Ndiyafhi Zaheeda Munyai
Health and Safety/Women in Uniform
Nominee's Province:
Limpopo
Project Name/Description:
Founder and Director, Empire 101
Zaheeda is armed with a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of Venda, a paralegal certificate from Tshisimani Activist College. Her organisation is focused on human rights and aims to revive the rights of the vulnerable and marginalised communities in the LGBTIQ community. This is done through the provision of inclusive services, community engagements, and awareness campaigns to debunk the myth of menstruation and misconceptions based on sexual orientation, while creating a world where anyone can be anything, free from period poverty, and everyone is treated with dignity regardless of their sex, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Zaheeda has over the years, been passionate about human rights and seeking tangible solutions to the plight of the LGBTIQ communities through consistent engagements with relevant departments to ensure non-discriminatory services in public and private institutions and access to the legal framework and the judicial system. She gained international recognition and became part of an international human rights project held in Washington, DC, together with thirteen representatives from other African countries. The project aimed to address advocacy efforts to influence national legislation and policy-making strategies to develop improved and inclusive legislative protections. Zaheeda continues to advocate for the marginalised communities through court monitoring, distribution of sanitary products to the lesbian community and transgender persons who cannot afford sanitary products.
