The King Baudouin Foundation has awarded the 2023-2024 Africa Prize to Her Initiative, in recognition of its work to unlock women’s economic potential, tackle the youth unemployment crisis and accelerate economic and social development in sub-Saharan Africa.

Tanzania has made significant progress on women’s empowerment and women’s rights. Yet, 60% of women still live in poverty and many don’t have access to the resources they need to shape their future and participate in economic development. As a youth-first and women-led organisation, Her Initiative offers a range of innovative and holistic programmes which equip young women with the education, skills and resources needed to enter the job market or run their own businesses. Notably, Her Initiative aims to remove persisting barriers by leveraging the power of technology to advance digital inclusion among young women and girls. Its Panda Digital platform uses SMS technology to deliver learning courses in Swahili to young women with limited internet access, and its Digimali project helps young entrepreneurs scale-up their businesses online. Since its foundation in 2019, Her Initiative has reached over 15,000 young women and girls through its programmes, including supporting over 200 women to launch a business through Panda on the Ground and enabling 2,805 more to digitalise an existing business.

IRC’s 2024 Emergency Watchlist identified Sudan as the humanitarian crisis most at risk of deteriorating this year. In response to the lack of attention on the crisis, the IRC has released a mid-year Crisis Alert on Sudan. The new report illustrates the trajectory of a country in freefall. Without a shift in the international approach from inertia to action, Sudan risks being torn apart by the conflict, with dire implications for millions of civilians, and regional security. Sudan is already the world’s worst displacement crisis and is rapidly becoming the world’s worst hunger crisis as well. 

The alert highlights how military decision makers, regional powers, and the international community have all failed the people of Sudan, resulting in an ever-worsening humanitarian catastrophe that has left more than half the population – nearly 25 million people – in need of humanitarian aid. It analyses why the conflict has continued to escalate and spread, outlines how severe constraints on humanitarian access contribute to a response that is failing to meet needs, and provides recommendations to drive an urgently needed diplomatic and humanitarian course correction. The report pushes for tilting of scales towards peace, not more war, and an overall reset of the humanitarian response.

In a remarkable display of excellence, Ethiopian Airlines, the largest airline group in Africa, has once again emerged as the undisputed champion at the prestigious Skytrax World Airlines Awards 2024, held in the United Kingdom. The national carrier of Ethiopia has not only retained its coveted title as the “Best Airline in Africa” for the seventh consecutive year but has also secured three other prestigious accolades.

“We are pleased to have proudly received the prestigious Skytrax World Airlines 2024 award for the seventh consecutive year,” said Mesfin Tasew, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO. “At Ethiopian Airlines, our unwavering dedication to customer-centric innovation has been pivotal to our success. We remain at the forefront of the aviation industry by continually adopting cutting-edge technology to elevate our passengers’ experience.”

These prestigious awards are a testament to Ethiopian Airlines’ unwavering commitment to providing world-class air travel services and continuously enhancing the passenger experience. The airline’s relentless focus on innovation, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction has solidified its position as the leading carrier in the African aviation landscape.

In a significant move to advance financial inclusion and economic development, Ethiopia is set to host the 5th International Interest-Free Banking & Takaful Conference from July 25-26, 2024. Organized by the AlHuda Centre of Islamic Banking and Economics (CIBE), this prestigious event will bring together industry leaders, policymakers, and experts from over 20 countries to explore the transformative potential of interest-free banking and Takaful (Islamic insurance) solutions.

The conference, which will be held at the Hyatt Regency in the capital city of Addis Ababa, aims to provide a comprehensive platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and strategic discussions on the rapidly evolving landscape of the interest-free financial sector. The event will be followed by post-event workshops on the operational, technical, and Shariah aspects of interest-free banking and Takaful on July 27th.

“We are honored to organize this groundbreaking conference in Ethiopia, a country that is poised to become a hub for innovative financial solutions,” said M. Zubair Mughal, CEO of AlHuda CIBE. “With a largely rural population and significant unbanked communities, Ethiopia presents immense opportunities for interest-free banking and Takaful to drive financial inclusion and socio-economic development.”