Unbridled Feminism

UNBRI DLED FEMI NISM!

Akili Dada is an award-winning leadership incubator for girls and young women.

Our mission is to nurture a pipeline of young transformative female leaders who hold equality and justice at heart. Akili Dada is headquartered in Nairobi Kenya, with a growing national and regional presence. Nationally, Akili Dada works across 27 counties in Kenya with programmatic reach in Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan.

We apply a holistic approach to educating and cultivating leadership in adolescent girls and young women, ages 13 - 35, employing four key strategies to nurture growth and meaningful impact: financial investment, leadership development, mentorship, and feminist movement building.

By selecting from and building the capacity of some of Africa’s most innovative young women, we are meeting the urgent need for both more African women in leadership, as well as the overarching need for creative and empathetic leadership that holds justice at its core.

FOREWORD

T

his publication is entrenched in celebrating our identity, diversity, and achievements as young African feminists. In the spirit of the Charter of Feminist Principles for African Feminists, Akili Dada is committed to transformative feminist leadership of young women and girls.

Through the Dadas Rise project, we have invested in the personal and professional development of young women Executive Directors from Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania. This has seen them build their organizational acumen amplifying their knowledge base of systems, people, structures, and processes, expanding their analytical capability and strategic thinking for transformational leadership and impact at scale. It speaks to Akili Dada’s vision of living in a world where African women leaders actively participate in critical decision-making across sectors.

We are committed to ensuring the effective engagement of young women in strengthening the African feminist movement that brings about transformative change. We have also equipped the young women Executive Directors with tools and skills for them to be accountable leaders in their organizations, who create and foster a culture of considering the personal and professional needs of their teams as well as dismantling hierarchies that create an unhealthy working environment in the organizations.

We celebrate African Women Development Fund, for their invaluable support that has allowed for the stories of these women to get told, to the team at Akili Dada who have made indelible contributions and significant effort toward our ethos: African Women Lead!

Sankara Gitau | Executive Director

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This Coffee Table Book is a collection of profiles of young African Feminists leading change in Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda. True to our ethos, we chose to document and celebrate the courage, strength, determination, and contribution of these young women leaders to social change. We acknowledge the legacies and change these phenomenal young women as they create ripples of change.

We say thank you to African Women Development Fund for their invaluable support that has made this possible.

Thank you to the Akili Dada sisters who contributed to this book: Joy Zawadi, Emma Mogaka, Wanjiru Ndung’u, and Peggy Nyahera. Thank you, Sankara Gitau, our Executive Director, whose leadership has been instrumental through this project.

African Women Lead!

I am a feminist living with disabilities, which means that I have faced multiple forms of discrimination. Case in point, I am a survivor of rape and did not get justice because it was deemed fit that the injustice I faced be resolved domestically and not in the courts of law.

ASHURA MICHAEL Area of Expertise: Human Rights and Gender Advocacy Organization: Free a Girls World Network (FGWN) Country: Kenya

My story is not unique; it is the story of so many other girls with disabilities subjected to rape and other violations with no one to advocate for them.

I want to be an agent of change because I believe in taking action. I am studying law to ensure that I can provide pro bono legal services for girls with disabilities. I work with Free a Girls World Network (FGWN) which aims to alleviate poverty, promote food security, facilitate access to education and legal redress if need be for marginalised or abused girls.

My dream is to see every girl able to live in a free world where she is valued without discrimination—a world where girls can speak and be heard. I envision a world with equal access to opportunities for women and persons with disabilities - where access to justice and freedom from discrimination is the norm.

I have learned that feminism is not for women only; it requires everyone's contribution to society. And it will free us all.

Mental health is not discussed often or openly where I come from. It is the kind of struggle that goes unacknowledged and misunderstood, only whispered about in dark corners. But I know what it’s like to have a mental illness and how it feels like to be unsupported through it.

AMISA RASHID AHMED Area of Expertise: Counselling Psychology and Mental Health Organization: Nivishe Foundation Country: Kenya

It has, therefore, become my life’s work to help people through their mental health journeys.

I am passionate about counseling psychology and mental health advocacy. I envision a world where mental health is treated with the same urgency as physical health, where policies reflect this from the grassroots to the national level. I know that this change has become evident in some societies across the world, but it has been slow to come to the marginalized Nubian community to which I belong.

I’m working to mentor girls and women in my community, who often bear the brunt of mental health challenges because of the gendered violence that they face.

My feminist journey has been about sisterhood and unlearning the lie that women are their own worst enemies. My dream is to live in a world where patriarchy does not exist.

So far, my life has been a series of focused decisions pointing towards my one true north: the advancement of women's' and girls' rights and the promotion of equal education and sustainable community health.

JACKLINE TUNG’OMBE Area of Expertise: Sexual Reproductive Health Organization: Practices for Girls and Women Career Development, Country: Tanzania

In my community, girls' education was not prioritized, and many of my peers dropped out of school to get married and become teenage mothers. This significantly dimmed their life and career prospects. It's my greatest desire to change the trajectory of girls who are likely to fall into this same cycle.

I am studying to become a doctor and am the founder of Practices for Girls and Women Career Development, which aims to empower girls and advocate for sustainable community health services.

My feminist journey is rooted in the belief that we first need to understand each other and play to our strengths in demanding our rights. And that strengthening sisterhood by being our sister's keeper is a critical element of the feminist resistance.

Feminism without collective effort is a daydream. We need to unite and fight the patriarchy.

My feminist dream is a strong sisterhood that leaves no woman behind.

I grew up feeling like the powerful women who inspired me were far too removed from reality to understand my situation. They seemed inaccessible, beyond the reach of a little girl who wanted to be like them more than anything.

LUCY WANJIKU NJENGA Area of Expertise: Public Health, Gender and Women’s Rights Organization: Positive Young Women Voices Country: Kenya

As a result, I feel compelled to bridge this gap and directly impact the lives of girls looking for strong female mentors. This is what my organization, Positive Young Women Voices, seeks to do. I want to show young women and girls everywhere that their fears are my fears and their dreams are my dreams. I am currently studying to be a social scientist. I hope to use my education to realize my vision of a world where adolescent girls and young women in their diversities are free from intersectional inequalities.

