April 17, 2026

A Foundational Milestone

April 17, 2026 marks:

1The launch of BALANCE

2Partner mobilization

3The start of a structured cooperation dynamic

Official Ceremony

Sequence 1 — Morning

In the presence of the President of the Republic and First Ladies

8:00am

Guest arrival & registration

Arrival of guests and accreditation

10:05am

Official opening

National Anthem

10:10am

10:20am

Presidential address

Address by His Excellency the President of the Gabonese Republic

10:30am

Address by Dr Nardos Berhanu

Executive Secretary of OAFLAD

10:40am

First Ladies' addresses

Her Excellency Mrs Fatima Maada Bio (Sierra Leone, President of OAFLAD, 5 min) · Her Excellency Mrs Ana Dias Lourenço (Angola, Vice-President of OAFLAD, 5 min) · First Ladies (pre-session)

11:40am

Honorary Doctorate

Honorary Doctorate ceremony awarded to Her Excellency the First Lady by the African and Franco-Arab Council for Degrees

11:45am

Poem

Reading of a poem in tribute to the First Lady and the campaign

11:50am

Exhibition visit

Guided tour of the #BuildingResilience exhibition

12:20pm

Official lunch

National Women's Day

Sequence 2 — Afternoon

National and sectoral dimension

1:30pm

Audiovisual capsules

Screening of audiovisual capsules

1:40pm

Address by the Minister of Social Affairs

Minister in charge of Child and Women's Protection

1:50pm

Panel 1 — Mental health and family stability

Mental health and family stability as resilience challenges

2:30pm

Panel 2 — Women's Empowerment

A public governance challenge under the 5th Republic

3:10pm

Official closing

Official closing of the day

Panels & Discussions

Panels and Discussions

The discussions are designed to deepen the issues related to social and health resilience. They will allow sharing experiences, identifying common challenges, and developing tailored solutions.

Panel 1

Mental Health and Family Stability

Time: 1:50pm – 2:30pm

Moderator

Mrs Nicole Nguema

Gender Expert

Speakers

Mrs Micheline Otounga
Former Advisor to the Prime Minister on social affairs. Specialist in women's rights.
Mrs Odile Boungat Ossawa
Clinical Psychologist. Former Head of the Gender Department at the Prime Minister's Office. Expert in gender, GBV and reproductive health.
Dr Ida Flore Maroundou
President of AURORE NGO. Director of the 'A Refuge for Her' Centre for women victims of violence.
Mrs Reine Ambourouet Ogandaga
Director, National Centre for Mental Health.

Panel 2

Women's Empowerment: a Public Governance Challenge

Time: 2:30pm – 3:10pm