African Development Bank Wins NABJ's Award for Gender-Inclusive Digital Campaign

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) presented the award for the Bank’s month-long digital campaign in March 2023, which highlighted its commitment to gender equality.

The African Development Bank Group has been honored with a “Salute to Excellence Award” by America’s largest organization of journalists and media-related professionals of color. The award recognizes the Bank’s exceptional online public relations and marketing efforts in celebrating International Women’s Day through its “Gender in Focus” series.

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) presented the award for the Bank’s month-long digital campaign in March 2023, which highlighted its commitment to gender equality. This campaign was spearheaded by the Bank’s Agriculture, Human and Social Development Complex and its Communication and External Relations Department, and featured contributions from various departments including the Vice Presidency for People and Talent Management, Africa Investment Forum, Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department, Water Development and Sanitation Department, Gender, Women and Civil Society Department, Human Capital, Youth and Skills Development Department, as well as initiatives like Coding for Employment, Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA), and ENABLE Youth.

The NABJ’s Salute to Excellence Awards were announced during a gala event held on August 3 in Chicago, Illinois. The African Development Bank’s award-winning submission included a diverse array of communications such as press releases, a webinar, social media posts, media relations engagement, written feature stories, videos, blogs, and podcasts. These efforts underscored the Bank’s ongoing Gender Strategy and gender mainstreaming activities.

Dr. Beth Dunford, Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development at the Bank, expressed pride in the recognition, stating, “This award highlights our ‘One Bank’ approach to integrating gender considerations across our operations and across the continent.” She emphasized that the Bank’s multimedia communications aim to showcase stories and testimonies from African women, Bank employees, and gender allies, demonstrating the Bank’s solutions to reduce gender disparities in various sectors including digital access, economic opportunities, and finance.

The award reflects the Bank’s continued commitment to advancing gender equality and inclusivity in its initiatives and communications.