Candy Margaret Vizengwa

What ignited your pursuit for gender equality?

My pursuit for gender equality was ignited by the community in which I was raised. At a very young age, I had to witness a relative go through domestic violence but could not do anything about it because it is normalised in a majority of households. Even though I was only 12 at that time, I knew that in the future I would want to advocate for gender equality because the mentality that women hold no voice in a patriarchal society is misguided.

Please share your biggest wins as an advocate for gender equality.

When my close friend succumbed to suicide due to depression and stigma because of her sexual orientation as a young teenager, I saw the need to begin a movement that creates a safe space for all. I came up with the 'mindyoursisters' campaign during my time as a peer group leader at the library, which was meant to eliminate hate towards the minority and write stories actively as a way of creatively expressing one's voice and show support. This was geared towards teenagers. Soon afterward in 2018, this became the 'she can' campaign. Alongside my team, we distributed sanitary pads to the less fortunate and gave educational advice and talks on consent and speaking out against abuse. I felt it an achievement to reach a number of girls going through psychological struggles through our organized talks in primary schools while advocating for the visibility of queer persons. This was a big step for me because making the difference a soul at a time matters. Currently my advocacy efforts have expanded to not just teenagers but everyone since matters like gender based violence are not limited to age, gender, sexual orientation or race. My activism focuses on creating a middle ground of safety and growth with everyone being able to be who they are without the bias restrictions in the status quo.

Outside of your gender equality advocacy work, what do you enjoy doing?

I love reading and hoarding good books (I am a literature nerd). As a polyglot, I also love exploring the different cultures and foods as I learn the languages. It is a personal achievement for me to be able to communicate with someone with a different native tongue. Other than that i do alot of poetry, mostly dark poetry, as I believe this is one of the most effective to speak out on the souls darkest secrets, challenge insecurities and build strength and confidence. Alongside literature, I am a debater. My favorite debate topics range from Economics to Feminism to Climate change to Justice systems and the status quo. As a highly opinionated person, I question and drive conversations that attack Injustice while influencing change radically. I am a huge believer in positivity and healthy mindsets, and this influences my choice of clothes, aesthetic, books, beliefs and what i fight for.