Josephine Kamara
Sierra Leone

Josephine Kamara is a girls’ rights advocate with more than 10 years of experience. She is the advocacy and communications manager at Purposeful, a feminist, African-rooted global hub for girls’ activism. She led Purposeful and its coalition for girls’ education to raise public awareness and influence the government of Sierra Leone to overturn the policy that banned pregnant girls from attending public schools and taking exams. She is currently also a member of the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Taskforce, which is responsible for drafting the policy of radical inclusion in education in Sierra Leone. Josephine is one of the founders of Women of Wonders SL, a young women’s club that promotes girls’ education and well-being, including that of female Ebola orphans. She wants to leave a legacy of cultivating a community of educated girls throughout Africa. On completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, she will continue working to empower girls through life skills and education, strengthen young women’s participation in addressing national development issues, and facilitate the school enrollment process for girls.