Power Meets Capital: Inside the Historic 5th NALAFEM Summit in Nairobi
Across Africa, the conversation surrounding women’s leadership underwent a profound transformation. For years, the global discourse focused primarily on representation, securing seats at decision-making tables, increasing the number of women in parliament, and ensuring female representation in peace negotiations. However, a critical gap remained: what happened when brilliant leadership potential was starved of the capital, protection, and systemic backing needed to survive?
This was the defining challenge that took center stage at the 5th NALAFEM Summit, held from July 1st to 2nd, 2026, at the Emara Ole-Sereni in Nairobi. Under the powerful theme, “Power Meets Capital: When Women Back Women,” this convening moved past symbolic inclusion to build a durable feminist power alliance backed by real economic resources. As a proud partner of this year’s summit, the Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK) was on the ground, documenting, amplifying, and actively contributing to these crucial conversations.
Founded at the Generation Equality Forum in Paris in July 2021, NALAFEM emerged as a bold Pan-African feminist network rooted in the Africa Young Women Beijing+25 Manifesto. Under the visionary leadership of its founder, Aya Chebbi—the first-ever African Union Special Envoy on Youth, the alliance worked across generations to bridge policy and lived realities through its “Foster, Enable, and Mobilize” (FEM) framework. For AMWIK, partnering with NALAFEM was a natural alignment. Our mission to elevate women’s voices and leverage the media to demand gender equality served as the perfect megaphone for the summit’s revolutionary agenda.
Historically, women’s political leadership and economic capital operated in separate silos, despite the monumental rise of African women entrepreneurs, wealth creators, and political trailblazers. The Nairobi summit intentionally shattered those silos. The event was championed by two legendary African patrons who bridged these worlds seamlessly: Dr. Jennifer Riria, Group CEO of Kenya Women Holding and a pioneer in financial inclusion, alongside Dr. Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, the globally respected economic policy expert and founder of the School of Politics, Policy, and Governance (SPPG). Together, they set a standard of active, tangible solidarity rather than passive sponsorship.
Throughout the intense two-day summit, participants engaged in candid, action-oriented dialogue. A major focal point was the safety and protection of women in the public sphere, specifically addressing the rise of Tech-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) against women in leadership. As a media association, AMWIK brought vital perspectives to these sessions, emphasizing the critical role journalists, digital strategists, and media houses play in dismantling online harassment and shaping fair, empowering narratives around female leaders. Discussions also tackled the mechanics of fundraising for political campaigns and establishing long-term, gender-responsive budgeting.
The summit concluded with monumental, concrete outcomes that promised to reshape African leadership. Delegates formally adopted the Nairobi Declaration, cementing a collective commitment to finance and protect women’s political leadership across the continent. Strategic “Women Back Women” pledges secured vital capital from female investors and philanthropists to fund candidates through 2030. Furthermore, the summit celebrated the graduation of the latest cohort of the I AM NALA Fellowship, welcoming a new generation of leaders under 40 into this powerful, protective ecosystem.
Ultimately, the 5th NALAFEM Summit proved that representation is only half the battle; true equality requires the resources to sustain it. AMWIK remains incredibly proud to have partnered in this historic gathering. By continuing to leverage the power of media, storytelling, and communication, we look forward to ensuring that the decisions made in Nairobi continue to echo, inspire, and drive real resources to women leaders across the continent.
