Thursday, October 27, 2011
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Musimbi Kanyoro: Kenyan Woman Who Became a Global Leader
There are many phenomenal Kenyan women working all over the world...Recently appointed Global Fund for Women Head's, Dr Musimbi Kanyoro's star has been rising and rising way before some of us wrote about her like this 1997 story. Very humble yet powerful in her humility...She sure is headed places......I wish her well...
Sunday 02 November, 1997 — The newspaper that serves the nation
KENYAN WOMAN WHO BECAME A GLOBAL LEADER.
By WANJA NJUGUNA.
“As long as women are willing to remain subservient and
play inferior roles in society they cannot possibly be a
power to change anything,” Mrs Zarina Patel, head of
NCK’s race relations, said in April 1973 at the Young
Women Christian Association’s (YWCA) World Membership day
luncheon in Nairobi. These words may have been uttered so
long ago, but one young woman might as well have been in
that audience as she has lived them throughout her life
and many years later, Dr Musimbi Kanyoro has been elected
the new World YWCA’s secretary-general, the first woman
from a third world country to do so in the more than a
century old history of YWCA. She trounced three finalists
from Asia, North America and Australia.
play inferior roles in society they cannot possibly be a
power to change anything,” Mrs Zarina Patel, head of
NCK’s race relations, said in April 1973 at the Young
Women Christian Association’s (YWCA) World Membership day
luncheon in Nairobi. These words may have been uttered so
long ago, but one young woman might as well have been in
that audience as she has lived them throughout her life
and many years later, Dr Musimbi Kanyoro has been elected
the new World YWCA’s secretary-general, the first woman
from a third world country to do so in the more than a
century old history of YWCA. She trounced three finalists
from Asia, North America and Australia.
Dr Kanyoro succeeds Elaine Hesse Steel, who left the
World YWCA at the end of August after more than 10 years
to become Director-General of United World Colleges. She
will be the 10th general secretary.
World YWCA at the end of August after more than 10 years
to become Director-General of United World Colleges. She
will be the 10th general secretary.
On her qualification she says: “I believe that if I am
qualified for a post, nothing should stop me from trying
my luck. I just applied for the job, was interviewed and
I emerged at the top,” she told Lifestyle last week when
she made a stop-over at the Jomo Kenyatta International
Airport on her way to Geneva from Uganda.
qualified for a post, nothing should stop me from trying
my luck. I just applied for the job, was interviewed and
I emerged at the top,” she told Lifestyle last week when
she made a stop-over at the Jomo Kenyatta International
Airport on her way to Geneva from Uganda.
Dr Kanyoro says she looks forward to “working with women
globally in an organisation that has worked with women
for over 100 years.” She joins the YMCA with a wealth of
international experience: “Much of my experience has
been in a global organisation which addresses
international issues in the same way as the YWCA. I come
with a view of what it means to work cross-culturally and
have had extensive experience working with grassroots
women in all regions of the world. One concern I have had
is to see that communication is not hindered by
established class and racial differences. This gives me
some background to understand the work of the YWCA.” The
YWCA is an international volunteer membership movement
bringing together some 25 million women working in over
100 countries to achieve common social justice
imperatives by increasing the participation of women at
all levels of society. Crossing barriers of distance,
language and culture, World YWCA members join together to
work for peace with justice, sustainable development,
human rights for all and environmental integrity.
globally in an organisation that has worked with women
for over 100 years.” She joins the YMCA with a wealth of
international experience: “Much of my experience has
been in a global organisation which addresses
international issues in the same way as the YWCA. I come
with a view of what it means to work cross-culturally and
have had extensive experience working with grassroots
women in all regions of the world. One concern I have had
is to see that communication is not hindered by
established class and racial differences. This gives me
some background to understand the work of the YWCA.” The
YWCA is an international volunteer membership movement
bringing together some 25 million women working in over
100 countries to achieve common social justice
imperatives by increasing the participation of women at
all levels of society. Crossing barriers of distance,
language and culture, World YWCA members join together to
work for peace with justice, sustainable development,
human rights for all and environmental integrity.