My feminist journey has been liberating. I am a sponge that is constantly learning. I have learned that most of what I knew was built on systems meant to put women and girls down, and it is long overdue to let go of ideas that do not build nor value us. I have unlearnt the lie that women are their worst enemies because we truly are the best that we’ve got.

My feminist dream is living in a world where my daughter and her daughters and women and girls the world over enjoy equity and live to their highest potential.

If I had one wish, it would be that girls and young women are freed from all cycles of poverty and have access to basic economic rights.

LYDIA CHARLES MOYO Area of Expertise: Communications and Media Organization: Her Initiative Country: Tanzania

I have seen first-hand what happens when girls drop out of school due to poverty, get married young, and become mothers soon after.

They become a government statistic and a cautionary tale, rather than independent women with full lives.

This sad reality is what informs my feminism and the focus of my work with Her Initiative Tanzania. I have five years’ experienceWe are working for and with young girls and women leveraging media to produce and host national youth related TV and radio programs on entrepreneurship, business, and leadership.

I look forward to seeing young women and girls have access to enough knowledge, skills, and resources to enable them to build their dreams. The hardships I experienced, including attending a secondary school with no resources and lacking basic hygienic products since my family could not afford them, motivate me to help other young girls. I do not want them to choose unhealthy ways of accessing money where they might end up in abusive relationships or contract STDs as happened to many of my peers.

My feminist journey has been encouraging, motivating, and self-building. I have learned that I should be unapologetic for the things that I believe in and my love and passion for feminism.

My feminist dream is to see both women and men uniting to advocate for gender equality and see women and girls standing firm for their rights.

Whenever conflict arises, women and girls suffer disproportionately. They bear the brunt of violence, dispossession, and disruption.

MERCY JEROP Area of Expertise: Gender and Peace Organization: Rural Women Peace Links Country: Kenya

The North Rift region of Kenya, where I come from, is no stranger to conflict - this is why I value peace. I know that we must first find resolutions to armed conflict if we are to progress towards women's empowerment.

I truly believe in order to accommodate both women and men and provide a fair platform for both parties to excel, peace and equity in the society must be the norm. I have been a gender and peace expert for five years now. My work involves mentoring young girls and leading efforts to championing access to education and the inclusion of women and girls in decision making, peacebuilding, and leadership.

My feminist journey started two years ago, and I have learned to be courageous and find my voice. I dream of a peaceful world where we all have fair platforms to excel.

When you study community development in school, one of the first things they teach you is that any development initiative must center on the needs of those, it is aimed at if it is to succeed.

MIRIAM WAMBUI KAMAU Area of Expertise: Information Communication Technology (ICT) for Development Organization: Women Progressing Communities (WPC) Country: Kenya

I have taken this lesson to heart and made good use of my degree in ICT and Development to build young women's capacity from informal settlements.

I founded Women Progressing Communities (WPC) to ensure that young women from informal settlements have access to accurate information and opportunities through mentorship and training. I am creating safe spaces for them to achieve their full potential, which includes linking them to economic opportunities of their choice with an emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

One of the most important things that I have learned in my feminist journey is to start where I am and with what I have, and that change begins with me. I have also learned to listen because I'm not always right.

My feminist dream to pave the way for disadvantaged young women to realize their dreams.

The world has been talking about Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) for a long time. This was one of the first issues to gain global recognition as a form of violence against women and girls.

RUTH KILIMO Area of Expertise: Community Development Organization: Marakwet Girls Foundation Country: Kenya

For something that has been in the limelight for so long, the road to change has been nothing short of an uphill task. People are quick to move on and forget that FGM is still widely practiced globally and that it drastically changes the lives of millions of girls and women like me.

I have made it my life’s work to advocate for the rights of girls and women who would otherwise fall through the cracks and become victims of this barbaric practice.

I envision a world with zero tolerance for FGM, child marriage, and all other forms of violence against women and girls. I am working with communities to make this vision come true.

My feminist journey has been fulfilling but crazy at the same time. I have learned patience, consistency & humility. I have unlearned giving up because it gets you nowhere in this kind of work! My feminist dream is never to shut my mouth until girls stop becoming statistics until every girl and woman is safe.

I used to think that feminists cannot get married or have kids, which was a barrier to my participation in the movement. I now know that feminism includes us all, and all that it asks is that we join hands to achieve generational equality.

SALHA AZIZ Area of Expertise: Adolescent Girls and Women’s Rights Organization: Binti Salha Foundation Country: Tanzania

My contribution to the cause is advocating for girls and young women's education and sexual and reproductive health rights, and I have been on this path for seven years.

Tanzanian girls are in crisis, with many dropping out of school because of early pregnancies and early marriages. If they had access to the right sexual reproductive health and rights information and services, they could protect themselves, stay in school and go on to achieve their dreams.

I envision a world in which adolescent girls and young women have equal access to quality education and good health. I am working towards putting this information and services within their reach.

I have learned that it is possible to achieve generation equality only if we join our hands together. I unlearnt that feminists are judgmental to other people, we should focus and listen to their needs and help when possible.

My feminist dream is to be counted among the great feminists that made the greatest contributions towards achieving generational equality.

I am a gender non-conforming person, and I go by the pronouns they/them. Like many other queer people, I have faced violations where my gender expression and identity has been disputed based on culture and religion.

SARAH KAGENDO Area of Expertise: Grassroots Community Organizing Organization: Leha Self Help Group Country: Kenya

This has been the driving force for my feminism and human-rights activism: the need to create a world where humanism precedes our differences.

I work in grassroots community organizing and have a background in peer education, HIV testing, community development, and social work. To me, success is creating a world in which mental health is a priority, where there’s financial stability for LGBQITGNC (lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, intersex, transgender, gender non-conforming) persons and women, and where violence is treated with the urgency and vigour it deserves. I envision safe spaces for black African queer persons to learn their history and culture and access the same opportunities as cis-gendered people.

I have learned that privilege is a double-edged sword; it has blinded some while opening the eyes of others to the need for equality. I have unlearnt that feminist spaces are only for cisgender heterosexual women. I have found my place within the feminist movement and have discovered a community that gives me a bigger platform to address the needs of queer people. My feminist dream is to continue making spaces and platforms that promote intersectional feminism.

