Marie-Consolée Mukangendo (Rwanda, Spain)
Born in Rwanda, Kigali, she understood quite early that multilateral structures are key for a better world.
After having studied political science and international relations at universities in Buenos Aires, Rome and Barcelona, she married a Spanish Catalan and started working in the humanitarian field promoting human rights and combatting gender-based violence in all its forms.
She has committed herself to the cause of the most vulnerable segment of the population, children and women, to overcome the trauma of genocide in her country Rwanda, emerging from depths of despair to become the glowing motivational force she is to many people around her including her own family.
With over 20 years of experience providing strategic, intellectual, and operational leadership for social equity she has inspired many girls across Africa, Europe, Asia and Latin America to support their community and their surrounding environment.
Her moto has been to never give up, to study hard and set clear goals in life to find the right purpose.
She has set an example of how adopting a right cause can be fulfilling and enriching when you persevere in pursuing your dream.
With her leadership experience she has been mentoring and inspiring a new generation of young girls and women to become the next generation of leaders, to get an education and conquer the world no matter the challenges.
She is as well the author of numerous publications, among others she published on children born of genocidal rape https://charlicarpenter.net/childrenbornofwar/Mukangendo%20Working%20Paper.pdf and contributed other studies on female genital mutilation, child poverty in rich countries, trafficking in human beings, children involved in prostitution and pornography, child beggars, child marriage.
She receives this award for her determination and success to overcome the trauma of a genocide in her country of origin by focusing the most vulnerable segment of our societies, for her leadership to inspire others and for having influenced with empathy and passion the lives of many women and girls within her community and beyond.
Following the hand-over of the award, Marie-Consolée Mukangendo addressed the public with the following words:
It is my honour and great pleasure to join this exemplary group of women leaders today.
Thank you to the organisers for putting a spotlight on the power of women’s leadership through this inspiring recognition. Indeed, at a very early stage I have learnt to fight for my rights and that of the most vulnerable working hard to inspire, to overcome and to reach a dream.
I’m a woman, a wife, a mother, a sister and a daughter.
Being ALL of that comes at a high price especially when you are born in Africa, in Rwanda, and growing up overcoming every day the trauma of genocide.
That however did not stop me from
- believing,
- pursuing, and
- overcoming
my fears and never looking back to the setbacks!
On the contrary. It fuelled me to continue my journey as a humanitarian practitioner for over 20 years while inspiring others placing gender equality at the forefront as a matter of human right.
Promoting gender equality and women empowerment is a shared commitment by all of us!
We must stick to the values of humanity and gender equality and uphold them every day no matter the cost!
I wish to dedicate this recognition to all the little girls, women and mothers that have a dream.
Don’t ever give up.
To my own family in particular my mother, my role model, thank you for always inspiring me to never give up.
To my sister’s friends from around the world thank you for holding me up at any time.
And lastly to my husband for edifying my journey as a strong promoter of women empowerment>
To my two daughters for looking up to me and allowing me to do it again and again.
It is possible, I did it. I’m still doing it.
Thank you.