The Organization of Angolan Women was established in 1962 and was originally founded to rally support for the new political party known as the
MPLA. Once
Angola was officially independent of Portugal in 1975 following the
Angolan War of Independence, the Organization of Angolan Women provided the best opportunity for female activism in local government. Total involvement faltered in the 1980s. In 1985 membership reached 1.8 million, but by 1987 membership dropped to fewer than 1.3 million. Rural violence and regional destabilization disheartened many of the rural members. The organization established its first national executive body in 1976, and it elected
Ruth Neto, the sister of the president of Angola, as the national co-ordinator for OMA. When the organization was restructured in 1983, The OMA expanded education for women and created programs to increase
literacy among women, and during the 1980s the Angolan government created laws against
gender discrimination in wages and working conditions. She was succeeded in 2021 by
Joana Tomás. In 2026,
Emília Dias was elected to succeed Tomás. == Secretaries general ==