NGO CSW Geneva President and World YWCA General Secretary, Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda was awarded the International Minerva Award on November 27 2012 in Roma, Italy.
Established in 1983 by Anna Maria Mammoliti, President of Il Club delle Donne, the Minerva award is given annually to remarkable women working in the fields of entrepreneurship and management, scientific research, arts, literature and social commitment. Nyaradzayi received the award under the category “Women in the world” in recognition of her more than 20 years of work and commitment for the civil and human rights of women.
“I dedicate this award to the millions of invisible heroines who are changing lives and changing communities as well as to my YWCA family”, said Nyaradzayi during the ceremony. “It is our roots that define our being. It is possible for rural girls, with experiences just like mine, growing up in poverty and in war, to have opportunities in life. This is only possible if our governments, and all of you, dare to give priority to peace, development and human rights”.