JOYCE MIGUDA MAJIWA
| NAME | JOYCE MAGUDA MAJIWA |
| AGE | N/A |
| GENDER | FEMALE |
| OCCUPATION | ADVOCATE |
Joyce Majiwa is a prominent Kenyan legal expert, Senior Counsel (SC), and human rights advocate with over 35 years of experience in the legal and civil society sectors.
She is widely recognized for her leadership in gender equality and governance in Kenya.
In 2016, Joyce was one of the five candidates shortlisted and interviewed by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) for the position of Deputy Chief Justice of Kenya.
Early Life and Educational Background
She earned her primary law degree, Bachelor of Laws (LLB), from the University of Nairobi, the premier institution for legal education in Kenya.
Joyce Miguda Majiwa holds a master’s degree in Human Rights from the University of Pretoria in South Africa, an institution renowned for its human rights programs across the continent.
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The senior counsel further specialized her expertise with a postgraduate diploma in Gender and Development Studies from the University of Nairobi, which has significantly informed her advocacy for women’s rights.
For her professional certification, she is a graduate of the Kenya School of Law, where she completed the mandatory Advocates Training Programme to be admitted to the bar as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
Her early professional life was deeply embedded in the “second liberation” movements of the 1990s, where she became a founding member of the Institute for Education in Democracy (IED), promoting electoral integrity.
She gained national recognition through her leadership roles at FIDA-Kenya, where she began her lifelong mission to use the law to protect marginalized women and children.
Joyce Majiwa Career Background and Achievements
Miguda was conferred the rank of Senior Counsel, the highest honor for an advocate in Kenya, by President Mwai Kibaki in 2012.
She served as the Vice-Chairperson of the LSK, contributing to the governance of the legal profession.
In 2016, she was one of the five candidates shortlisted and interviewed for the position of Deputy Chief Justice of Kenya.
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As a former Chairperson and Executive Director of the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Kenya, she led significant legal challenges and advocacy for gender parity under the 2010 Constitution.
Legislative Influence- She served as the Lead Consultant for civil society engagement in the passage of the Protection Against Domestic Violence (PADV) Act.
She is a founder member and former Chairperson of the Institute for Education in Democracy (IED), which focuses on electoral integrity.
The lawyer currently serves on the Kenya Board of Ripple Effect, which was formerly known as Send a Cow, and oversees rural development and poverty reduction.
She was nominated to the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) in 2009.
In state honours, she was awarded the Order of the Grand Warrior of Kenya (OGW) for her exemplary service to the legal and public sectors.
Family Background
Joyce Miguda is married to Dr. Phelix Majiwa, whom she has publicly credited for his support and encouragement during her advanced academic pursuits. Details regarding her children are generally kept out of the public spotlight to maintain their privacy.
She is related to Dr. Edith Miguda, a professor in the United States who has authored significant works on gender mainstreaming and reproductive health.
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I like the story on Joyce Majiwa. She is actually my sister, and mentor, not just my relative. Kenya in general and Kenyan women in particular are so much better off because of the work that Senior Counsel Joyce Majiwa has done in so many different fronts, both nationally and globally. Keep up the good work Senior Counsel; and keep up the good work of highlighting these women achievers who are doing so much to improve the trajectories of Kenya and Kenyan women!