In a groundbreaking step that deepens institutional and political ties between Africa and the Caribbean, two senior female political leaders from Eastern Caribbean nations have earned acceptance into the African Academy for Women in Political Leadership — a development initiative originally designed exclusively for women based on the African continent. This historic inclusion marks a tangible milestone for the African Union’s long-standing recognition of the African Diaspora as the body’s Sixth Region.
According to an official press statement from the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission, Hon. Lanien Blanchette, Speaker of the National Assembly of Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Hon. Lisa Jawahir, a sitting Cabinet Minister of the Government of Saint Lucia, were nominated and formally approved for participation in the academy. Both leaders traveled to Kigali, Rwanda, to attend the initiative’s official launch event, which was held between August 2 and August 7, 2026.
The African Union brings together 55 sovereign member states across the African continent, making the admission of two Caribbean citizens into the continent-led leadership initiative an especially notable moment for transatlantic political cooperation. OECS officials emphasize that this inclusion formalizes a direct, substantive connection between Caribbean political leadership circles and a governance development initiative rooted in African institutional frameworks. The move aligns with the African Union’s formal designation of the global African Diaspora as its Sixth Regional bloc, expanding the body’s scope beyond the African continent to connect with diaspora communities across the globe.
The academy itself is coordinated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in strategic partnership with three key African institutions: the African Union Commission, the African Women Leaders Network, and the African School of Governance. Its core training curriculum covers high-priority skills for women in political office, including electoral campaign strategy, cross-party coalition building, legislative reform processes, ethical public governance, and evidence-based public policy design.
The OECS credits the breakthrough inclusion to the work of Aisha Maina, the commission’s Strategic Advisor for Africa-Caribbean Cooperation. Maina led the nomination process for Blanchette and Jawahir, and worked directly with academy organizers to expand the initiative’s traditional geographic reach to include Caribbean participants. The OECS press statement frames Maina as a leading architect of modern institutional collaboration between Africa and the Caribbean, noting her long-held position that meaningful transatlantic alignment goes far beyond trade and commercial exchange. True partnership, she argues, requires deep collaboration on governance systems, shared investment in women’s political empowerment, and cross-continental exchange between generations of leaders.
Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the OECS, called the acceptance of the two Caribbean leaders a transformative milestone for the entire Eastern Caribbean region. He added that the opportunity will open new doors to deepen long-term transatlantic political and governance cooperation between African and Caribbean institutions.
Blanchette, a trained lawyer by profession, has built her public service career around advancing youth inclusion in politics, upholding constitutional integrity, and strengthening democratic governance across Saint Kitts and Nevis. Jawahir brings extensive experience in executive leadership, strategic communications, and public administration to her role in the Saint Lucian Cabinet, with a track record of delivering public sector reforms across the island nation.