Sophia Abdi Noor
Sophia Abdi Noor is a Member of the 10th Parliament of Kenya, a founding member of Womankind Kenya, a civic education and governance initiative. Born to a Somali pastoralist in Northern Kenya, Ms. Noor fights for the rights of the marginalized through gender equality campaigns. She is a Member of Parliament representing Ijara Constituency in Garissa County.
Through her work, Sophia has dedicated her life to fighting for the rights of women in the northern region of Kenya.
Sophia Abdi Noor Education
She was one of the few women in her community to receive a high school degree and attend college to train as a public school teacher. After acquiring a Diploma in Community Development, she began to serve her community through her work with several international organizations, including CARE International, MSF-Spain, Oxfam, UNHCR, Save the Children, World Vision and MIKONO International.
Sophia Abdi Noor pursued her master’s degree in Executive Management and Organizational Development from AAI’s Tranformational Leadership Program (TLP) at the United States International University in Kenya. She credits this program for instilling in her the confidence and experience to pursue a political path to improve Kenya’s underserved communities.
Sophia Abdi Noor
She was the recipient of several awards including: a social justice award from the International Leadership Institute in Minnesota; the International Democracy Fellowship from the Lees Aspen Center for Governance in Washington DC for her work in women’s empowerment and democratization in 1996; and the Father John Kaiser Human Rights Award of the Year in 2007 by the Law Society of Kenya for her exemplary leadership, courage and benevolence. She has attended trainings in Ireland and Greenland on indigenous marginalization at the International Training Center for Indigenous People (ITCIP).
Sophia Abdi Noor Politics
After working for some time, Ms. Noor decided to go to parliament to advance the human rights of women and girls by introducing legislation dealing with issues detrimental to women in the region such as female genital mutilation (FGM), early marriages and wife inheritance. In 1997, Ms. Noor became the first woman from the region to seek political office however her nomination was cancelled due to the cultural and religious arguments used against her as justifications that a woman cannot lead a Muslim community. She then spent several years as Chief Executive Director of a local NGO.
Sophia Abdi Noor Political Positions
Current Political Position
- From 13th February 2013: Coalition Member of Jubilee Alliance
- From 15th January 2013: Member of United Republican Party (URP)
Sophia Abdi Noor Contacts
Address: Parliament Buildings Parliament Rd.
P.O Box 41842 – 00100 Nairobi, Kenya
Telephone: 0721-593716
Web: http://honsophiaabdinoor.org/
Email: sophia.abdi@gmail.com
Sophia Abdi Noor – Video
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