I find it shocking that women make up more than 50 percent of the population in my country but they are underrepresented in decision-making and have little power in the economy or society in general.

SHAMIRA MSHANGAMA Area of Expertise: Women’s Rights and Leadership Organization: Free a Girls World Network (FGWN) Country: Kenya

How can a country move forward if it leaves more than half of its population behind? I am channeling my disappointment into action.

I founded Mwanamke na Uongozi, an institution that advocates for Women's Right to take an active part in decision making and leadership and fight all forms of discrimination that prevent women from realizing and utilizing their leadership potential. I want to eliminate socially imposed attitudes that negatively affect girls and women in Tanzania.

I also work on online campaigns advocating for girls' education and the ending of early child pregnancies and marriages. I studied banking, but my passion is to make the world a better place for girls and women.

My feminist journey has taught me that men can be feminists too and fight against gender inequality. I have unlearnt the idea that gender equality means uplifting women while oppressing men. I dream of a society where women and men have equal leadership and decision-making opportunities for sustainable development.

When people ask me why I do what I do, I tell them it is because I know exactly what it means to grow up in rural Kenya, lacking basic needs and going to sleep hungry, with just my dreams for comfort.

WILTER MUTILE Area of Expertise: Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Organization: Rural to Global Organization Country: Kenya

I know what it is to have the odds stacked against you, fighting for space and recognition, and aggressively grabbing whatever sparse opportunities are available.

And because I fought for myself, I can now fight for others. I run an initiative called Rural to Global Organization, which works with marginalized adolescent girls, young women, and youth in rural areas to get them involved in the development agenda and decision-making spaces.

Our initiatives are centered on girls and women, designed with comprehensive sexuality, education, community sensitization, campaigns against Sexual Gender-Based Violence in mind. The safe spaces we create, gives adolescent girls and young mothers the chance to meet and discuss Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights as well as develop their life skills including transformational feminist leadership strategies.

My feminist journey has been one of constant questioning, fuelled by imagining a more gender-inclusive world. I have learned the need for inclusivity, sisterhood, and feminist leadership. I dream that one day all women and girls will be liberated from personal retrogressive beliefs that are passed on during the socialization process.

When I was a young girl, I got sexually assaulted by a trusted family friend. That experience changed my whole life but not in the ways you might think. Rather than allow the assault to define me, I decided to use it to set girls on the path towards greatness.

WINNY OBURE Area of Expertise: Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, and Young women’s leadership Organization: Teen Seed Africa Country: Kenya

I advocate for ending teenage pregnancies, forced and early marriages, as well as preventing sexual gender-based violence.

I have been doing this work for eight years now with organizations at grassroots levels and national and international stages.

I look forward to an equal world where girls and young women do not have to trade their bodies for anything under the sun. I hope to merge forces with other young women leaders to collectively challenge and fight inequalities and injustices against women and girls in Kenya and beyond.

I have learned that individually we can create change, but collectively we can overhaul the whole patriarchal system. Just like in a war, soldiers must be well trained, tactical, and intentional. We have different types of feminisms, but together we are unstoppable. We have the power to implement sustainable change. I have unlearned stereotypes that put women in boxes.

My feminist dream is that one day we will no longer need to introduce ourselves as feminists because this identity will be normalized to the point where not being a feminist is unusual.

As a former domestic worker, I am familiar with the pains of a profession that exploits and abuses girls and denies them a chance at a good education, therefore severely limiting their chances in life. This inspired me to start the Wote Sawa Domestic Workers Organization, which fights for domestic workers' rights to decent work while also encouraging and fostering innovative ideas to alleviate poverty for families and communities, especially in rural Tanzania.Tanzania.

ANGELA BENEDICTO Area of Expertise: Child & Young Domestic Workers rights and Human Trafficking Organization: Wote Sawa Domestic Workers Organization Country: Tanzania

I am particularly passionate about campaigning for girls' education. I spend a lot of time asking parents to send their children to school rather than sending them to cities to become domestic workers. I have been doing this work for over 10 years now, and in 2015 I was one of only 60 young people from commonwealth countries to be awarded the Queen's Young Leaders Award by Her Majesty, the Queen of England.

My feminist journey is constantly evolving. I have learned that there is no single approach to addressing most of the challenges that women face. For us to be successful, we must work collaboratively with the community as a whole, rather than just targeting women.

I have unlearned the stereotypes and myths about women passed down from generation to generation 'tradition' or 'culture.'

My feminist dream is advancing decent work for all domestic workers in Tanzania, and elsewhere. I hope to utilize my training in law to make this a reality. By the time I am done, domestic workers and adolescent girls' rights will be right at the top of the national agenda.

I have embodied many identities in my life; however, I have to say that I am proudest of my identity as the founder and CEO of the Young Strong Mothers Foundation, an organization based in Morogoro in Tanzania that advocates for teen mothers and their right to education and decent work.

JACKIE BOMBOMA Area of Expertise: Community Development and Social Work Organization: Young Strong Mothers Foundation Country: Tanzania

The other identities that I have transitioned through include; being an orphan, a street child, a domestic worker, and a teen mother, have prepared me for this role. I know what it is like to be all alone and make decisions that threaten not only your life but that of your children.

The word 'feminist' is new to me. I never heard of it while growing up. However, the nature of the work that I do - helping women and girls succeed - set me on my feminist journey. This has taught me that we have to work together to uplift women and secure opportunities. Thus far, the journey has been filled with opportunities to learn, grow, identify my strengths and weaknesses, and work with fearlessness when standing up for women.

I trained as a social worker and my feminist dream is to gain additional knowledge and skills to make a greater impact as I advocate for women's and girls' rights and mentor other women.

Too many of my friends dropped out of school as teenagers because they got pregnant. It was devastating and infuriating because I knew that if we had access to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) information, my friends would have been able to stay in school. Why wasn’t this a priority?

AMINA UMUHOZA Area of Expertise: Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, Menstrual Hygiene Management Organization: Saye Company Ltd. Country: Rwanda

I now work to fill this gap. I provide girls with SRHR and Menstrual Hygiene Management information. I believe that with these tools, they can avoid teen pregnancies as well as menstrual stigma. I look forward to seeing girls taking the lead in this work and joining forces with public and government institutions to make this dream a reality.

