Category Archives : 1000.Africa


Jane Keith-Reid (Fiji)

“We have a small window of opportunity to reverse HIV infection and save the lives of our Pacific people. If we can trust each other, work together in true partnership, we still have a chance.” Jane Keith-Reid (60) founded the AIDS Task Force of Fiji in 1993. She pioneered a peer education program to reach […]

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Amelia Rokotuivuna (Fiji)

“My darkest moment was the May 1987 military coup. I was angry that a contract was broken. It dawned on me for the first time that a major challenge for Fiji people was to understand human rights.” Amelia Rokotuivuna has been a feminist activist for peace and justice all her life. As head of the […]


Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls (Fiji)

“The main objective of femLINKpacific is to bring the stories of our women and their communities to the forefront, to help promote peace and reconciliation in multi-ethnic Fiji.” Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls (38) gained national prominence in Fiji by organizing, through the National Council of Women, a daily prayer vigil when government leaders were held hostage for […]

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Netsanet Mengistu (Ethiopia)

“We have to be able to gain the trust and respect of those in power and the people around us, without compromising our fundamental principles and values.” Netsanet Mengistu has a BA in Management and Administration. She is the founder of Progynist, an Ethiopian women’s empowerment NGO, and Meklit, a pioneering local microcredit bank. Netsanet […]


Meaza Ashenafi (Ethiopia)

“My goal is to eradicate all forms of discrimination against women and to ensure equal opportunities for women in education, employment and public spheres.” Meaza Ashenafi, born in 1965, was a high court judge in Ethiopia between 1989 and 1992. In 1993 she became a legal advisor to the Ethiopian Constitution Commission. In 1995, she […]


Bogaletch Gebre (Ethiopia)

“My dream came true. I have managed to set up a social project that incorporates essential community services, such as a school, a library, a community resources center and a health advice center.” Bogaletch Gebre was the first woman from her village to receive higher education. In 1975 she set off to the United States […]


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Anne-Marie Mukwayanzo Mpundu (Dem. Republic of the Congo)

There is no way to peace, peace is the way.” Abraham Muste, Sri Lanka Anne-Marie Mukwayanzo Mpundu (48) fights destructive values that enslave women in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). She chairs the Christian Women Organisation for Democracy and Development (Fcdd). She uses a personal approach, local languages to provide information on human rights […]


Marie Bapu Bidibundu (Dem. Republic of the Congo)

“Rural women are now respected, listened to, and emulate and train men in their rural settings.” Marie Bapu Bidibundu from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) works with an NGO, Promotion de la Femme Rurale (Profer), in promoting and defending rural women’s socio-cultural and economic rights. Since 1978 she has raised awareness through writing, to […]


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Justine Masika Bihamba (Dem. Republic of the Congo)

“I request people to unconditionally help victims of violence and war. Unforgettable moments occur when I successfully mediate for families and then see women return to their matrimonial homes.” Justine Masika Bihamba (40) has worked in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since 1990 fighting poverty, promoting peace and human rights, promoting rural women, fighting […]