Musimbi Kanyoro is the President and CEO of the Global Fund for Women and has been a passionate advocate for the health, development and human rights of women, girls and minority groups throughout her life.
Prior to the Global Fund, Musimbi led the Population and Reproductive Health Program at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, where she advanced support to women’s movements and girl’s education.
She also served 10 years as General Secretary of World YWCA, the largest membership organization in the world, reaching 25 million women and girls in 3,000 communities around the globe. Advocacy around women’s reproductive health and the impact of HIV/AIDS on women were priorities under Musimbi’s leadership.
A champion for young women, Musimbi has successfully spearheaded practices to ensure the representation of women under 30 on local, national and global boards.
The Women’s Funding Network recognized Musimbi’s contributions to philanthropy, women’s funds and gender equity with the 2011 Changing the Face of Philanthropy Award.
Musimbi serves on numerous boards including the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC), Realizing Rights, the Ethical Globalization Initiative, and the Legacy Foundation.
Musimbi earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, and earned her MA and Ph.D. at the University of Texas, Austin. She also earned a doctorate of ministry from San Francisco Theological School and was a visiting scholar at Harvard University.
Achievements and Board Service »
David and Lucile Packard Foundation
- Provided leadership and strategic direction of the Foundation’s Population and Reproductive Health Program, which includes a grantmaking portfolio of USD 50 million annually and supports work in Africa and Asia, as well as UN agencies
- Expanded the Foundation’s grantmaking to include grants for women’s movements, gender-based violence and women’s leadership
- Convened a leadership forum of past presidents of countries to support Reproductive health
World YWCA
- Steered the YWCA movement to develop and adopt a Global Strategic Plan and an internal tool for monitoring and evaluation, the Standards of Good Management and Accountability; drew upon this experience to collaborate with 10 other international NGOs to develop an NGO Charter of Accountability
- Supported the growth of the World YWCA movement from 74 to 125 associations through an active capacity building program and strengthened relationships between the World YWCA and its member associations, increasing their participation in joint-programs and contributions to the global budget
- Facilitated the movement to develop and adopt a new Constitution that reflected the changed environment of the 21st century and initiated policies and practices to ensure the representation of young women under 30 years on local, national and global boards
Lutheran World Federation
- Developed and implemented the LWF seven year Plan of Action for Women, (1990-1997)
- Facilitated the active involvement of LWF member churches in the Decade of Churches in Solidarity with Women (1988-1998), which encouraged churches to talk about gender justice, domestic and sexual violence against women, rape, discrimination and other forms of injustice against women and girls
- Succeeded in advocating for several resolutions on women to be made by the LWF Council to guide social justice programmes within churches, including resolutions against female circumcision, violence against women and trafficking of women; and others promoting increased educational opportunities for women and greater participation of women on staff and in LWF programmes
Boards
- Member, Board of Directors, African Population and Health Research Centre, since 2006
- Member, Board of Directors, Realizing Rights: the Ethical Globalization Initiative, since 2005
- Member, Board of Directors, Legacy Foundation, since 2007
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