She is the highest ranking elected woman in Africa -- even though many refer to her as Mama Beijing. Gertrude Mongella was Secretary General of the high-profile UN conference on women in China -- back in 1995. Since then she's worked to on women's issues at home in Tanzania and around the globe. Her goal is to lift women out of poverty and into political office so they too can shape history. In her role today as the first president of the Pan-African Parliament, Mongella is fixing her sights on the challenges facing Africa. Addressing issues like civil war and violence, to poverty and AIDS, she's a strong believer that Africa needs to find ways to help itself.