My feminism journey has taught me the true definition of being a feminist: fighting for women’s rights. I acknowledge that this journey is deeply political, and that naming myself feminist is a political act political too. I have learnt that both individual and institutional ethics must therefore align with one’s feminist ethos.

I have unlearnt that gender equality is a synonym of feminism but rather as the key principle of feminism.

My feminist dream is to bring the future that we are creating closer than expected so that young women won’t have to wait for decades to understand their rights as our mothers did.

My late grandmother always stressed the importance of education. Because she believed that education was an essential asset to have, she ensured that her children and grandchildren accessed education to the highest level possible. I was able to school and access tons of opportunities afterward because of matriarchs in my family. Aware of the privileges I have enjoyed, I hope to drive and achieve change that increases girls’ and young women’s access to education and opportunities.

WANJIRU NDUNGU Area of Expertise: Gender Transformative Programming, Women’s & Girls Rights Organization: Akili Dada Country: Kenya

My vision for young women leaders in Africa is to have space, opportunities, and platforms to realize their full potential. I envision an Africa with no limitations for the girls and young women, an Africa that protects and supports young women and includes them in key decision-making processes.

The most important key to achieving this vision is investing in transformative feminist mentorship. There is power in having older or more experienced people to give sound advice, someone to walk the journey with, a guide. Mentorship is important for girls and young women because most have no access to individuals/mentors to guide them and are therefore forced to figure things out for themselves a day at a time, a journey that is quite arduous.

In hindsight, my feminist journey was inevitable because phenomenal strong feminists raised me. However, I did not always identify as a feminist. My journey has been and still is quite uncomfortable. But this is a journey that led to self-discovery, a journey that enabled me to identify assault and discrimination that I was facing in my own life and free myself from those situtions, a journey I am grateful I began.

The biggest lessons I have learned are that there is no limit to what young women can achieve and that women have a right to choose who they want to be and be all they want to be. I have unlearned the infamous notion that women are their own enemies. I have experienced and witnessed sisterhood, seeing women support and uplift each other and receive the support.My feminist dream is of a future where all men are aware of their sexist blind-spots, where harassers and abusers face the consequences for their actions, and where all women feel safe both in the private and public realms because they’re finally treat-ed as equals.

Imagine a world where there is no period shame and where menstrual health and hygiene are talked about openly and positively. Imagine a world where digital platforms promote authentic and non-judgmental conversations about ‘difficult’ feminine topics.

EVA WANJIRU MBURU Area of Expertise: Media and Information Communication Technology in development Organization: Jajabdhu Country: Kenya

Platforms filled with positivity and pride rather than embarrassment and indignity.

Now stop imagining and join my organization Jajabdhu to make these dreams come true. I am an Afro-feminist, Pan-Africanist, mentor, and technologist passionate about people, culture, and social innovation with five years of experience working at the intersection of new media and ICTs in development.

I believe that technology can be harnessed for good and can be used to inform and inspire. My feminist journey has taught me to view the world through the fresh lens of equity. I have unlearnt to limit and devalue myself but instead to flourish and excel in my femininity.

My feminist dream is to build an empowered, resilient, and sustainable community for African girls.

Did you know that out of 100 graduates, only 34 will secure employment three years after graduating? Out of these 34, 20 are men, and only 14 are women.

GLORIA ANDERSON Area of Expertise: Education & Youth Development and Women Empowerment Organization: Tanzania Enlightenment Development Innovations Country: Tanzania

It’s sad to think of all the wasted potential of Tanzanian youth unable to take up productive workforce roles. I could not sit silent and watch; I had to do something about this.

I am the founder and executive director of Tanzania Enlightenment Development Innovations (TEDI), a not-for-profit organization that improves the quality of education in Tanzania through educational programs like digital literacy and employability, entrepreneurial skills, and financial literacy skills.

My goal is to build a world where both girls and boys have equal access to quality education, equipping them with appropriate skills suitable for the 21st century. I will get Tanzanian youth employed, no matter what it takes.

My feminist journey has taught me to stand out and stand up for myself in leadership positions at work, where women are outnumbered by men, by far. I have worked in teams where some of the men questioned whether I had any value to add or not. But I am still here, and I am not going anywhere.

I just want us to talk to each other. Sounds simple, right? But in a world where women and girls are often silenced and their experiences undermined, being a female storyteller feels radical.

GRACE ADHIAMBO ORAO Area of Expertise: Community Peacebuilding Organization: Women Volunteers for Peace Country: Kenya

I want women and girls to know that their stories matter. I have created a platform where they can have meaningful conversations that contribute to peace within themselves and the community. This could be the path to world peace.

My focus is on promoting women’s role in peacebuilding within their communities through dialogue. My inspiration lies in seeing and interacting with young women who have stories of greatness and want to change the world. Listening and recording young women’s stories inspires and motivates me to have even bigger dreams of my own.

My feminist journey has been adventurous. I have learned to reconnect to my feminine side and bond with other feminists to create an unbreakable sisterhood. I have unlearnt the patriarchal lies told against feminist beliefs, and now I know that it doesn’t hurt to actively get out of my comfort zone.

My feminist dream is a society that takes concrete steps in the fight for women’s freedom and autonomy over their bodies and lives.

I believe that young people are a formidable force whose powers can be harnessed to bring about the kind of revolution that would change society forever.

GRACE WANENE Area of Expertise: Menstrual, Sexual Reproductive Health & Life Skills Development Organization: Drawing Dreams Initiative Country: Kenya

I believe that we can unite under a common cause and agitate for a new world that works for all of us despite different backgrounds and financial abilities.

But to do this, we must stop playing small. This is why I founded Drawing Dreams Initiative, an organization that advocates for menstrual health management and hygiene, sexual reproductive health, and foundational life skills. I am a young woman whose community has stood by me so this is my way of paying it forward.

My feminist journey has taught me that success can only be achieved through cooperation and partnerships with like-minded people.

Wouldn’t the journey be easier if we forged our energies and forces together?

