Geingos honoured with 2024 Hall of Femme Award
Ex-first lady commended for efforts in financial inclusion
Geingos was honoured alongside Dr Naledi Pandor, former South African minister of international relations, and Wendy Ackerman, co-founding executive of the Pick n Pay Group.
Former first lady Monica Geingos has been celebrated as one of three distinguished recipients of the 2024 Hall of Femme Award.
She was awarded at a gala event hosted by the International Women’s Forum South Africa (IWFSA) in Johannesburg, last week.
The event brought together notable figures, including former South African first lady Dr Zanele Mbeki and IWFSA president Nolitha Fakude, to honour women who have made significant contributions to advancing female leadership.
The Hall of Femme Award is an esteemed accolade that recognises women and is dedicated to promoting women's leadership and empowerment. Past honorees include prominent leaders such as Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Winnie Byanyima, showcasing a legacy of excellence in women's advocacy.
Geingos was honoured alongside Dr Naledi Pandor, former South African minister of international relations, and Wendy Ackerman, co-founding executive of the Pick n Pay Group.
Geingos was commended for her transformative efforts in financial inclusion in Namibia and her impactful role as president of the Organisation of African First Ladies. Under her leadership, the organisation launched the ‘We Are Equal’ campaign, promoting gender equality across 18 African countries, reaching a combined population of 700 million.
During her acceptance speech, Geingos reflected on the 2024 SDG Gender Index, which found that no country had achieved the promise of gender equality envisioned by the United Nations’ 2030 sustainable development goals. She said between 2019 and 2022, nearly 40% of countries, home to more than one billion women and girls, stagnated or declined in terms of gender equality.
“When you expose adolescent girls to risk, you risk the development of your country. When you build strong and resilient adolescents, you build strong and resilient families, a strong and resilient workforce, and a strong and resilient economy.
“We all must play a deliberate role in empowering women and enabling adolescents to survive and thrive,” she added.
She was awarded at a gala event hosted by the International Women’s Forum South Africa (IWFSA) in Johannesburg, last week.
The event brought together notable figures, including former South African first lady Dr Zanele Mbeki and IWFSA president Nolitha Fakude, to honour women who have made significant contributions to advancing female leadership.
The Hall of Femme Award is an esteemed accolade that recognises women and is dedicated to promoting women's leadership and empowerment. Past honorees include prominent leaders such as Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Winnie Byanyima, showcasing a legacy of excellence in women's advocacy.
Geingos was honoured alongside Dr Naledi Pandor, former South African minister of international relations, and Wendy Ackerman, co-founding executive of the Pick n Pay Group.
Geingos was commended for her transformative efforts in financial inclusion in Namibia and her impactful role as president of the Organisation of African First Ladies. Under her leadership, the organisation launched the ‘We Are Equal’ campaign, promoting gender equality across 18 African countries, reaching a combined population of 700 million.
During her acceptance speech, Geingos reflected on the 2024 SDG Gender Index, which found that no country had achieved the promise of gender equality envisioned by the United Nations’ 2030 sustainable development goals. She said between 2019 and 2022, nearly 40% of countries, home to more than one billion women and girls, stagnated or declined in terms of gender equality.
“When you expose adolescent girls to risk, you risk the development of your country. When you build strong and resilient adolescents, you build strong and resilient families, a strong and resilient workforce, and a strong and resilient economy.
“We all must play a deliberate role in empowering women and enabling adolescents to survive and thrive,” she added.
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