Dr Kanyoro has all the confidence she needs to lead the
world body. “I am convinced that the World YWCA has an
agenda that will be relevant for the next century,” she
said. She is going\ sdm0,1,9.3,9.3,9.3r to hold the post
for the next five years.\Boorn 43 years ago in Kakamega,
Dr Kanyoro,who has lived in Geneva since 1988 with her
family – husband Muhonge Kanyoro from Kiambu, daughter
Wariri, 12, and Kanyoro, 15 – attended Alliance Girls’
High School with, among others, Presidential candidate
Charity Ngilu. Later she joined the University of Nairobi
for a BA in Literature and Linguistics, graduating in
1976.
world body. “I am convinced that the World YWCA has an
agenda that will be relevant for the next century,” she
said. She is going\ sdm0,1,9.3,9.3,9.3r to hold the post
for the next five years.\Boorn 43 years ago in Kakamega,
Dr Kanyoro,who has lived in Geneva since 1988 with her
family – husband Muhonge Kanyoro from Kiambu, daughter
Wariri, 12, and Kanyoro, 15 – attended Alliance Girls’
High School with, among others, Presidential candidate
Charity Ngilu. Later she joined the University of Nairobi
for a BA in Literature and Linguistics, graduating in
1976.
Soon after graduating, Dr Kanyoro left for the US – in
1978 – to study for a Masters in Linguistics from the
University of Texas and soon after started and completed
a doctoral programme in the same field. But all this was
not before she had met Kanyoro in Maralal in 1977 as part
of a Kenyan team in an exchange group composed of both
Kenyans and from foreign countries at a voluntary camp
building a community centre there. “We had met earlier
while I was a student at Alliance and he at Kenyatta
University when they used to admit Form Five and Six
students to study there. But when we met during the camp,
we discovered each other anew and not even our different
tribal backgrounds could block the romance which
blossomed into marriage later,” she narrates.
1978 – to study for a Masters in Linguistics from the
University of Texas and soon after started and completed
a doctoral programme in the same field. But all this was
not before she had met Kanyoro in Maralal in 1977 as part
of a Kenyan team in an exchange group composed of both
Kenyans and from foreign countries at a voluntary camp
building a community centre there. “We had met earlier
while I was a student at Alliance and he at Kenyatta
University when they used to admit Form Five and Six
students to study there. But when we met during the camp,
we discovered each other anew and not even our different
tribal backgrounds could block the romance which
blossomed into marriage later,” she narrates.
By pursuing further studies, Dr Kanyoro was contemplating
becoming a lecturer in our universities but this was not
to be. “I hoped to come back here and teach linguistics
but when I returned to Kenya, I was scooped by the United
Bible Society (UBS) where I found that I was making use
of my knowledge more in translation of the Bible into
different languages than I would have done by just
lecturing.” This was a very challenging job for her and
it was to pave the way for her leadership positions later
in life. “The UBS had projects in some of the most
remote areas of the country such as Turkana and trying to
translate their language and others into Kiswahili was
not an easy task,” she told Lifestyle.
becoming a lecturer in our universities but this was not
to be. “I hoped to come back here and teach linguistics
but when I returned to Kenya, I was scooped by the United
Bible Society (UBS) where I found that I was making use
of my knowledge more in translation of the Bible into
different languages than I would have done by just
lecturing.” This was a very challenging job for her and
it was to pave the way for her leadership positions later
in life. “The UBS had projects in some of the most
remote areas of the country such as Turkana and trying to
translate their language and others into Kiswahili was
not an easy task,” she told Lifestyle.
But Turkana and other tough languages were not all she
did. “We also helped to translate the Creole language in
Mauritius and other countries close to Kenya and this was
no joke. It helped me appreciate the differences that we
have not only in different tribes but in races too,” she
adds. It was to come in handy in her mixed marriage.
Since 1978, Dr Kanyoro has served as the executive
secretary for Women in Church and Society of the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF) Department for Mission and
Development in Geneva. Prior to this, she was the first
woman consultant with United Bible Societies in Kenya.
did. “We also helped to translate the Creole language in
Mauritius and other countries close to Kenya and this was
no joke. It helped me appreciate the differences that we
have not only in different tribes but in races too,” she
adds. It was to come in handy in her mixed marriage.
Since 1978, Dr Kanyoro has served as the executive
secretary for Women in Church and Society of the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF) Department for Mission and
Development in Geneva. Prior to this, she was the first
woman consultant with United Bible Societies in Kenya.
Dr Kanyoro is impressed with the local YWCA chapter.