I have unlearnt the notion that radical feminists are bad people; rather, they are keen on advocating for real change and have no patience for talk without actions.My feminist dream is to inspire women to raise their voices and stand up for who they are without the fear of barriers or being judged by gender.

I come from a deeply patriarchal community where women and girls often go unheard, and their needs go unacknowledged because men hold all decision-making privileges. That is the Maasai culture for you.

JEDIDAH LEMARON Area of Expertise: Gender and Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Organization: Malkia Initiative Country: Kenya

Our colorful shukas (fabrics) and beads are a thin disguise for the inequality, exclusion, and harmful practices that I and other women and girls face.

I founded Malkia Initiative to address these unique challenges. Our focus is on menstrual health hygiene and the gender and sexual reproductive health rights of adolescent girls. I am fighting for a world where girls can make their own decisions and chart their own path in life.

My feminist journey has taught me to develop a thick skin and go to places that are considered a no-go zone for women. It has taught me to carry my own seat to the table if none is provided. Maybe even build a brand-new table altogether. I have unlearned the 'we' versus 'them' mentality and embraced the gender transformative approach, which is more inclusive.

My feminist dream is of an equal world, where girls and women rise to their rightful positions in their communities

When I was a little girl, one of my friends got pregnant, and she was five months along before anybody realized that \something was wrong.

HASNA ALLY Area of Expertise: Girls Programing and Gender Issues Organization: Urafiki Girls Country: Tanzania

That’s the kind of environment that I grew up in, the kind of place where nobody cared enough for girls to ensure that they were safe and could reach their highest potential.

My organization, Urafiki Girls, is working to change this reality.

We teach girls their rights and advocate for their agency while providing a community for them to grow and be heard. We handle issues to do with Gender-Based Violence, Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights, and early childhood development.

My feminist journey has been resourceful. I have learned about the power of girls, their resilience, and their capacity to achieve goals. I now understand the challenges that hold them back, and I know they are linked to power imbalances due to patriarchy. My feminist dream is to empower more young girls to be part of the feminist movement and achieve their wildest dreams.

The architects of patriarchy were smart. They knew that if they placed challenges like Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and forced marriages on women girls' path, we would never advance enough in life to challenge our oppression. But now we are fighting back.

MUHUBO IDLE Area of Expertise: Adolescent Girls and Young Women Rights Organization: Girl Concern Country: Kenya

I come from the Somali community in Kenya, where FGM is the norm, and girls are married off young.

I have made it my life's mission to fight this narrative and create a world where women and girls are free to make decisions about their lives and secure leadership opportunities within the community and beyond.

I envision a world in which all adolescent girls and young women are decision-makers on the issues that affect their lives, a world free of gender inequality.

One of the most frustrating things about Gender Based Violence (GBV) conversations is that everyone seems to agree that it is a big problem that needs to be addressed. Still, there is little tangible effort to actually eliminate the vice.

NEEMA ROBERT MGENDI Area of Expertise: Women empowerment, Advocacy and Community Mobilization Organization: Okoa New Generation Country: Tanzania

My community continues to suffer high levels of GBV and women continue to be excluded from socio-economic development. Why are we so bent on building a world that is so hostile to half the population?

I work in advocacy, women empowerment, and community mobilization because I believe that systems must be changed from the ground up. I want to substantially address GBV and other issues that keep women and girls down, preventing them from living their best lives. I envision a just, democratic, and inclusive society that we can only achieve by fighting for gender equality and women’s rights.

My feminist journey has taught me that women are capable of doing just as much as men if presented with the same opportunities. I have unlearnt that feminism is for women only.

Men can contribute to the cause through participating in the planning and implementation of interventions to fight for the rights of women.

My feminist dream is to be among the best feminist leaders from Tanzania advocating for the right of girls and women through Okoa New Generation institute while engaging men, communities, social institutions and private sector along with the government leaders to ensure the rights of girls and women in Tanzania and Africa are protected, defended and sustained.

We are often told to respect where we come from and uphold our cultures, but African communities hold onto a lot of harmful traditions that violate the rights of and undermine women and children.

RUTH JOHN Area of Expertise: Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Counselling and Human Rights Organization: Wadada Solutions on Gender Based Violence Country: Tanzania

Issues such as Gender-Based Violence (GBV) continue to define gender relations, which prevents communities from progressing and prospering.

I founded an organization called Solution on Gender-Based Violence, which is focused on eradicating GBV and fighting for the collective rights of women and girls. To me, success is building a world where there is gender equality, and the rights of women and all other vulnerable groups are protected, including people living with disabilities. None of us is free unless we are all free.

I have learnt that we do not have to follow the same path to realize and live our greatest potential as well as to make a change in our communities. I have unlearnt that your voice or decisions are controlled by societies/traditions. Autonomy is a human right that everyone deserves.

My feminist dream is to see a community that does away with old traditions which violate the and undermine girls, women and children rights.

There is an indignity attached to lacking sanitary towels that is difficult to shake, no matter how well provided for you currently are.

My early harrowing experiences of navigating my period without pads or any other form of menstrual hygiene products have stuck with me and started a fire within my heart that makes me fight to ensure no other girls go through what I did.

SYLVIA KHASOA Area of Expertise: Menstrual Hygiene Management Organization: Simama Na Dada Country: Kenya

I am fighting period poverty through my organization, Simama Na Dada, which also guides girls in their interactions with the world in general. I am firmly convinced that with mentorship, guidance, and counseling, girls could change the world.

I believe it is my responsibility to inspire, mentor, motivate, and empower girls and young women in our country and beyond.

Campaigning for their rights to education and safe health products is my philosophy for living.

My feminist journey has been long and tough, but I know soon, I will be home and safe. I have learned that young girls with dreams and visions grow to become tough and resilient mature women with determination to achieve anything in this male-dominated world.

My feminist dream is to inspire before I expire. I am here to bring change to the world.

I started early. I was only in primary school when I started fighting back against the oppression of girls and women. It was my way of paying forward all the feminist efforts I had benefitted from, including capacity building and empowerment workshops ran by organizations I admired.

VENERANDA PAULO Area of Expertise: Girls' and Women's Rights Organization: Binti Inuka Country: Tanzania

I advocate for girls' and women's rights to education, economic empowerment, leadership, life skills, and sexual reproductive health.

