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An Invitation to Allyship: How to Support Those Seeking Social Equity
Realizing that social change happens when those in power align with those seeking equity, ELIZABETH NYAMAYARO invites us to be critical allies in the movement for social justice and equality. She founded HeForShe, the United Nations global solidarity movement for gender equality, based on a simple idea: that what we share is much more powerful than what divides us. In this talk, Nyamayaro uses this truth to inspire and teach us how we can be allies to those seeking justice.
Engaging Communities for Change
ELIZABETH NYAMAYARO is a social change-maker. She knows how to create a movement toward lasting change, and how to enact the difficult work of changing mindsets, finding and supporting allies, and keeping the movement filled with optimism. Born in Zimbabwe, Elizabeth has worked at the forefront of global development for over two decades improving the lives of underserved populations and has held leadership roles at the World Bank, World Health Organization, UNAIDS, and UN Women, and is a former United Nations Senior Advisor on Gender Equality. She is the founder of HeForShe, the United Nations global solidarity movement for gender equality, in which she invites men to join in allyship with women in the movement for gender equality. She is also the founder of AfricaYouth.org, Africa's largest youth movement to tackle some of the continent's challenges with the power and enthusiasm of its own next generation.
Ubuntu: Africa's Greatest Gift to the World
Ubuntu is the African philosophy that what unites us is greater than what separates us. ELIZABETH NYAMAYARO explains how Ubuntu is not a simple platitiude, but instead a radical philosophy that can be used in the most contentious circumstances, from international diplomacy to social justice movements. Ubuntu is Africa's greatest gift to the world and a global call for solidarity and unity in an ever divided and divisive world.
Be True to Yourself: Your Story Matters
Speaking directly to the often-marginalized communities, ELIZABETH NYAMAYARO reminds us that where you are born, and your current circumstance should not determine your destiny nor limit your dreams. No matter how crazy your dreams may seem, they are valid and worthy of pursing.
She shares how she questioned everything about herself when she was growing up; was her skin too dark, her hair too curly, her accent too thick, her dreams too ambitious. She came to realize that the qualities that were once a source of insecurity are in fact some of her greatest strengths. In this talk she uses her story to inspire each of us to embrace our own story, always remembering that despite any of our insecurities that being your true self is enough.
Women Making History: Former UN Advisor Elizabeth Nyamayaro – Founder of HeForShe – joins the London School of Economics Inclusion Initiative
Award-winning humanitarian and author ELIZABETH NYAMAYARO has joined the Advisory Board of The Inclusion Initiative (TTI) at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Holding a Masters of Science from LSE, Nyamayaro returns to her alma mater as a foremost expert on social equity, drawing on her experience as a former United Nations Senior Advisor on gender equality and founder of HeForShe – a global solidarity movement for gender equity. Her long career advocating for women’s rights makes her a vital voice for any Women’s History Month programming.
Elizabeth Nyamayaro’s voice is highly sought after among both the private and public sectors in conversations about gender equity. She has advised Fortune 500 companies on DEI and served in leadership roles at the World Bank, WHO, and the UN. For creating the viral UN HeForShe social media campaign, Nyamayaro has earned the PR Council Trailblazer Award for Social Impact and the Feminist Majority Foundation’s Global Women’s Rights Award.
Elizabeth Nyamayaro, a powerful voice in the global equity space, is the perfect fit to help lead TTI towards its goal of fostering inclusive leaders and workplaces. Upon joining the TTI Advisory Board, she said, “it is my firm belief that building a truly inclusive workplace isn’t just a moral imperative but a strategic advantage that fuels innovation, collaboration, and business growth. I have witnessed firsthand the meaningful impact that embracing DEI can have not only for achieving business success but also towards positively impacting society at large.”
Elizabeth Nyamayaro speaks on creating a social movement live at NASA >>
Elizabeth Nyamayaro brings the theme of Ubuntu to life in empowering keynotes, consistently receiving rave reviews
When global activist ELIZABETH NYAMAYARO takes the stage, she radiates hope and makes a lasting impact on her audience. The author of I Am A Girl From Africa uses the power of storytelling to share how she grew up in Zimbabwe during a devastating drought and the lessons she learned that would guide the rest of her life. Now one of the most respected champions of our shared humanity, Nyamayaro has held influential positions at the UN, WHO, World Bank, and in corporate America. In powerful keynotes, she shares a stunning message – the African theme of Ubuntu, which means “I am because we are” – illuminating how we are all deeply connected as human beings, no matter who we are.
