Josephine Kulea
Credentials
Humanitarian Cause
Violence and Abuse Prevention, Harmful Traditional Practices, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Emergency Response, Supporting communities in climate-vulnerable regions
Impact Location
Kenya
Occupation
Activist / Founder, Samburu Girls Foundation
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About
Dr. Josephine Kulea is a distinguished human rights champion and the Founder of the Samburu Girls Foundation (SGF), an organization dedicated to rescuing young girls from harmful cultural practices prevalent among pastoralist communities in Northern Kenya. Her work, inspired by her mother’s own experiences, focuses on combating female genital mutilation (FGM), beading, and child marriage, which are still widespread in her native Samburu community.
With a solid educational background in health, leadership, and management, Dr. Kulea has applied her expertise to empower the pastoralist girl child through education, rescuing over 2,000 girls and supporting their educational journey from preschool to tertiary levels. Her courage to challenge century-old traditions has garnered her numerous accolades at the local, regional, and international levels.
In 2015, Dr. Kulea’s unparalleled contributions to the protection and development of the girl child were lauded by former U.S. President Barack Obama during his visit to Kenya.
Currently, Dr. Kulea is pursuing an East African fellowship called Future Elect, which is providing her with the skills to pursue public office in 2027. She aims to represent women and girls from her county at the national level as a Member of Parliament. Her goal is to create a platform that ensures the protection of all women and girls in their households, eliminating the need for rescue efforts by ensuring that existing laws are effectively implemented, as her work has not been receiving adequate political goodwill.
Dr. Kulea remains unwavering in her mission to ensure that children enjoy their full rights and that harmful practices are eradicated, fostering a prosperous future for Kenya and Africa as a whole. Her work continues to inspire and lead the fight for gender equality and the empowerment of vulnerable girls.
Dr. Kulea’s remarkable achievements have been recognized through a series of prestigious awards, including the UN Person of the Year (2013), the Spark Changemaker (2015), the Top 40 Under 40 Women Award (2016), the Humanitarian Award (2017), the Voice for Girls Award (2018), the Top 100 Global Gender Champions (2019, 2021), the Anti-FGM Champion and Advocacy Award (2021) and the Justice for Women Award by the Clooney Foundation for Justice (2022), etc.
The information on this page was last updated on 09-09-2024 and was provided by the Luminary.
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