Hellen Mahindi is our Gender Equality and Social Equity Coordinator. She ensures that women and young girls are heard on issues and priorities regarding reproductive, maternal, newborn and child Health (RMNCH). A passionate feminist champion and advocate for women and girls’ rights, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies from the Kimmage Development Studies Centre in Dublin, Ireland in partnership with the Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke Training Centre for Development Cooperation (MS TCDC) in Arusha, Tanzania.
Before joining Mama na Mtoto, Hellen has been working with different organizations advocating for women and girls’ rights. Her knowledge and passion for gender equality is heavily influenced by her mother Maimuna Kanyamala, who was named the 2011 Tanzania Woman of Courage by the US Embassy in Tanzania for her decades-long dedication to defending women’s rights and preventing domestic violence through community mobilization. Her belief in equality encouraged her to challenge patriarchal institutions on all levels of society and governance and to hold governments and communities accountable for protecting women and young girls.
Gender inequality takes many forms and making RMNCH services safer for women and young girls means making RMNCH services safe for all. Hellen believes that women and young girls have a voice, with which they have the right to be heard, and power, with which they have the right to use.
