Wanjiru Kihoro

Kenyan feminist economist and political activist who revolutionized grassroots women's empowerment

Wanjiru Kihoro (1953-2006) stands as an unsung hero in Africa's gender equality movement. As founder of the Center for Rights Education and Awareness, she pioneered legal reforms protecting Kenyan women from domestic violence and property disinheritance.

Her revolutionary 1992 Women's Leadership Training Program equipped marginalized women with political negotiation skills. Through

• Community theater workshops exposing systemic oppression
• Microfinance cooperatives challenging patriarchal economic structures
• Underground networks protecting victims of honor crimes

Imprisoned twice by the Moi regime, she continued organizing via coded letters smuggled in Bible pages. Her 2001 UN speech redefined gender mainstreaming in post-colonial contexts.