In the heart of Lusaka, Zambia, a new wave of Pan-African feminism is taking shape, one that seeks not just gender equality, but economic emancipation for an entire continent.
From September 30 to October 2, 2025, over 50 African feminists, economists, activists, and policymakers convened under the banner of Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA) to ask a provocative question: What would Africa look like if it truly owned its wealth?
Their gathering, titled “Rethinking Africa’s Fiscal Sovereignty,” was more than a policy dialogue. It was a declaration of intent, a collective refusal to continue operating under a global financial system that many described as “rigged against Africa.”
Reimagining Africa’s Place in the Global Economy
At the core of the discussions was the conviction that Africa cannot achieve sustainable development until it regains control over its fiscal and economic policies.
Enlarged Discussion Panel.Delegates explored how illicit financial flows, unfair taxation, and climate injustice continue to drain the continent of billions of dollars each year, funds that could transform healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
According to organizers, Akina Mama wa Afrika, a Pan-African leadership development organization founded in 1985, created this space to challenge the legitimacy of global institutions such as the IMF, World Bank, and WTO, whose policies, they argue, have entrenched dependency rather than empowerment.
“Africa Must Rewrite Its Economic Story”
Speaking at the event, Hon. Dr. Khanyisile Litchfield-Tshabalala, South African Member of Parliament and outspoken Pan-Africanist, delivered a fiery address that reverberated through the conference hall.
“Africa cannot speak of sovereignty while its land, its laws, and its resources are controlled by others,” she declared.
“If we control these three pillars, no power on earth can dictate our destiny.”
Tricia Abwooli from Akina Mama wa Afrika Fascinating a Session.Dr. Litchfield-Tshabalala urged African governments to tax multinational corporations, reject foreign aid dependency, and renegotiate debt obligations. She argued that much of Africa’s debt is “morally illegitimate”, calling instead for a campaign demanding reparations for centuries of extraction and exploitation.
From Dependency to Self-Reliance
Participants agreed that achieving fiscal sovereignty requires building a continental financing mechanism rooted in domestic resource mobilization. While the African Union Development Fund exists, it remains heavily supported by external donors, a paradox the feminists sought to confront.
They proposed the creation of independent, Africa-funded financial institutions, emphasizing that taxing the wealthy and multinational corporations could generate sufficient resources to sustain African economies without constant recourse to the IMF or World Bank.
“We cannot talk about freedom if our budgets are written in Washington or Brussels,” one participant remarked. “Fiscal independence begins with financial confidence.”
Climate Finance Through a Feminist Lens
The gathering also tackled climate finance, arguing that Africa bears the brunt of environmental degradation while contributing least to global emissions. Maria Nkonjera, of the African Futures Policies Hub, outlined the need for a new climate finance architecture that compensates Africa fairly.
“Climate justice is not charity, it’s restitution,” she said. “Africa must set its own carbon pricing and refuse to be the dumping ground of others’ pollution.”
A Feminist Blueprint for a Sovereign Future
Beyond the economic debate, the gathering positioned African women at the center of fiscal transformation. Feminists at the event emphasized that economic sovereignty must also mean gender-responsive budgeting, inclusive governance, and equitable redistribution of resources.
Cross Section of Participants (L to R) Kenya, Cameroon, Eswatini, South Africa and Senegal.They envisioned a borderless Africa, one where resources, ideas, and people move freely, unshackled by the remnants of colonial borders and financial dependency.
A Strategy for Global Action
At the close of the meeting, Sarah Nanyondo, representing Akina Mama wa Afrika, announced that a strategy paper detailing the group’s recommendations titled “A Feminist Call to Action on Africa’s Fiscal Sovereignty”, will be presented to the United Nations Tax Convention later this year. “We came to Lusaka not to lament but to lead,” Nanyondo said. “The women of Africa are not asking for space, we are reclaiming it.”
As the participants dispersed, one message resonated clearly: the fight for Africa’s fiscal sovereignty is not an economic battle alone, it is a struggle for dignity, justice, and self-determination.
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