I do this work through Binti Inuka, a non-profit Organization which aims to improve girls’ access to education, leadership building and GBV awareness. We want to see a Tanzanian community where young girls are well educated, inspired, empowered and contributing to s ustainable development.

I look forward to empowering a generation of girls to understand their rights and achieve their dreams. I want to see them stand out despite the marginalized culture we are living in.

My feminism journey has been great; I have learned to be myself, and I can't wait to learn more about African feminist approaches to social issues.

My dream is a world where boys and girls get equal treatment.

Life is tough, but it sure is tougher for people living with disabilities. The system fails them at every turn. In Tanzania, graduates with disabilities face challenges in accessing internships, employment, and self-employment opportunities.

VICTORIA LIHIRU Area of Expertise: Inclusive Education and Economic Empowerment Organization: Her-Ability Foundation Country: Tanzania

I am frustrated that universities do not have the capacity to adequately support and include students with disabilities since most inclusion programs are aimed at younger students in primary and secondary schools.

I started Her-Ability Foundation to promote inclusive education at all levels and to push for job and internship opportunities for students with disabilities. I envision a world where men, women, and persons with disabilities have equal access to political, economic, social, and technological opportunities. I am putting my law training to work to ensure that we leave no one behind.

My feminist journey has been full of learning, unlearning, and relearning. I have learnt to be available, considerate, and accommodating. I have unlearnt doing everything on my own to avoid burnout. My feminist dream is to see girls with disabilities taking full charge of each aspect of their lives and live in an inclusive community.

The most valuable piece of advice I ever received was from my friend and fellow feminist Rebecca Gyumi. Her advice was simple - focus on your dreams. She listened to my vision for a better, fairer world for girls and urged me to put in the work needed to tip the scales for girls.

BEATRICE MARCEL JOHN Area of Expertise: Social Welfare Organization: Timizandoto Initiative Country: Tanzania

"Dreams do not come true by themselves; you have to put in the work."

I have been putting in the work, partnering with local and international organizations, culminating in my launching Timizandoto Initiative - my pet project.

I started Timizandoto Initiative to meet the needs of girls from Kilimanjaro, Pwani, and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. We help girls to achieve their dreams by removing the barriers of child labor, early forced marriages, and low participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) careers. We arm girls with the knowledge and the resources they need to make choices that do not limit them but rather open doors for them.

I envision an equal world where girls can live without any limitations. My feminist journey has been great; I have learned many things, but most importantly is the need for collaboration and unity in the feminist battle. My feminist dream is equality for all.

I have worked hard to get to the top. I am currently the president of the Tanzanian chapter of a continental organization that works for the rights of young people and adolescents. But it’s lonely at the top; I want more girls and women to ascend with me.

DIANAROSE LEONCE LYIMO Area of Expertise: Demographic and Development Organization: Africa Youth and Adolescent Network on Population and Development Country: Tanzania

I am inspired by the potential that girls have, and I believe that we have the capacity to decisively end gender inequality in our lifetime. Trust me, I am a development and demographic expert; I know what I am talking about. I have more than four years’ experience working with young people to advocate for human rights, good governance & accountability, gender equality, and access to Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), especially for young women and girls.

I envision a world in which young women and girls are empowered to enjoy and fully exercise their human rights, dignity and take their rightful place in economic development.

I dream of becoming a great leader and an icon to women and girls in Africa and beyond.

“Watch this space.”

I was the first person in my village to get a degree. I watched as my friends dropped out of school after they were married off too early and became mothers due to harmful traditions that view girls as perishable goods to be used before, they decay, not as full persons with hopes and dreams.

JANETH JOHN Area of Expertise: Education & Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Organization: Binti Makini Foundation Country: Tanzania

I founded Binti Makini Foundation to pave the way for girls who wish to access a proper education.

As a teacher, I interact with girls daily, so I know that today's challenges are similar to the ones my friends and I faced when we were in school. We are run a program that provides Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights to marginalized girls in Tanzania's coastal villages, equipping them with knowledge and skills, which we have seen reduce early pregnancies and HIV/AIDS infections.

Overall, we are seeing more girls transition to adulthood with good reproductive health.

Female leaders are not common in Kibera, where I come from, because people are suspicious of women in leadership positions. It is viewed as a job for men, while women leaders remain marginalized and unheard of. As women, we need to come out of our comfort zone and fight for our rights.

JOYCE WANJIRU WACHIRA Area of Expertise: Community Engagement and Mentorship Organization: Beyond the Scars Country: Kenya

No one will fight for us if we don’t fight for ourselves.

I am the founder of Beyond the Scars, a community-based organization that advocates for equity and inclusivity in transforming lives regardless of social, political, economic backgrounds. I look forward to learning and engaging with women leaders in Africa and beyond to build my capacity and improve my leadership skills to bring more positive change in our community.

My feminist journey has not been easy, but I have always shown up and taken up the challenge of proving that women are good leaders.

My feminist dream is to see more women in leadership roles, their voices being heard as policymakers and decision-makers. A world where no woman will ever go through Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Sexual Abuse, or discrimination. The World would be a better place with Women being loved and appreciated.

The biggest barrier to achieving equality for women and girls has always been a lack of access to knowledge and skills that make us economically dependent.

LUCY PHILIP MWIMBILIZYE Area of Expertise: Education, Training & Mentorship Organization: Woman to Woman Country: Tanzania

Without proper schooling and training, we cannot participate fully in the economy, limiting our decision-making capacities and putting us at men's mercy.

To fill this gap, I have been working to mentor, educate, and train girls to help them access opportunities usually taken by boys. I am playing my part in raising a generation of economically independent women.

My feminist journey has been great. I have unlearned that feminism opposes God or men and learnt that it's just about removing all the oppressive systems towards women. My feminist dream is to see more male allies supporting the feminist movement – equally and meaningfully fighting all forms of gender imbalances.

Our struggles are interconnected. For instance, incidences of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) are higher in places where girls have fewer education opportunities than boys. This, in turn, leads to economic inequality, which in itself also fuels GBV. It’s a vicious cycle.

