Anna Aloys Henga is a Tanzanian lawyer and human rights activist who is known for her social services including women empowerment initiatives such as coordinating anti-

female genital mutilation Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision, is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The practice is found ...

in Tanzania. She became the executive director of Legal and Human Rights Center in 2018.

Life

Henga's parents were civil servants and she was one of their six children. She said that she was unaware as a child of sexual discrimination. She campaigns to reduce

Female genital mutilation Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision, is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The practice is found ...

. It has been illegal in Tanzania since 1998 but it is estimated that 10% of girls still suffer this treatment. In 2015, she mobilized other Civil Societies in Tanzania to successfully observe the Tanzanian general elections. She is also known for motivating other women to involve in politics in Tanzania. She is also a human rights activist and was appointed as the executive director of Legal and Human Rights Center (LHRC) in 2018 replacing Dr.

Helen Kijo-Bisimba Hel(l)en Kijo-Bisimba (born 1954) is a human rights activist in Tanzania. She was the executive director of Legal and Human Rights Center until she retired in 2008. Life Kijo-Bisimba was born in 1954 in the Kilimanjaro Region in Tanzania. She wen ...

. Her major areas of expertise are Human Rights Law, Policy analysis, Gender and Practice for Non-Governmental Organizations and Theology. Anna holds a master’s degree in Development Policy and Practice for Civil Society, (Mzumbe University, Tanzania), Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration - Institute of Finance Management (IFM Tanzania), Bachelor of Laws (University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania), Diploma in Gender- from Sweden Institute of Public Administration and Diploma in Theology from Mahanaim School of Theology, Certificate of Directorship from the Institute of Directors (IoDT) and Certificate of Corporate Governance from ESAMI. The organization she leads (LHRC) documents Human Rights situation in Tanzania through a Tanzania Human Rights Report produced annually and biannually. The organization is also well known for Election Observation, Civic Education and Democratic Processes. In 2019, she was named as one of the recipients of the

International Women of Courage Award The International Women of Courage Award, also referred to as the U.S. Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award, is an American award presented annually by the United States Department of State to women around the world who have ...

and received the prestigious award from the

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other n ...

. Notably, she,

Moumina Houssein Darar Moumina Houssein Darar ( so, Muumina Xuseen Darar; Arabic: مؤمنة حسين درار), is a Djiboutian Anti-Terrorism police investigator. She was recognised as a Woman of Courage by the American Secretary of State in 2019. Life Moumina Ho ...

(Djibouti) and

Maggie Gobran Maggie Gobran (Arabic: ماجي جبران) or Mama Maggie, is a Coptic Orthodox consecrated servant and the founder and CEO of the non-profit charity Stephen's Children in Cairo, Egypt. She was also professor of computer science at the American ...

(Egypt) were the three African women who were included this year.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aloys Henga, Anna Living people Tanzanian women diplomats Tanzanian feminists 20th-century Tanzanian lawyers Tanzanian human rights activists Year of birth missing (living people) Recipients of the International Women of Courage Award 21st-century Tanzanian lawyers