On 25 July, the world marks the International Day for Women and Girls of African Descent, proclaimed by the United Nations in 2024 and celebrated for the first time in 2025. The date coincides with the International Day of Black Latin American and Caribbean Women, commemorated since 1992, and recognizes decades of advocacy by women of African descent around the world.
The day is an opportunity not only to celebrate the leadership, achievements, knowledge, and resilience of women and girls of African descent, but also to draw attention to the structural barriers they continue to face at the intersection of racism and sexism. It reminds us that visibility, dignity, equal participation, and access to power are essential conditions for realizing human rights and building inclusive societies.
For cities, these questions are particularly relevant. Local governments shape many of the spaces where people experience belonging or exclusion in everyday life. Municipal action therefore plays a crucial role in ensuring that women and girls of African descent can participate fully, are protected from discrimination, and see themselves reflected in the institutions and leadership of their cities.
One important dimension of this is representation. Representation is not only about visibility. It influences whose perspectives inform public decision-making, who feels welcome in public institutions, and what future generations believe is possible.
What Can Cities Do?
The International Day for Women and Girls of African Descent offers municipalities an opportunity to:
- highlight the contributions and achievements of women and girls of African descent through municipal communication, exhibitions, campaigns, or public events;
- create opportunities for participation and leadership by ensuring representation in advisory bodies, consultation processes, or decision-making spaces;
- work with local organizations and communities to co-design events, round tables, and initiatives rather than speaking on their behalf;
- strengthen the diversity of the municipal workforce, particularly in leadership positions and public-facing roles;
- address intersecting forms of discrimination by considering how racism and sexism shape people's experiences in areas such as housing, employment, healthcare, and public services; and
- invest in data, dialogue, and continuous learning to better understand inequalities and monitor progress over time.
The International Day for Women and Girls of African Descent reminds us that creating inclusive cities requires more than acknowledging inequalities. It requires ensuring that marginalized people, such as women and girls of African descent have the opportunity to shape the decisions, institutions, and communities around them.
To mark the day, ECCAR Director Ivie Obulor and Channeh Maram Joof, Special Advisor to the City of Oslo, reflect on why visibility, representation, and leadership matter. Watch the video here and here to hear their messages.
