The EVE International Foundation has held its maiden EVE Women’s Forum USA, convening women leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, advocates and changemakers from Ghana, Africa and the wider diaspora to strengthen collaboration and advance issues affecting women.
Held under the theme “Legacy and Longevity: Women Building Wealth and Health Across the Diaspora,” the forum was convened by Her Royal Highness Lady Julia Osei-Tutu, Princess Consort of Asanteman and Life Patron of the EVE International Foundation.
The Foundation describes the forum as a platform for women leaders and changemakers to connect and build lasting impact across the diaspora.
Welcoming participants, Lady Julia reflected on the origins of the Foundation and its belief that women must remain connected across borders so that “skills, ideas and opportunities can flow freely amongst us.” She said the maiden US forum represented an extension of that vision across the Atlantic, bringing women of African descent together “not as strangers meeting for the first time, but as family long separated, finally sitting at the same table.”
She highlighted some of EVE’s work in Ghana, including the establishment of the KGL EVE Medical Center in Kumasi, which she described as a dedicated mental wellness facility serving communities across several regions. She also cited the Foundation’s medical outreach to market women, career and leadership development programmes, mentorship initiatives and the EVE STEM Kitchen, noting that more than 1,300 women and girls were directly impacted by EVE’s work in a single year.
She urged women in the diaspora to complement these initiatives with their own experiences, expertise and resources, proposing stronger partnerships in mental health, telehealth, investment and mentorship.
“Imagine what is possible when we place our approaches side by side,” she said, calling for “a standing network that bridges African women and women of African descent in the diaspora long after this room has emptied.”
Lady Julia stressed that the gathering should translate into practical commitments rather than end as another ceremonial event.
“Let this not be a day we merely remember. Let it be a day we point back to and say, that is where the partnership began,” she said.
Also addressing the forum, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, Special Aide to the President of Ghana, commended Lady Julia for using the EVE platform to champion issues including women’s health, education, financial empowerment, human rights and social participation. She described Lady Julia’s leadership as an example of how influence and privilege can be channelled towards community development.
Madam Bawah Mogtari encouraged Ghanaian women to recognise the importance of solidarity and collective action, stressing the need for women to stand firm and stand together in advancing their interests and opportunities.
The maiden EVE Women’s Forum USA therefore served not only as a celebration of women’s achievements, but as a call to deepen transatlantic collaboration and create sustainable pathways for women and girls to access better health, wealth, mentorship and leadership opportunities.
