committee, board, etc) or publication--> | parent_organization = <!-- or: | parent_organisation = --> | subsidiaries = | secessions = | affiliations = ECOSOC (special consultative status) | budget = | budget_year = | num_staff = <!-- Numbers and/or types of staff --> | num_staff_year = <!-- Year to which staff numbers/data apply --> | num_volunteers = <!-- Numbers and/or types of volunteers --> | num_volunteers_year = <!-- Year to which volunteer numbers/data apply --> | website = | remarks = | former_name = <!-- Any former names by which the organisation known --> | footnotes = | bodystyle = <!-- Applies CSS style to the infobox table as a whole --> }} '''ABANTU for Development''' is an international women's non-governmental organisation. It seeks to empower African women in the fields of politics and the economy on the local, national, regional and international levels. It pursues these goals by educating through workshops, research, publishing and consultations. ABANTU attracts international attention through its offices in London, where it was founded in 1991 by African women. Its other offices are in Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, and Nigeria. ABANTU has a special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
==Organisation== An international non-governmental organisation (INGO), ABANTU was founded in 1991 in London by African women,<ref name=britannica/> including its future director Wanjiru Kihoro.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wanjiru Kihoro: an activist, feminist, patriot, visionary, leader, friend |work=Pambazuka News |date=19 October 2006 |access-date=23 April 2019 |url= https://www.pambazuka.org/gender-minorities/wanjiru-kihoro-activist-feminist-patriot-visionary-leader-friend }}</ref> The name ''Abantu'' means "people" in many African languages.<ref name=britannica/> Its present-day main offices are in London, United Kingdom; Nairobi, Kenya;<ref name=Sweetman2002/> and Tanzania. The regional office for West Africa is located in Accra, Ghana (Regional Programme Manager Rose Mensah-Kutin);<ref name=Canelli2013/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Rose Mensah-Kutin |work=allAfrica.com: myAfrica |date=8 July 2008 |access-date=23 April 2019 |url= http://myafrica.allafrica.com/view/people/main/id/07RbY7gpbuG5QlRH.html }}</ref> and there is a branch office in Nigeria.<ref name=britannica/> ABANTU is an umbrella organisation for many smaller organisations. It works by formalising pre-existing local and domestic networks of women and turning them into a political force.<ref name=Canelli2013/>
ABANTU has a special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It is also part of Gender Action on Climate Change for Equality and Sustainability.<ref name=Canelli2013>{{cite book|editor-last1=Stange|editor-first1=Mary Zeiss|editor-last2=Oyster|editor-first2=Carol K.|editor-last3=Sloan|editor-first3=Jane E.|last=Canelli|first=Alyssa Stalsberg|title=The Multimedia Encyclopedia of Women in Today's World|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_BTKCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT92|year=2013|publisher=SAGE Publications|isbn=978-1-4522-7037-1|page=92|chapter=ABANTU (Africa)}}</ref> ABANTU has also collaborated with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the Organisation of African Unity.<ref name=Jaffer2009/>
Although ABANTU maintains links with non-African organisations, its focus is on maintaining indigenous control. Its status in the ECOSOC and central offices in London have contributed to success in attaining donors. In Africa, it is particularly known in the West African region.<ref name=Canelli2013/>
==Goals== ABANTU pursues to empower African women as decision makers on the local, national, regional and international levels.<ref name=britannica/> It seeks to increase women's participation in both politics and the economy, and erase political, legal and cultural barriers to women's equal standing before the law and their economic independence.<ref name=UIA>{{Cite web |title=ABANTU for Development |publisher=Union of International Associations |work=UIA Yearbook |access-date=23 April 2019 |url= https://uia.org/s/or/en/1100054619 }}</ref> Mobilizing women to further sustainable development in Africa is also on its agenda.<ref name=Sweetman2002/> The organisation has identified four areas of key interest: gender and poverty, gender and conflict, gender and governance, and gender and information and communication technologies. Although ABANTU focuses on women, it holds a view that pursuing women's interests is equally beneficial to men.<ref name=britannica/>
==Activities== ABANTU uses three primary methods to reach its goals: training and capacity building; research, publication and communications; and advocacy, public awareness and networking.<ref name=Jaffer2009>{{cite book|editor-last=O'Brien|editor-first=Jodi|last=Jaffer|first=Jennifer|title=Encyclopedia of Gender and Society|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_nyHS4WyUKEC&pg=PT33|volume=1|year=2009|publisher=SAGE|location=Los Angeles|isbn=978-1-4129-0916-7|pages=33–34|chapter=ABANTU for Development}}</ref> ABANTU has more than 500 trainers from its workshops in Africa and the United Kingdom. These trainers conduct gender and policy analysis and host workshops in their countries on themes such as gender stereotypes, social change, climate change and support of HIV-infected workers. ABANTU employs adult learning techniques and recognises that men and women learn differently.<ref name=britannica/> In addition to workshops, it organises seminars, forums on public policy and consultations with policy makers and other women's organisations.<ref name=britannica>{{Cite encyclopedia |title=ABANTU for Development |last=Jaffer |first=Jennifer |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. |date=25 November 2016 |access-date=11 April 2019 |url= https://www.britannica.com/topic/ABANTU-for-Development }}</ref> It has, for instance, produced a manual on taking women into account in budgeting in Africa that was chosen for a trial-run,<ref name=britannica/> and participated in the drafting of the Women's Manifesto for Ghana.<ref name="Fallon2008">{{cite book|last=Fallon|first=Kathleen M.|title=Democracy and the Rise of Women's Movements in Sub-Saharan Africa|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8349Gh9JqXoC&pg=PA125|year=2008|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|location=Baltimore|isbn=978-0-8018-9008-6|page=125}}</ref> ABANTU's series of Gender and Poverty Hearings in Eastern and Southern Africa have contributed to transparency of government policies.<ref name=Sweetman2002>{{cite book|editor-last=Sweetman|editor-first=Caroline|title=Gender, Development, and Poverty|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_Swd3Z9foLQC&pg=PA100|year=2002|publisher=Oxfam|location=Oxford|isbn=978-0-85598-480-9|pages=100–101}}</ref> ABANTU publishes research reports and ''ABANTU News'',<ref name=britannica/> a quarterly newsletter on a wide range of topics,<ref name=britannica/><ref name=Jaffer2009/> such as health practices, sexual assault and women's issues in elections. The organisation also hosts its own radio programme, ''Gender Forum''.<ref name=Jaffer2009/> ABANTU's research has highlighted the gendered nature of armed conflict, development policy and the effects of climate change.<ref name=Canelli2013/>
==See also== {{Portal|Africa}} *List of women's organisations *List of organisations with consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20180315051203/http://abantu-rowa.com/ Official website]}} of the regional office for West Africa (Ghana) * [http://www.abantunig.org/ Official website] of the Nigerian branch office
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Category:1991 establishments in England Category:International organizations based in Africa Category:International organisations based in London Category:Gender studies organizations Category:Women's organizations based in Africa Category:Women's organisations based in England