What Does Wellness Really Look Like for Women Leaders Today?
May Taught Us About Rest, Care, and Showing Up for Ourselves
Hello friend!
Somewhere between chasing goals and meeting expectations, many African women have forgotten what it means to truly rest and care for themselves.
We show up in our careers, businesses, homes, and communities, carrying so much strength while quietly pushing through exhaustion, pressure, and the constant need to always “have it together.”
As we observed Mental Health Awareness Month in May, we leaned into important conversations, shared honest experiences, and created space for vulnerability, healing, and rest.
That reflection became the foundation for a deeply honest Instagram Live conversation on mental wellness, rest, and self-prioritization for African women, themed “Success Without Burnout: How ambitious, high-achieving women can protect their mental wellness while still pursuing success.”
In that conversation, we were joined by two incredible voices—Chioma Fakorede (Founder, Olamma Cares Foundation), Queentah Wambulwa (Founder, Girls For Girls Africa Mental Health Foundation) alongside the host, Eniola Diadem Omotola (Gender Programs Advisor, Leading Ladies Africa), as we unpacked what it really means to thrive without burning out.
This month, we reminded ourselves that success means little if it comes at the expense of our peace. Moving forward, we’re choosing a version of success that leaves room for joy, care, and well-being too. If you missed it, watch the full conversation here.
This May, we spotlighted a reality millions of women and girls across Africa continue to face: preventable health challenges, limited access to menstrual care, and systemic barriers that impact their well-being, opportunities, and everyday lives.
To deepen this conversation, we partnered with MVentures on a campaign exploring why temporary relief isn’t enough, and why sustainable, commercially driven solutions are essential to closing the gap for good. Read the full feature here.
As part of this push, we also spotlighted six revolutionary African women who are actively dismantling period poverty and building scalable enterprises: Kidist Tesfaye (YeneHealth), Mitchelle Njoroge (Virtuous Life), Dr. Tsebaot Asmelash (Ngat Reusable Sanitary Solutions), Blandine Umuziranenge (Kosmotive), Nancy Nyaleso (Empower HER Initiative), and Michelle Tjeenk Willink (AFRIpads). Read more here.
If you are a founder building a registered menstrual health business in Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, or Senegal, the support to scale your impact exists. Applications for Cohorts 3 and 4 of the Menstrual Ventures Program close on 1 June 2026. Click here to register and be part of the program.
This month’s Take the Lead feature brings together three remarkable women whose work spans leadership, systems thinking, and continental impact.
Lucy Wairimu is a seasoned African leader with nearly 20 years of experience in people, culture, and governance across multiple countries. She builds systems that shape how organisations function and how people thrive within them.
In this conversation, she reflects on moving from breaking barriers to building lasting structures, and leading with clarity, conviction, and faith. She unpacks that shift and why African women must begin to lead with both clarity and structure. Read the full feature here.
We also conversed with Nadine Niba, Risk Advisory leader at BDO Canada, with experience across EY, PwC, and KPMG. Her journey reflects resilience and intention, from arriving in Canada with uncertainty to advising executive boards on governance, business, and technology risk.
In our conversation with her, she shares her journey from starting over in Canada to advising executive boards, and the realities of advancing as an immigrant woman in corporate spaces. Dive into the full conversation here.
Lastly, we had a conversation with Euphresia Luseka, a water governance expert working across more than 25 countries at the intersection of systems, equity, and sustainability. Her work sits within key conversations shaping Africa’s water future alongside global institutions.
In this feature, she highlights water as a justice issue and the need to structurally include women in decision-making spaces, not just recognise them. Learn more here.
This month, She Leads Business brings forward two remarkable women redefining leadership, innovation, and impact in their respective fields. Through different journeys but a shared drive, Dami Watti and Emelda Rufai remind us what it looks like to build with intention.
Dami Watti is the Founder of FEHT Health, a platform designed to simplify access to healthcare for Africans and diaspora communities. She is focused on closing gaps she personally encountered while navigating healthcare systems across borders.
In our feature with her, she shares how personal encounters with healthcare systems across different countries shaped her vision. We explored the gaps she noticed, the urgency behind building FEHT Health, and what it takes to create solutions in a space as complex as healthcare. Explore the full feature.
The latter is Emelda Rufai, the Founder of Maison Valor, a premium home and lifestyle brand centered on intentional living and elevated everyday spaces. Through Maison Valor, she is building a new standard for how home experiences should feel.
In our conversation with her, she opens up about building a luxury brand in a market still learning its value. We discussed quality, consistency, and what it takes to educate a market while staying true to a premium vision. Read more.
May’s Lead Out Loud feature was with climate advocate Laurel Kivuyo, founder of Climate Hub Tanzania. She has taken climate education into 103 schools and served as SADC Climate Youth Envoy representing 16 African nations.
In speaking with her, she shares what it looks like to build something from nothing, what she wishes she had known at the start of her journey, and how she stays grounded through it all. Read the full feature here.
In the month of May, we are reminded that African women continue to shape narratives, shift systems, and lead with undeniable strength worth celebrating.
Here are some of the moments that defined the month of May.
Twelve Weeks and Half Your Salary: What Inadequate Maternal Leave Is Really Costing Nigerian Women
Ashiam Priscilla Appointed Head of Public Sector at Access Bank Ghana Plc
What Happens When You Bet on Yourself: 5 Lessons From Angela Kyerematen-Jimoh’s Journey
Women Leaders Unscripted remains a space where African women are redefining leadership on their own terms.
If you haven’t tuned in to the first season yet, now is the perfect time to watch the full episodes and catch up on these powerful stories. Also subscribe to stay connected as we bring you more conversations that center on women, leadership, and impact.
As Felecia Etienne beautifully reminds us, “Rest is not a luxury, it’s how you recharge your power to create, lead, and thrive.” And perhaps that is the reminder many of us need right now, that caring for ourselves is not a pause from the work, but part of the work itself.
So rest well, lead well, and give yourself permission to show up whole.
Till next time,
Team LLA❤️