To mark Pan-African Women’s Day, the African Women in Digital Health (AWiDH) initiative proudly launches the second edition of its flagship mentorship program, accelerating the leadership journey of early-career African women driving policy change and innovation in digital health. Call for applications are open from 31 July -22 August. Interested candidates can apply [here].
Observed on 31 July each year, Pan-African Women’s Day is a moment to spotlight the power and leadership of African women—who remain the backbone of healthy economies, particularly through their contributions to healthcare.
“Women are often at the forefront of healthcare delivery systems across Africa, comprising 70% of the continent’s health workforce. However, this leadership is not yet reflected in the digital health space. The AWiDH mentorship program—proudly supported by Resolve to Save Lives for a second consecutive edition—amplifies the work of women innovating in digital health. Their leadership, advocacy, and locally driven solutions are paving the way for measurable public health impact”, said Anicia Santos, Senior Solutions Architect at Resolve to Save Lives.
In digital health—a space full of potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery—they remain underrepresented in leadership and are cut off from the critical networks and resources required to succeed.
The AWiDH mentorship program wants to change this by increasing the representation and leadership of African women in the digital health space. The call for applications is looking for African women aged 20 to 35, who contribute to strengthening health systems or addressing public health challenges and are either:
- Founders of health tech start-ups less than 3 years old, or
- Professionals with under 5 years of experience in digital health who aspire to lead and influence health and innovation policy.
Special consideration will be given to individuals working at the intersection of gender equality and digital health.
“Receiving mentorship through structured sessions helped shape both my personal and professional growth. One of the most valuable aspects was setting clear, aligned goals—both with my aspirations and my work,” said Inas Abdelwahed, Co-Founder of Otida and AWiDH 2024 mentee.
Successful participants will join a mentorship journey that includes:
- One-on-one mentorship from African and global leaders in health tech, public health, and policy
- Tailored training in product development, strategy, communications, and branding
- Leadership coaching to build executive presence and confidence
- Exposure to professional networks and global platforms, including the AWiDH Bootcamp, Africa Health Tech Summit and the Galien Forum 2025 in Dakar
“AWiDH reflects our commitment to investing in the next generation of women leaders in digital health. This program goes beyond technical training—it helps women gain the skills, confidence, and visibility they need to lead, innovate, and drive change” said Judith Nguimfack, Principal Digital Delivery Specialist, Africa CDC .
“At Speak Up Africa, we believe that transforming health systems begins with elevating women’s voices and leadership. The AWiDH mentorship program embodies this vision by equipping young African women with the tools, confidence, and networks they need to thrive in digital health. On Pan-African Women’s Day, we are proud to stand alongside AWiDH in fostering a new generation of women leaders who will shape the future of health innovation across the continent” said Yaye Sophietou Diop, Director of Partnerships and Development, Speak Up Africa
On this Pan-African Women’s Day, AWiDH reaffirms its mission to amplify women’s voices, build power, and help close the digital health gender gap across the continent.
For more information on the Mentorship Program and its Application Process, visit www.awidh.org
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Press Contact
Roxane Fian, Advocay and communication officer, Speak Up Africa
About the African Women in Digital Health (AWiDH) initiative
African Women in Digital Health (AWiDH) is an African-led initiative closing the gender gap in digital health. We are building opportunities to improve the policy, capacity, and investment landscape for African women to fully participate in the digital health sector. By bringing together stakeholders working on health, gender and technology to take coordinated and effective action for women’s meaningful engagement and leadership in digital health. To find out more, visit: https://awidh.org/en/
About the Africa CDC
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is a continental autonomous public health agency of the African Union that supports member states in their efforts to strengthen health systems and improve surveillance, emergency response, and prevention and control of diseases. Learn more at: http://www.africacdc.org
About Resolve to Save Lives
Resolve to Save Lives is a not-for-profit organization partnering with countries, communities and organizations to prevent 100 million deaths from cardiovascular disease and make the world safer from epidemics. To find out more, visit: https://resolvetosavelives.org/
About Speak Up Africa
Speak Up Africa is an African-led, Senegal-based organization dedicated to building an Africa where growth and sustainable development are driven by Africa’s own citizens. Speak Up Africa convenes, enables and advocates. Focusing on strategic communications and advocacy, the organization is dedicated to supporting African leaders and citizens to take an active role in identifying and developing solutions to tackle the challenges facing the African continent — including malaria, NTDs, immunization, sanitation, gender equality and global health research and development. From its strategic base in Dakar, Senegal, the Speak Up Africa team partners with African leaders and change-makers to put in place the right policies and secure sufficient resources to achieve our sustainable development goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. To find out more, visit: https://www.speakupafrica.org/
