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GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – 07 July 2025 – The Usawa Institute, a grassroots non-profit organization from Zimbabwe, has been named one of the winners of the 2025 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes. The award was presented during the International Telecommunication Union’s WSIS+20 High-Level Event in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Usawa Institute’s flagship initiative, Girls Speak Out, was recognized in the highly competitive Category 16: Action Line C9 – Media, for its outstanding use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to promote sustainable development.
This win underscores the growing global recognition of African-led innovation. Other African projects from Nigeria, South Africa, and Tanzania were also honored among the 2025 Prize Winners, demonstrating the continent’s increasing leadership in using technology for socio-economic progress.
The WSIS Prizes, supported by the United Nations, are among the most competitive global awards for ICT-for-development projects. This year’s contest attracted 360 nominations from over 100 countries. From this pool, 90 projects were named Champions, with only 19 ultimately emerging as WSIS Prize Winners for 2025.
“This award is a huge endorsement for our work and the power of giving girls ICT skills,” said Anoziva Ishe Marindire, Co-Founder and Director of The Usawa Institute. “To have our model recognized by the International Telecommunication Union is a powerful validation of our core belief: empowering girls with education and ICT is one of the most effective strategies for developing our continent. It belongs to the incredible girls in our community who are using the skills they are learning to better their communities.”
Founded in 2016 by three Zimbabwean media professionals—Anoziva Ishe Marindire, Theresa Takafuma, and the late Kelvin Tinashe Mutize—Girls Speak Out has grown from a grassroots training initiative into a dynamic ecosystem that empowers adolescent girls and young women to become leaders and changemakers in their communities.
About the Winning Project: Girls Speak Out
Girls Speak Out directly tackles the digital gender gap by equipping adolescent girls and young women aged 14–24 in Zimbabwe—and more recently in Lesotho—with practical skills and leadership training. Its approach is holistic and community-driven, with key components including:
Digital Skills Training: An after-school program teaches coding, mobile journalism, graphic design, and social media advocacy.
Leadership and Advocacy: Participants learn to connect local issues to global frameworks like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and lead both online and offline advocacy campaigns.
Mentorship and Safe Spaces: Through Solidarity-Equality Circles and the Lentsoe Mentorship Program, girls form peer-support networks across Zimbabwe and Lesotho.
Climate Action and Girls’ Education: Partnering with local and regional organizations, the program now integrates climate literacy to empower girls as leaders in climate resilience.
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Information, Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, Hon. Tatenda Mavetera, applauded the achievement:
“This recognition is not merely an accolade. It is a testament to the tireless dedication of Usawa in bridging digital divides and turning the ideals of WSIS into tangible realities for Zimbabwe.”
Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the ITU, also reflected on the significance of WSIS’s two-decade journey:
“Twenty years ago, only 1 billion people, just 16% of the world’s population, were online. Today, that number has soared to 68%. This remarkable progress reflects the enduring vision of WSIS: an open, inclusive information society that drives digital development for all.”
As the WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025 continues in Geneva until July 11th, the award highlights not just The Usawa Institute’s achievement but Africa’s growing role in shaping the future of global digital cooperation.
About The Usawa Institute
Founded to promote gender equality and empower African girls and women through education, advocacy, and research, The Usawa Institute operates at the intersection of technology, gender, and social justice. Its programs deliver information, tools, and skills to improve the socioeconomic status of girls and women and foster community-led development.
Website: https://theusawainstitute.org/
About the Founders
Anoziva Ishe Marindire: Co-Founder & Director; Zimbabwean journalist, communications strategist, and gender equality advocate.
Theresa Takafuma: Co-Founder; award-winning journalist and multimedia storyteller.
Kelvin Tinashe Mutize (1989–2023): Co-Founder; youth leader, photographer, and digital brand manager known for championing girls’ education, digital inclusion, and psychosocial support for adolescents living with HIV across Africa.
