Mageda Esolyo

Mageda is impassioned by women and girls’ health, in particular sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), development and equality in society. Professionally, she has been able to work with various organizations and individuals from different cultures, countries and various networks (Right here: Right now, Kenya, SHE-ACTs Alliance, Men Engage Alliance, Regional SRHR fund) in Sub-Saharan Africa on movement-building work around sexual and reproductive health and rights. She has been part of developing campaigns with a feminist lens and creating synergy amongst various networks around current and emerging issues.

Mageda has previously provided counselling to survivors of gender-based violence in Kenya through hotline 1195, managed mobile health technology that gives out information on sexual and reproductive health in sub-Saharan Africa, helped set up and strengthen hotlines in Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria and Rwanda that ensure girls and women can access unbiased sexual and reproductive health information, and led teams on key communication campaigns in Kenya for advocacy on comprehensive sexual and reproductive rights. She has been involved in national and regional advocacy campaigns at the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, the African SDG forum and using the UN mechanisms through research- based advocacy.

She’s a member of the African Young Women’s Leadership and Advocacy Alliance (AYWLAA) and has served on the Safe Abortion Initiative Global South Engagement (SAIGE) advisory team. She believes that we are more alike than we are different and art and expression are important in all facets of life.