STOCKHOLM: A Rwandan cultural ensemble consisting of dancers and a culinary team was one of the highlights of the annual Africa Day celebrations in Stockholm on Thursday.

The stellar performance by Stockholm-based Imanzi cultural troupe drew such plaudits that—during breaks and after the show—the youthful troupe was swarmed by diplomats and other guests seeking to have pictures taken with them and at least one making a provisional booking for the group.

Africa Day in Stockholm is jointly organised by the more than 20 African Embassies based in the Swedish Capital.
Citing the theme for the 2011 Africa Day—Women and Development in Africa, guest speaker Kalobwe Chikoti Chansa, from the Zambian Development Agency, warned that African women would no longer accept to "just be passengers” or "overworked but underpaid participants” in the global economic field.

"Women produce some 80% of the food in Africa yet they own only about 1% of the land”, she told a packed auditorium at the Etnografiska Museum.

Across Africa, she said, marriage and motherhood remained incompatible with economic participation—a condition that inherently alienated women even further.  

Chansa, as well as speakers before her, commended Rwanda’s policies for demonstrating that women empowerment is a possibility in Africa.

Rwanda’s entry to Africa Day in Stockholm was put together by the Rwandan Embassy in Sweden. Ambassador Venetia Sebudandi, Second Counselor Evode Mudaheranwa and other Embassy staff attended the event.

All African Embassies in Stockholm provided food for the event with staples from different corners of the continent.

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