Flora Terah

Award Nomination:

Authors

Company:

Wanawake Violence Prevention Team

Position:

Founder

Website:

LinkedIn:

Biography:

Flora Terah is an International women's rights advocate who was one of approximately 200 women that ran for Parliament in the Kenyan elections in 2007. She was one of several women who were abducted, tortured and abused because they dared to run for public office in Kenya. Hospitalized for weeks and unable to canvass properly, lost her bid for election. Worse was still to come for Terah: in March 2008 her only child, a 19-year-old footballer, was murdered in Nairobi. Terah’s case is one of several case studies highlighted in Amnesty International’s 2008 report on the state of world’s human rights, released on May 28 2008. Now, more than ever, Ms. Terah is committed to mobilizing an end to gender-based violence, and to this end. Ms Terah is Founder a Kenyan based NGO called "Terah against Terror .A civil society organization that campaigns on behalf of victims of gender based violence based and peacebuilding in Nairobi.

 Ms Terah was Director of Community Hope Initiative an organization that focused Reproductive health issues for Women for 10 years in Nairobi. She developed partnerships with and coordinated the activities of other women’s organizations in Nairobi including United Nations Fund For Women (UNIFEM) Gender and Governance Program among others.

She as worked for the Stephen Lewis Foundation in Canada as a Consultant for 9 months, she brought her expertise to the Foundation that supports community based organizations that are working to turn tide of AIDS in Africa.

 Ms Terah as been keynote speaker many events organized by Amnesty International, Canadian Lawyers Abroad, Canadian International Council, Jeanne Sauvé Foundation in Montréal, Carleton University Women’s Studies, McGill university, York University and Ontario Institute of Studies and Education, High schools around Canada and Equitas Montreal.  Ms. Terah as addressed meeting attended by world’s most influential leaders like the late Prof Wangari Maathai, David Suzuki, the Right Honorable Paul Martin, and President Bill Clinton, and the former Governor General Michaelle Jean respectively. Apart from a message of Hope other topics Ms Terah addresses passionately are Gender Based Violence, Peace building and approaching violence in an none violent way, Women’s Political Participation, HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health Cancer, Women’s Courage and Resilience.

She is the receipent of 2012 YMCA International Peace Award.

Flora was among the top 75 finalists in the 2013 RBC TOP 25 Canadian Immigrants Awards.

She also is a nominee of 2015 Voices of Courage by the Refugee Commission Board.

 She is a published author of “They Never Killed My Spirit:  But They Murdered My Only Child” her autobiography and her next book” Life Beyond the Pain” a story of triumph over pain published in 2015.