Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda

Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda has been the World YWCA General Secretary since 2007. Her leadership of the World YWCA movement extends across 106 countries with a reach of 25 million women and girls. She provides leadership for the YWCA movement's priorities in women's leadership on the topics of sexual and reproductive health and rights, HIV and AIDS, violence against women, peace with justice, and economic empowerment.

She came to lead the World YWCA after over 10 years of experience with the United Nations, where she served as Regional Director for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in Eastern and Horn Africa covering 13 countries. She had previously worked as a human rights officer with UNICEF in Liberia and Zimbabwe, and her work in the past two decades in rights-based work has carried her across the globe as a leader and public speaker.

Gumbonzvanda has a Master’s degree in Private Law with specialisation in Constitutional Property Law from the University of South Africa and completed post-graduate work on conflict resolution at Uppsala University, Sweden. She serves on various Boards of development organisations including Action Aid International and Save the Children UK. She is the founder and chairperson of Rozaria Memorial Trust. She is an active member of women's organisations including the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association