Celebrating International Women’s Day: 10 Inspiring Kenyan Women

Beyond the well-known figures, there are many inspiring women in Kenya you’ve probably never heard of - which is why we celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March.It’s a day to honor the inspiring women who have made a significant contribution in our society. It’s a time to reflect on how far we’ve come in terms of women’s rights, our social, political and cultural achievements.

In honor of International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating 10 bold and beautiful women who have made an impact in our world. We’ll feature women who have rise up from all walks of life and spoke out about issues of equality or made a difference in the world we live in. Their names may not roll off of our tongues as easily as local celebrities but they still deserve to be celebrated by all means.

Here are 10 Kenyan women we find inspiring and why.

Wawira Njiru

Founder of Food4Education, Wawira Njiru was inspired to feed needy school going children after watching kids missing school while growing up for various reasons among them lack of food. Through her foundation, Wawira feeds more than 1,200 kids every day and aspires to do more in order to cater for more kids.

Wanja Kibuki

Vitabu Vyetu founder, Wanja Kibuki has made a huge impact in fighting literacy in Kenya by providing books to children from poor families. Vitabu Vyetu has tailor made reading programs for children ages 3 to 13 from slums.

Joan Thatiah

Author of “Things I will Tell My Daughter” and “I’m too pretty to be broke” has inspired women to love their skin, flaunt their flaws and simply live life to the fullest. Joan delves deep into her life lessons and features some uncensored truths on money, love and womanhood in her book. She has dedicated her life to write for women.

Wanjiru Kihusa

Founder and executive director of Still a Mum, Wanjiru Kihusa has shared her life journey.  After undergoing a series of miscarriages, Wanjiru has started a campaign to break the silence on miscarriages and uplifted many women and expectant mothers along the way.

Juliana Rotich

Juliana Rotich is the co-founder of Ushahidi, a non-profit tech company that develops tools for democratising information. A graduate of computer science at the University of Nairobi, Juliana has spearheaded the development of software tools that are used to monitor humanitarian crises around the world.

Judith Owigar

Co-founder of Akirachix, Judith Owigar has a passion for empowering women in technology. Akirachix provides a platform for women in technology to be empowered technologically and financially in order to lead their communities. She has helped women from low income areas to positively impact their communities.

Jennifer Riria

She is one of Africa’s leading entrepreneurs and the CEO of Kenya Women Holding, a microfinance, banking and insurance group that works with civil organizations in Kenya. She comes from a very humble background and is certainly an inspiration in the world of entrepreneurship and social impact.

Flora Mutahi

But she is the founder of Kenya’s first flavored tea brand, Melvin Marsh International. Flora has grown to become a recognized name in the business world. It’s time to shine a spotlight on Kenyan tea tycoon, Flora Mutahi who is unknown to many.

Michelle Wanjiru Kariuki

Despite her young age, Michelle Kariuki , the brains behind the Pink Gal Foundation, has proved that it can be done. She’s making a difference in the lives of the less fortunate in the society at a tender age of 18.