At global forums such as World Economic Forum in Davos, Cannes Film Festival, Skoll World Forum, Harvard, Oxford, the British Parliament, among others, Nyamayaro consistently receives glowing praise, such as:
Watch Elizabeth Nyamayaro at World Denver’s IWD event >>
Watch Elizabeth Nyamayaro on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah >>
Elizabeth Nyamayaro's 'I Am a Girl From Africa' is the inspiring journey of a girl whose near-death experience sparked a dream that changed the world
When severe draught hit her village in Zimbabwe, ELIZABETH NYAMAYARO, then eight years old, had no idea that this moment of utter devastation would come to define her life purpose. Unable to move from hunger, she encountered a United Nations aid worker who gave her a bowl of warm porridge and saved her life. This transformative moment inspired Elizabeth to become a humanitarian, and she vowed to dedicate her life to giving back to her community, her continent, and the world. Grounded by the African concept of ubuntu — “I am because we are” — I Am a Girl from Africa charts Elizabeth’s quest in pursuit of her dream from the small village of Goromonzi to Harare, London, New York, and beyond, where she eventually became a Senior Advisor at the United Nations and launched HeForShe, one of the world’s largest global solidarity movements for gender equality. For over two decades, Elizabeth has been instrumental in creating change in communities all around the world; uplifting the lives of others, just as her life was once uplifted. The memoir brings to vivid life one extraordinary woman’s story of persevering through incredible odds and finding her true calling—while delivering an important message of hope and empowerment in a time when we need it most.
The book quickly gained media attention and lots of buzz, The New York Times gave it a glowing review, calling it "adamantly committed to inspiration, and in that, the memoir is victorious," Nyamayaro was featured on Good Morning America, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and in People, Oprah Daily, Harper's Bazaar, in conversation with Anne Hathaway for Marie Claire, a Q&A on Instagram with Kate Bosworth, a Q&A on Instagram with Gillian Tett, an episode of Porter's Incredible Women podcast, and more. The book has made quite a few lists, including TIME's 15 New Books to Read in April, Good Morning America's "Escape into 34 Books This April," Marie Claire's "25 Great 2021 Memoirs to Pre-Order Now," Bustle's "41 Best New Books to Read This April," Town & Country's "The Best Books to Read This April," and more.
Agent of change Elizabeth Nyamayaro tells her story to inspire solidarity among the human collective
ELIZABETH NYAMAYARO is one of the most powerful international social voices, and in her speeches she shares how she moved from near starvation in her native Zimbabwe to influential positions for change at the UN, WHO, World Bank and corporate America. From her TED Talk to virtual events around the globe, Elizabeth's electric message is unequivocally clear: all humans deserve dignity, equality, opportunity and security. What is different about Elizabeth's message however, is that she challenges us to advocate for ourselves, and also challenges us to stand up for others. Not with platitudes, but with action grounded in the African philosophy of Ubuntu.
Elizabeth is former United Nations Senior Advisor on Gender Equality and the Global Head of the HeForShe movement, and AfricaYouth.org. A strong advocate for women rights and economic empowerment, Elizabeth has worked at the forefront of the global development agenda for more than two decades in both public and private sectors, and previously held positions with UNAIDS, World Health Organization, the World Bank, Merck and UN Women. A Zimbabwe national and Political Scientist by training, Elizabeth holds a Masters of Science in Politics from the London School of Economics & Political Science, and leadership education from the Harvard Business School.
In addition to her countless speeches at global conferences for women's empowerment, she has also spoken to corporations such as Barclays and HSBC; universities in Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, New York, Hong Kong, and more; major trade associations such as the Human Resources Professionals Association. She has been profiled everywhere from the New York Times to Fortune to Fast Company. Elizabeth is a an electrifying force, leaving the audience inspired and hopeful.
Elizabeth Nyamayaro is an award-winning humanitarian, author, and former United Nations Senior Advisor on gender equality. Born in Zimbabwe, Elizabeth has worked at the forefront of global development for over two decades improving the lives of underserved populations and has been instrumental in fighting global inequalities, advancing social justice, and challenging the status quo to accelerate women’s rights around the world – through her leadership roles at the World Bank, World Health Organization, UNAIDS, UN Women and the United Nations World Food Programme.
Elizabeth is the mastermind behind HeForShe, a United Nations global solidarity movement for gender equality that took the world by storm, generating more than 1.2 BILLION conversations on social media and galvanizing men in every single country in the world in just five days. With her TED Talk garnering more than 1 MILLION views in its first weeks alone, Elizabeth is a prominent thought-leader and has engaged at global forums such as World Economic Forum in Davos, Cannes Film Festival, Skoll World Forum, Harvard, Oxford, the British Parliament, among others.
Named as Apolitico’s 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy 2018 & 2019, Elizabeth has been touted by The New York Times as “one of only two women transforming Davos”, and has been featured in Vogue, Fast Company, Wired, Fortune, Elle, BBC and CNN. She has also served as a Glass Lions jury at Cannes Lions, and has received the PR Council Trailblazer Award for Social Impact and the Feminist Majority Foundation’s Global Women’s Rights Award.
A Political Scientist by training, Elizabeth holds a Masters of Science in Politics from the London School of Economics & Political Science and leadership education from the Harvard Business School. Elizabeth wrote a memoir about her life and experiences, I Am A Girl From Africa.
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