MARTHA THOMAS MWAMMALE Area of Expertise: Gender-Based Violence Organization: Tanzania Feminist Initiative Country: Tanzania

I choose to break the cycle with the Binti Jasirika program, which helps girls access higher education. We also train girls between the ages of 13-17 to recognize GBV and to fight against it. This multi-pronged approach is a sure recipe for success.

I look forward to a genderless society.

My feminist journey has not always been embraced by society, but I am in this for the long haul as it is a fight against existing oppressive systems. Giving up is not an option, even if it means standing alone in the values you believe in.

Being a feminist fighting against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Maasailand is like swimming upstream because you are fighting against the very norms that make up the fabric of the culture: Female Genital Mutilation and child marriages.

NEEMA OLLE NDEMNO Area of Expertise: Human Rights: Gender, Indigenous/Pastoralist & Hunter Gatherers Organization: Tanzania Centre for Research & Information on Pastoralism Country: Tanzania

There is a lot of opposition to my work, and it takes a lot of energy to keep going.

But I keep at it because I know that I am fighting for the future of girls and women who deserve a fair chance at life. I work as a human rights activist focusing on gender and indigenous communities. I envision a world that is free from all injustices and violence.

My feminist journey has taught me to keep going even when things get tough. I can’t wait to learn from fellow feminists around Africa and the rest of the world.

My feminist dream is to see this movement spreading and strengthening our ability as women to stand for each other and advocate for a just world. It is possible, and it starts with me.

It is amazing that girls and women in Tanzania are where they are today - given the many challenges they have had to overcome. I have seen so many navigate teen pregnancies, child marriages, and other forms of Gender-Based Violence.

RABIA SAAD Area of Expertise: Health & Education Organization: Action Girls Foundation Country: Tanzania

I am in awe of their resilience.

I founded Action Girls Foundation to make life a little bit easier for these brave women and girls. We facilitate community sensitization sessions in villages to change negative perceptions and beliefs that hamper girls' welfare.

I envision a Tanzania where all girls achieve equality and make informed decisions about their health and future.

My feminist journey has been quite wonderful since I enjoy what I am doing. Seeing the girls that we mentor begin to use their voices demanding equality and justice brings me joy. I have learned to always stand tall for what I believe; I have unlearnt giving up.

My feminist dream is to raise and instill feminism ideals to all, especially men who believe feminism is against them.

Kibera has earned a reputation as one of the biggest slums in Africa, where poverty rates are high and social services are scarce. I have lived here my whole life, and I wish more people would be aware of the injustices that women and girls in Kibera face.

RUTH ANYANGO OCHIENG Area of Expertise: Women’s Rights & Gender-Based Violence Organization: Peace Rights and Justice Centre- Kibera Country: Kenya

Women are marginalized and face high incidences of Gender-Based Violence, including sexual and physical assault.

But good things can also come out of Kibera. I am the co-director of an organization called the Peace Rights and Justice Centre based in Kibera, whose goal is to ensure that women and girls have happier stories to tell. I am actively playing my part in creating a world where women and girls are respected in all aspects and have full autonomy over their bodies.

My feminist journey has been eye-opening. I have learned to embrace every individual regardless of their social status, gender, and sexual orientation. The feminist principles and values have been a part of my daily guide, which I implement, and I learn from every day.

My feminist dream is that every woman can be a feminist so that we can dismantle patriarchy. "The struggle continues until all women are free."

In 2017, I was a social worker at Amana Regional Referral Hospital in Tanzania, and I will never forget the kind of violence I witnessed, mostly towards children.

SITI NGWALI Area of Expertise: Social Welfare, Child Protection & Gender-Based Violence Organization: Centre for Zero Violence Country: Tanzania

We had girls and boys coming in with grievous injuries from physical and sexual abuse, many of whom became maimed for life. It was heartbreaking.

I could not stand aside and do nothing. I am the founder and executive director of the Centre for Zero Violence, an organization that fights against all kinds of Gender-Based Violence and violence against children in Tanzania. We are working towards achieving a violence-free society through awareness outreach programs in schools. I also work with Change Tanzania Women Forum to advocate against gender-based violence (GBV).

I think I was born with feminist traits since I started to challenge the status quo from when I was young and helping my peers to fight for their rights. I have learnt that feminism is challenging; you need a strong will and commitment, and you risk being misunderstood and called names. I have unlearned that not all people embrace feminist ideals even when they identify as feminist.

I was working in research and science when I found myself drawn to the women and girls I met in the field. I would spend hours listening to their stories, many of which were outside the scope of my job, and helping them brainstorm ideas to improve their circumstances. I realized that I derived a lot of satisfaction in seeing young women and girls succeed- I had found my calling.

EMMA MOGAKA Area of Expertise: Programmes Design, Leadership Development, Mentorship & Coaching Organization: Akili Dada Country: Kenya

My work is to conceptualize and run programs that develop young women's and girls' leadership capabilities. I support their self-discovery and equip them with the requisite skills to thrive in their chosen fields. I link them to existing spaces and platforms to amplify their voices on issues they are passionate about and where they can find a community of like-minded women for support and growth. With platforms to document their stories and write their histories, African women and girls are unstoppable!

My feminist journey has been one of learning and unlearning. I have learned that I can only be me and that sisterhood is imperative. As a feminist, I self-identify as an African feminist, to be precise, because I believe in amplifying women's and girls' voices and agency. African feminism has given African women and girls space to speak for themselves and celebrate their African identity. It has allowed us to document our lived experiences, knowledge, and practices and thrive in our personhood! Through African feminism, we celebrate our sisterhood and solidarity as African women and girls.

My feminist dream is to see all women and girls in all their diversities have access to information, resources, and spaces they need to thrive and use their voice to speak for themselves.

I was a teen mom. I had a rough childhood, with no access to basic hygiene products such as sanitary towels. Living in a community where sexual and physical abuse was not only tolerated; it was expected.

HAZIMALA WEMA Area of Expertise: Journalism & Mentorship Organization: Inspire Change Country: Tanzania

I am determined to help as many girls escape this fate by providing schoolgirls with reusable pads and mentoring them to stay in school. I know that if only they stick it out and get an education, they will be one step closer to a good life.

I envision a world in which young girls and women can stand for what they believe. I want them to know that they are as important as men. With the right training and mentoring, they can play important roles in the community despite how society has treated them.

