Mary Balikungeri

Mary Balikungeri is a Rwandan gender and development specialist, women's rights advocate, and the founder and director of Rwanda Women's Network, an organosation working on women's rights, gender-based violence, economic emporement, leadership, and community development. She has worked nationally and intentionally on women's rights, peacebuilding and the support of survivors of gender-based violence. In 2018, she was named Commonwealth Point of Light 49 for her work supporting women and girls affected by war and conflict, She has also been featured in National Geographic and ABC News' Foreign Correspondent in coverage of women's leadership and post-genocide Rwanda.Rwanda Commonwealth Points of Light (2018); How women are stepping up to remark Rwanda National Geographic (October 15,2019); Mother courage ABC News (September 11, 2019). Quotes “Seeing injustice drove me to never want to see anybody going through that situation again. I wanted to be able to offer women opportunities like I was offered. I wanted to help them through the healing process, but at the same time, empower them, transform their pain into leadership as women of this country.” https://rwandawomensnetwork.org/meet-mary?utm_source “With patience, with commitment and with determination, you can get far.” https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-11/mother-courage/11497636?utm_source Women and leadership We cannot change much if these men don't change the way they look at things, so we need to bring them into a dialogue. How women are stepping up to remake Rwanda National Geographic (October 15,2019) "I think the future for women is brilliant. It's beautiful." Mother Courage ABC News (September 11, 2019) "One of the most important answers to this problem is economic empowerment for women, which will give women social status and security." Interview by Kaori Izumi, March 2005, in Reclaiming our lives: HIV and AIDS, women's land and property rights and livelihoods in southern and East Africa (2006), p. 42. Reclaiming our lives. Personal motivation "Seeing injustice drove me to never want to see anybody going through that situation again." Mary said, Rwanda Women's network. "What keeps me inspired and continues to give me energy is when I see young women we nurtured taking leadership at the country level." She talked of what keeps her motivated. Rwanda Women's Network. External Links Meet Mary - Rwanda Women's Network Commonwealth Point of Light 49: Mary Balikungeri - Commonwealth Points of Light How women are stepping up to remake Rwanda - National Geographic Mother Courage - ABC News Reclainming our Lives - FAO Category:Women from Rwanda Category:Women's right activists