Given the predominance of child labour in Africa and most especially Cote d’Ivoire, several international conferences and committees have been set up to draw up plans that will assist in putting an end to these activities. These steps will not be complete without the touch of a mother who is directly affected by the negative conditions and wellbeing of children. It is based on this fact that the First Lady of Cote d’Ivoire Madame Dominique Ouattara, has exhibited the qualities of a true mother by spearheading the fight against child labour in her country.

Dolores Clara Fernandez also known as Dolores Huerta was born on April 10, 1930, in Dawson, a small mining town in the mountains of northern New Mexico. Her father Juan Ferånández, a farm worker and miner by trade, was a union activist who ran for political office and won a seat in the New Mexico legislature in 1938. Dolores spent most of her childhood and early adult life in Stockton, California where she and her two brothers moved with their mother, following her parents’ divorce. According to Dolores, her mother’s independence and entrepreneurial spirit were some of the primary reasons she became a feminist. Dolores’ mother Alicia was known for her kindness and compassion towards others. She offered rooms at affordable rates in her 70 room hotel, which she acquired after years of hard work. Alicia welcomed low-wage workers in the hotel, and often, waived the fee for them…

Rebecca Enonchong is a Cameroonian born technology entrepreneur and also the founder and CEO of AppsTech. She is best known for her work promoting technology in Africa.

Born in Toronto, Jung was born in 1959 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her family moved to Wellesley, Massachusetts, when she was only two years old. Jung’s mother was born in Shanghai and was a chemical engineer; her father was born in Hong Kong and was an architect. Jung has one younger brother, Mark. When she was young, Jung studied not only the regular subjects offered at a Massachusetts school, but studied the Mandarin language as well.

Zainab Salbi is a published author, an activist, a social entrepreneur, and founder of the Women for Women International, focusing on women facing adversity due to wars. She is from Iraq and focuses her work on giving a voice to Arab and Muslim women. Salbi has released several subversive books since 2005, most notably “If You Knew Me You Would Care,” which documents true stories of women from places such as Afghanistan, Rwanda, and Congo.

Born in Bandar Lampung on August 26, 1962, Sri Mulyani earned her bachelor degree in Economics major from the Universitas Indonesia (1986). She continued her studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, United States and earned a Master of Science of Policy Economics (1990). In 1992, she earned a PhD in Economics.

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a Senior Adviser at Lazard and Chair-Elect of Gavi. She was previously the Minister of Finance in Nigeria and Coordinating Minister for the Economy. In this role, Dr Okonjo-Iweala was responsible for managing the finances of Africa’s most populous nation and one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. From December 2007 to August 2011, she was Managing Director of the World Bank where she had oversight responsibility for the World Bank’s $81 billion operational portfolios in Africa, South Asia, Europe and Central Asia. She also spearheaded initiatives to assist low-income countries during the food crisis and later the financial crisis, and chaired the raising of $49.3 billion in grants and low-interest credit for the world’s poorest nations.