“They are very strong and active and as I move around
visiting other chapters world wide, Kenya will benefit a
lot as I am quite familiar with most of their
activities.” She also feels strongly about Kenyan women
in general. “It is good to see women really coming out
in the political arena this time. We should use our
talents everywhere and we should be felt not only in the
kitchen and homes but in leadership nationally and
globally.” She says of women’s achievements: “Today
from Kampala, I was piloted by a woman. In Switzerland,
our High Commissioner is Esther Tole, the first Kenyan
woman to hold that position there. I believe I am a role
model for others too and I don’t see why in the next few
years, we should not have a female “Kofi Annan” in the
UN. Dr Kanyoro has a lot of support from her family. “My
husband has been a great motivating factor in my
endeavours as he has never discouraged me from getting
what I want although we discuss it first and see how it
will affect our family in all ways,” she told Lifestyle.
“They are very strong and active and as I move around
visiting other chapters world wide, Kenya will benefit a
lot as I am quite familiar with most of their
activities.” She also feels strongly about Kenyan women
in general. “It is good to see women really coming out
in the political arena this time. We should use our
talents everywhere and we should be felt not only in the
kitchen and homes but in leadership nationally and
globally.” She says of women’s achievements: “Today
from Kampala, I was piloted by a woman. In Switzerland,
our High Commissioner is Esther Tole, the first Kenyan
woman to hold that position there. I believe I am a role
model for others too and I don’t see why in the next few
years, we should not have a female “Kofi Annan” in the
UN. Dr Kanyoro has a lot of support from her family. “My
husband has been a great motivating factor in my
endeavours as he has never discouraged me from getting
what I want although we discuss it first and see how it
will affect our family in all ways,” she told Lifestyle.
Mr Kanyoro, who previously worked with the local
government and later as a financial director of KTDA here
in Kenya, works with the Ecumenical Church Loan Fund.
Their children attend school in Geneva but the family
comes to Kenya often. “We intend to come back here one
day when the time is right as this will always be home,”
Dr Kanyoro says.
government and later as a financial director of KTDA here
in Kenya, works with the Ecumenical Church Loan Fund.
Their children attend school in Geneva but the family
comes to Kenya often. “We intend to come back here one
day when the time is right as this will always be home,”
Dr Kanyoro says.
Leadership runs in the family too. Her elder sister,
Joyce Umbima is the outspoken chairperson of Kenya
Alliance for Advancement of Children (KACR). Dr Kanyoro
has written six books: In Search of a Round Table, Women
Leadership and Theology, The Power we Celebrate, Groaning
in Faith (published in Kenya), Speaking for Ourselves and
The Will to Arise: African Women in Culture and
Tradition. She is also the general editor of Lutheran
World Federation Women Magazine. Any hope for Kenyan
women? “Women in Kenya can only achieve anything if they
are united and use their talents to benefit others. But
men should not pull us down. They should not see us as
threats to their leadership,” she says.
Joyce Umbima is the outspoken chairperson of Kenya
Alliance for Advancement of Children (KACR). Dr Kanyoro
has written six books: In Search of a Round Table, Women
Leadership and Theology, The Power we Celebrate, Groaning
in Faith (published in Kenya), Speaking for Ourselves and
The Will to Arise: African Women in Culture and
Tradition. She is also the general editor of Lutheran
World Federation Women Magazine. Any hope for Kenyan
women? “Women in Kenya can only achieve anything if they
are united and use their talents to benefit others. But
men should not pull us down. They should not see us as
threats to their leadership,” she says.
To women vying for parliamentary seats, Dr Kanyoro says:
“Be clear about what you want to happen, why we are
voting for someone. We all need civic education, to know
our constitution well and then we can win our battles,”
she advises. How does she spend her free time? “Besides
pursuing another doctorate in Theology from San Francisco
Theological Seminary (just to put into paper all the
theology I have been dealing with), I lecture in
different colleges in Switzerland either as part of my
work or part time work. I also write a lot,” she says.
She expects to complete the second doctorate in May next
year.
“Be clear about what you want to happen, why we are
voting for someone. We all need civic education, to know
our constitution well and then we can win our battles,”
she advises. How does she spend her free time? “Besides
pursuing another doctorate in Theology from San Francisco
Theological Seminary (just to put into paper all the
theology I have been dealing with), I lecture in
different colleges in Switzerland either as part of my
work or part time work. I also write a lot,” she says.
She expects to complete the second doctorate in May next
year.
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