By Everson Luhanga
- KFC Africa honoured 55 women on 3 March 2026 who fight gender-based violence and keep girls in school across Africa.
- Lesego Chombo from Botswana became the country’s youngest cabinet minister at 26 and now leads a Gender Based Violence Bill.
KFC Africa honoured 55 women from across the continent on 3 March 2026 to mark International Women’s Day, which falls on 8 March. The theme this year is Give to Gain.
The women are working in villages, townships and cities, fighting gender-based violence (GBV), keeping girls in school, training young people and reducing maternal deaths.
One of those honoured is Lesego Chombo from Botswana. She was crowned Miss Botswana in 2022 and started a foundation to support young people and their parents in rural areas. When her term as Miss World Africa ended in November 2024, she became Botswana’s youngest cabinet minister at 26.
She now serves as Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs and is leading work on a Gender Based Violence Bill focused on protection, care and prevention.
In Côte d’Ivoire, Raïssa Banhoro created Lucie, the country’s first mobile literacy app with local language voice support. She also launched free digital training for unemployed youth, achieving a 100% employment rate for graduates.
In Kenya, Nice Leng’ete worked with Amref Health Africa to persuade Maasai elders in 2014 to abandon female genital mutilation (FGM). She has helped more than 21,000 girls avoid the practice and stay in school.
In Madagascar, Dr Germaine Retofa built a maternal healthcare system in one of the country’s poorest regions, ensuring a woman’s income or location does not decide if she lives or dies.
Akhona Qengqe, General Manager of KFC Africa, said these were stories about women who give “access, opportunity and hope where it was limited.”
KFC’s Add Hope programme provides more than 30-million meals to vulnerable children each year.
The World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report 2025 projects that gender parity in sub-Saharan Africa is 107 years away.
Pictured above: Lesego Chombo is among 55 women honoured by KFC Africa for their work across the continent.
Image source: Supplied
