Purity Kagwiria

{{Orphan|date=March 2019}}

Purity Kagwiria (born 1982) is a Kenyan feminist activist and executive director of Akili Dada.{{cite web |title=Our team |url=http://www.akilidada.org/our-team/ |publisher=Akili Dada |accessdate=15 October 2018}}

Early life and background

Kagwiria was born in 1982 in Meru County, Kenya. She is passionate about mobilizing resources for the activism of young women, documenting oral herstories, photography, art, reading and cooking.{{Cite news|url=https://youngfeministfund.org/our-team/purity-kagwiria/|title=Purity Kagwiria - FRIDA The Young Feminist Fund|work=FRIDA The Young Feminist Fund|access-date=2018-03-07|language=en-US}}

Education

Kagwiria has a degree in Gender and Development from the University of Nairobi. She has a diploma in journalism from the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication.{{Cite web|url=http://equalrights4womenworldwide.blogspot.co.ke/2015/07/purity-kagwiria.html|title=Purity Kagwiria|website=equalrights4womenworldwide.blogspot.co.ke|date=16 July 2015 |access-date=2018-03-07}} She gained her Masters in 2018 at the Africa Leadership University School of Business.{{cite web | url =https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=2018071207275465 | title =Pan-African business school holds first MBA graduation | last =Kyama | first =Reuben | date =13 July 2018 | publisher =University World News | access-date =27 August 2019 }}

Career

Kagwiria has been advocating for the rights of women since the year 2004. She is an active member of the feminist and women's rights movement. She is an Advisory Committee Member of FRIDA, The Young Feminist Fund.{{Cite web|url=https://youngfeministfund.org/about/|title=FRIDA}} She is also a 2013 HOW FUND fellow{{Cite web|url=http://www.howfund.org/#initiatives|title=HowFund {{!}} Home|website=www.howfund.org|language=en|access-date=2018-03-07}} which is a participating supporter of the East African Girl's Leadership Summit.{{Cite web|url=http://makeeverywomancount.org/index.php/community/our-monthly-interview/8876-interview-of-the-month-with-purity-kagwiria|title=Our Interview of the Month with Purity Kagwiria|last=McLarnon|first=Courtney|website=makeeverywomancount.org|language=en-gb|access-date=2018-03-07}} Purity has advocated for the empowerment of young women to reduce the cases of gender-based violence.{{Cite news|url=http://kw.awcfs.org/article/empowering-young-women-decreases-cases-of-gbv/|title=Empowering young women decreases cases of GBV|date=2016-05-31|work=Kenyan Woman|access-date=2018-03-07|language=en-US}}

Kagwiria interned at the Coalition On Violence Against Women, COVAW, where she worked with the then Executive Director Anne Gathumbi who helped her gain exposure on gender issues. At COVAW, she collected over 10,000 signatures to postulate the Government of Kenya to sign the Maputo Protocol which was ratified in 2010. Based on this experience, she was able to lay foundation for her activism.

Kagwiria has worked with Pencils for Africa as an executive Board Member.{{Cite web|url=http://pencilsforafrica.com/executive-board/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218121003/http://pencilsforafrica.com/executive-board/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=February 18, 2015|title=Executive board|website=pencilsforafrica.com|access-date=2018-03-07}} She has also worked with Girl Smart Africa.{{Cite web|url=http://10ceo.org/shannon/|title=Shannon|website=10ceo.org|language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-07}} Purity worked for the [http://www.africayouthtrust.org/ African Youth Trust] between 2009-2011 as the Project Officer. She worked to build the capacity of women and other stakeholders on Human Rights Law and the dispensation of the 2010 constitution.

Akili Dada

Kagwiria is the Executive Director of Akili Dada, an international award-winning leadership incubator nurturing a generation of girls and young women from underserved backgrounds whose commitment will transform their communities.{{Cite web|url=https://support.oneworldchildrensfund.org/campaign/akili-dada-kenya/c78373|title=Akili Dada (Kenya)|website=support.oneworldchildrensfund.org|language=en|access-date=2018-03-07}} Akili Dada was founded in 2005 to address the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theeducationalist.com/nairobi/|title=Nairobi|website=www.theeducationalist.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-07}} Akili Dada partners with MATCH International Women's Fund,{{Cite web|url=http://matchinternational.org/grantee-profiles/|title=Meet Our Partners - MATCH International Women's Fund|website=matchinternational.org|language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-07}} Ford Foundation, Forum SYD, Hivos People Unlimited, Global Fund for Women, Segal Family Foundation,{{Cite web|url=http://www.segalfamilyfoundation.org/|title=Building a Community of Creative Collaborators|website=www.segalfamilyfoundation.org|language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-08}} Women and Girls Lead Global, The Global Fund for Children, Millicom Foundation, JJP Family Foundation, Oracle, Mize Family Foundation, Global Fund for Women, American Jewish World Service, Present Purpose, One World Children's Fund,{{Cite web|url=http://www.oneworldchildrensfund.org/|title=Home|website=OWCF|language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-08}} and pencils for Africa among others.

Awards and recognition

Kagwiria was an international guest speaker at the Northern California Grantmakers in 2014.{{Cite news|url=https://ncg.org/news/all-way-nairobi-international-guest-speaker-purity-kagwiria|title=All the Way from Nairobi: International Guest Speaker Purity Kagwiria|date=2014-11-02|work=Northern California Grantmakers|access-date=2018-03-07|language=en}} She was among the 18 phenomenal African feminists to know and celebrate.{{Cite news|url=http://www.forharriet.com/2015/04/18-phenomenal-african-feminists-to-know.html|title=18 Phenomenal African Feminists to Know and Celebrate|work=For Harriet {{!}} Celebrating the Fullness of Black Womanhood|access-date=2018-03-07}} She was listed among the 8 Most Influential African Feminists{{Cite news|url=https://www.hungryng.com/africa-top-8-influential-african-feminists/|title=Famous Feminists: 8 Most Influential African Feminists|date=2017-11-18|work=Hungryng|access-date=2018-03-07|language=en-US}}

References