By Kenya Women in Health Alliance
What is it like to be a woman in health? Is there a piece of advice you wish someone gave you at the beginning of your career? In this interview series, we’ve asked women working in different areas in the field of health, who are fierce leaders and visionaries, to reflect on their careers and what advice they would give.
Who are you and what do you do?
I am an afro-optimist who celebrates ‘Africanness’. I am also a gender equity champion. I believe that for the African continent to truly rise, all people regardless of gender (or any other social construct), must be given the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential.
Professionally, I am a senior gender and health systems researcher with a PhD in Health and Social Care. I am also a senior fellow of the Aspen New Voices Fellowship; and a former fellow of the Initiative to Develop African Research Leaders (IDeAL).
In recent years, I have been an active voice in the Decolonizing Global Health Movement; advocating for equity, diversity and accountability in Global Health partnerships, and in the way we undertake and fund health research and produce knowledge. I am also a budding non-fiction writer, focusing on issues affecting African women and hope to write full time one day — if I can ever find the time!
This interview was originally posted on Medium on July 25, 2022.