Gyumi receives human rights award

THE Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) has congratulated Rebeca Gyumi for receiving the UN Human Rights Award for 2018 in recognition of her work in advancing the rights of girls.

Gyumi is the founder and director of Msichana Initiative in Tanzania, an organisation dedicated to advancing the rights of girls to education.

“Rebeca has been very active in the fight against child marriage, and took the government to court to challenge marriage laws in Tanzania that allow for child marriage.

“A high court judgment in 2016 struck down the law, with the government being ordered to change the law within a year,” said the SALC.

Gyumi is also a recipient of the Unicef Global Goal Award 2016, and was named Woman of the Year 2016 by New African Woman magazine.