AMwA was born in the UK 30 years ago over a cup of tea, in a sister’s kitchen. In a world where there is more preference for baby sons AMwA, though a girl, she was a wanted child. It was conceived after a careful analysis of and understanding of the situation of African women in UK- the loneliness, marginalization, lack of space for organizing for their own rights and visibility, and the need to give back to the women back home in Africa.

A group of women who believed that ‘our issues as African women are interconnected’ worked on a voluntary basis. Early activities included self-help programs, specifically helping African women transition into life in the United Kingdom.

For many of the women, AMwA became home, an oasis, a place for finding one’s soul. It was a home where they were not afraid to speak about themselves, craft their own agenda and analyze their own issues. AMwA became a space where the many voices of African women were woven into a composition of living, connected thinking and ideas.