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Anne Githuku-Shongwe

2017 Fellow

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South Africa

Representative, UN Women South Africa Multi-Country Office

Founder, Afroes Games

Anne Githuku-Shongwe is the Representative for UN Women’s South Africa Multi-Country Office (SAMCO), which is responsible for women’s empowerment and gender equality in Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Namibia as well as South Africa, where the office is based. A key responsibility of her work is to develop women-owned businesses and the leadership capacity of women both in the public and private sector. Anne is the founder of Afroes Games, a Tech Education Social Enterprise with multiple award winning games. Prior to her new assignment at UNWOMEN, Anne spent 8 Years as a globally recognized and pioneering Social Entrepreneur, Digital Innovator and Thought Leader on Technology for development. Anne Founded Afroes in 2010 to create innovative educational products to engage and equip African Youth with Life Skills and connect them to Future Work opportunities. Afroes received multiple awards including the UN’s PeaceAPP, MEFFYs Award, London UK and Netexplo Award, Paris amongst others. Anne was recognized for the prestigious Schwab Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2013 Award.

 

During her years as a Social Entrepreneur, Anne also was a Public Speaker on Women’s Empowerment, Innovation, Mobile Learning & Social Entrepreneurship and has spoken at the World Economic Forum; TEDx Soweto; PICNIC, Amsterdam; Netexplo, Paris; Frontiers in Development, Washington DC; Games for Change, New York; Mobile Web Africa and East Africa & Africom. She holds an Executive Certificate, Social Entrepreneurship, Harvard Kennedy School and Organization for Social Innovation, University of Cape Town, Masters in International Development. The America University, Washington DC; postgraduate Certificate in Management Development, Jones international University, in conjunction with UNDP, BA St Lawrence University, New York. Anne joins the Ponds Vital Voices Leadership Programme 2017. Anne is a Board Member and Grand Juror of the World Summit Awards for the UN Information SoAciety, a Board Member of CHESTRAD International and I WILL GIVE – a new innovative domestic financing vehicle for African development.