My feminist journey has been a bit bumpy and tragic, but still amazing because it’s what makes me who I am today. I have learned that with persistence, focus, and motivation, women can become whoever they want. My feminist dream is to see my daughters and other girls become fully independent and take ownership of their lives.

Drug use is prevalent at the Kenyan coast where I live, and with it comes high rates of HIV/AIDS infections and incidences of sexual gender-based violence. We are seeing increasing rates of teenage pregnancies, defilement of children, and mental health disorders.

MAIMUNA SIRAJI Area of Expertise: Youth & Adolescent.

Empowerment and Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights Organization: Better Coast Organization Country: Kenya

It is such a complicated cocktail of issues that it’s hard to know where to start to make the greatest impact.

Still, someone has to try. I am the founder of Better Coast Organization, which works to create awareness on sexuality education and sexual reproductive health and rights for adolescents and young people.

Furthermore, I work in policy advocacy and meaningful youth engagement to ensure that our policies are youth-friendly and implemented for the greatest impact. I trained as a forklift driver, typically a male-dominated domain, as a living example of equality. Through taking on such challenges, I have dedicated my life to advocating equal rights, respect, and equal opportunities for women and girls.

My family had completely different expectations for my brother and I. So did my community - both faith and school-based. Had I followed what was expected of me, I would have wound up never accomplishing what I wanted for myself, which was to be a leader, a woman with choices, a woman with the freedom to chart her own path.

RAHMA ABDALLAH MWITA Area of Expertise: Youth & Gender Rights Organization: Open Youth Opportunities Country: Tanzania

I have succeeded beyond my wildest dreams, and here I am, working with the best people in the world to bring about real change. I head an organization called Open Youth Opportunities Tanzania, which seeks to remove inequalities to ensure that everyone has access to good economic opportunities. We invest in teenagers and young adults who lack the skills to compete in the job market - working alongside them to create entrepreneurship opportunities in the community, thus ensuring that they can earn a living.

My feminist journey started in my early 20s, and I have accumulated a wealth of knowledge. The most important is that feminism is not a fight against men but a fight against toxic male domination that hinders women's progress and prosperity.

It is one thing to have women in leadership and another thing to have women leaders who stand by feminist values and principles. I am not just dreaming about achieving equality in decision-making bodies; rather, I am working towards it.

I hope that this dream will be actualized in my lifetime.

There are places in the world today where identifying as a feminist could get you killed. Even in places where we have made progress, women’s rights remain so shaky that they could be taken away on a whim. I have a deep appreciation that the freedom and privilege that I enjoy as a young African woman is a sum total of the sacrifice and commitment of many who came before me.

JOY ZAWADI Area of Expertise: Strategy & Resource Mobilization Organization: Akili Dada Country: Kenya

I feel indebted to the generations that will come after me to ensure that I do my part in making the world a better place.

I mobilize resources to create investment opportunities for African girls and women and tell stories of female change-makers and their initiatives. Stories are not only powerful because they inspire; they also contribute to shaping history.

My feminist journey continues to be an uncomfortable one. I am opposed to labeling as I feel that it boxes us and limits us to be one thing - and the fact is that our stories and our identities are complex.

For example, I am a young Christian feminist woman from a community that has faced historical injustices and extreme poverty.

Yet, I also belong to a middle-class family that has afforded me some privileges. I can be all these identities at once.

I have unlearned the myth that women can only exist to be of service to others and not themselves. The two can co-exist, and women have the right to choose who they want to be. I have learned that to be a feminist is to be African. Our ancestors lived and practiced feminism in such natural ways - even though they did not have a label for it.

My feminist dream looks and feels like freedom. Freedom to be, freedom to thrive, and freedom to fulfill our purposes in life.

I felt so lost when I finished school and was faced with the humongous task of finding a job and building a career. I had no idea what I wanted to do or how to get information to guide me in making a decision. The job market seemed mysterious and inaccessible.

ZAHRA SALEHE Area of Expertise: Education, Training & Mentorship Organization: Woman to Woman Country: Tanzania

I know that I am not unique in this struggle because I have seen others face these challenges too. It is even tougher for women.

With rising unemployment rates, the need for a resource center for fresh graduates has never been bigger. I advocate for youth development and gender equality because I want to build a world where nobody is left behind. I look forward to a world of equal opportunities, equal payments, and easy access to information.

My feminist journey began when I was old enough to realize that were it not for my mother; I would not be who I am today. She raised me as a single mother with no support.

I have learned that my dreams are valid, and I have unlearnt all the limitations spoken about girls’ dreams. I have stopped seeking for validation from anyone; I have stopped feeling guilty and apologizing for being myself.

My feminist dream is a world where women have an equal say and equal chances.

I have known war. I have seen what happens when a country is torn apart by the powerful forces of hate and violence.

CHANTAL UMUHOZA Area of Expertise: Sexual Reproductive Health Rights Country: Rwanda

All of us who lived through the Rwandan genocide of 1994 have stories to tell. And my story is that my parents were killed in the genocide, leaving me to fend for myself in abject poverty.

This is why my greatest passion in life is to build a world free of violence and wars, where women have full bodily autonomy - a life of happiness, dignity, and pleasure. This is the vision behind the community advocacy work that I do. I work to ensure that communities respect and advance girls' and young women's rights related to freedom from violence and discrimination.

I have a background in economics and development, focusing on gender, human rights, and conflict. I have the tools and the skills to make a fairer, just world a reality.

My feminist journey has been a series of learning and unlearning: I have learned about self-identification and the need to respect diverse identities. I have unlearnt occupying space with a preoccupation of the opinions of others.

My feminist dream is happiness and pleasure for all.

© Akili Dada, 2020-1 Editorial & Design Team Creative Production - Angela Lagat (Tatsuo Group Ltd.) Design and Illustrations - Stephen Kennedy Kyalo Editor - Jacqueline Kubania Cover Design and Graphics - Chelagat Cherwon Akili Dada Collaborators: Emma Mogaka, Wanjiru Ndung’u, Joy Zawadi, Peggy Nyahera and Sankara Gitau Production by Octopus Designs Publisher: Akili Dada with support of African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) Nairobi, Kenya.