Convocation Speaker Maimuna Kanyamala Honorary Degree Recipient Wednesday, October 23, 2024, 3:00 p.m.
In 2011, Maimuna was honoured as the “Tanzania Woman of Courage” by the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania, acknowledging her contributions to gender-based violence prevention and women’s rights advocacy. She has partnered with feminist groups in Canada and Ireland to build global solidarity on issues such as violence against women, HIV/AIDS, and poverty. In 2012, Maimuna founded MikonoYetu, an organization dedicated to economically empowering women and girls while promoting environmental conservation. She understands that those least responsible for environmental degradation are often the most affected, and she collaborates with other organizations to advocate for women’s economic and environmental rights. Her innovative approach to social entrepreneurship is exemplified through her leadership of a probiotics enterprise in partnership with Western Heads East and Western University. Since 2004, the initiative has empowered more than 500 women and girls in Tanzania by teaching them to make fermented foods, particularly probiotic yogurt and probiotic juices, for both business and community health. At MikonoYetu, Maimuna also helped establish MsichanaTai, an organization helping girls reach their full potential by addressing barriers posed by harmful cultural practices. She also helped found GreenMinds, a youth-led project that empowers young people to become champions of sustainable, green thinking and leadership. Currently, Maimuna is documenting the history of African women and is working to establish a Women’s Museum in Mwanza. She holds a Master of Arts in Development Studies from Holy Ghost College, Kimmage Manor, Ireland, and remains a beacon of hope and inspiration for women and girls across Tanzania.
Maimuna Kanyamala is a dedicated Tanzanian activist, entrepreneur, environmentalist, and feminist with more than 30 years of commitment to advancing the rights of women, girls, children, and marginalized communities. Her advocacy journey began in 1994 at the Kuleana Centre for Children’s Rights in Mwanza, where she championed educational rights for pregnant girls and fought against child exploitation. This early work laid the foundation for her lifelong mission to create a just and equitable society. In 1999, Maimuna co-founded the Kivulini Women’s Rights Organization, a pioneering initiative that mobilizes communities to prevent domestic violence. As Kivulini’s first Executive Director, she worked to address the root causes of violence against women and shift harmful cultural attitudes and behaviours. Her leadership also contributed to establishing WoteSawa and the Wadada Centre, organizations dedicated to protecting child domestic workers and combating sexual violence.
324 th Convocation 17
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