It takes a great mind to take on a social problem at a young age, but our man crush this week was moved to start a campaign against female oppression –and it was a success!
Meet Kennedy Ekezie Joseph, activist, entrepreneur, co-founder and CEO of Africave –a tech company with focus on software engineering. In 2017, he started the Calabar Youth Council for Women’s Rights. This movement was started upon the startling realization that thousands of women within his community were victims of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
In a bid to bring about a revolution, Kennedy started the non-profit organization to create awareness for the rights of Nigerian women for education and advocate against female genital mutilation, gender-based violence, child and forced marriage, and rape.
While his advocacy took on rapidly in his immediate community, it also caught the global eye. He was selected as a 2017 Global Teen Leader by the We Are Family Foundation (WAFF). In 2018, he was presented with the Queen’s Young Leaders Award by the Queen of the United Kingdom.
He has been recognized by President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), the United Nation’s Youth Assembly and has also spoken about his work across dozens of platforms including a TEDx event.
Kennedy is one of several young people changing the narrative about Nigeria and Africa on the international scene –We applaud his hard work and of course, WE STAN!