Women and AI Panel Discussion
As part of the ongoing Africa AI Week, an initiative under Qhala running from 21st June - 28th June,2025 we're hosting this panel discussion on AI and Ethics: TFGBV offering foundational knowledge on TFGBV for African female communities.
Who should join:
Women Influencers
Women in Leadership
Girls in School
Women Professionals
Where: Virtually
JOIN USING THESE DETAILS:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83240265377?pwd=AE9SJkI6rtfkEB9Q92x3An84teeDYF.1
Meet the Panelists
Amisa Rashid is a distinguished mental health practitioner and neuropsychologist, recognized with multiple prestigious awards. In 2024, she was named one of Kenya’s Top 40 Under 40 Women by Business Daily. She was also recognized among the 100 Most Influential Young Africans in both 2023 and 2021. Coming from the historically marginalized and indigenous Nubian community in Kenya, Amisa is the Founder and Executive Director of Nivishe Foundation, an organization focused on providing culturally sensitive mental health care. Through initiatives such as gendered literacy in local languages, safe communal spaces, AI chatbots, and expert clinical interventions, Nivishe addresses the complex mental health needs of marginalized communities. One of Nivishe's innovative initiatives, AmisaGPT, is an AI chatbot named after Amisa that communicates as a therapist in Swahili and Sheng.
As a neurodiverse leader, Amisa has been at the forefront of ensuring that lived mental health experiences are prioritized in all mental health interventions. She has written extensively on this subject and championed the voices of people with lived experiences, advocating for their inclusion in both formal and informal spaces. As a 2024 Echoing Green Fellow, a 2023 Salzburg Global Seminar Fellow, and a WomenLift Health East African Fellow, Amisa values mental health literacy and played a key role in publishing Nivishe’s first mental health comic book in Africa, aimed at reaching millions of youth and children. She is also committed to localizing mental health care, writing a blog on the decolonization and Africanization of mental health interventions, exploring how mental health care can go beyond the typical Euro-American approaches.
Catherine Otono is a gender specialist with experience in gender-based violence and ending violence against women in digital and offline spaces. She has supported the design and implementation of initiatives that improve online safety, and advance equality in technology. She has previously worked as a gender and human rights specialist, embedding gender perspectives across a range of development programs. She currently serves as a Program Officer at the International Research Exchanges Board (IREX), where she works at the intersection of technology, gender justice, and human rights in Africa. Her work focuses on addressing Technology Facilitated Gender Based Violence (TFGBV) by designing practical, survivor-centered solutions.
Monicah Muhoya is a digital transformation and AI readiness expert, recognized for advancing inclusive technology adoption and capacity-building across Africa. With a multidisciplinary background spanning emerging technologies, gender equity, and policy, she designs and leads multi-country programs that empower youth and women through digital skills, AI literacy, and innovation for employability and green livelihoods. As 3X founder at Sister Speaks Global , Monicah actively bridges the gap between women tech leaders and young professionals by fostering like-minded communities of knowledge-sharing, mentorship, and collaboration.
She is also passionate about breaking down barriers for girls and women through femtech and healthtech innovations; leveraging technology to increase access to menstrual health, education, and economic opportunity through Heels4Pads Foundation – Turning Heels into Hope. Through gender-responsive approaches and hands-on programme design, Monicah is shaping Africa’s next generation of women leaders in STEM and driving responsible, impactful technology solutions for the continent.
Moderator
Dr. Elizabeth Wamicha is a distinguished digital transformation expert, senior researcher, and published Information Systems scholar with over 15 years of cross sectoral experience in the digital economy, social protection, and digital health. She holds a PhD in Management Information Systems from the University of Cape Town, and both Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in IT and Business Information Technology from Strathmore University.
Currently serving as the Lead Content Developer at Qhala, a leading digital innovation firm in Nairobi, Dr. Wamicha oversees scientific communication, ensuring research findings are accurately translated into accessible knowledge for both public and private sector stakeholders. Her leadership bridges research and practice through clear, strategically relevant insights. Previously, as a Senior Consultant at Palladium, she evaluated and supported digital case management and child protection systems across Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe, significantly reducing documentation technical debt and enhancing team productivity. Her work as a Management Information Systems Consultant with the United Nations World Food Programme involved leading the development and assessment of national MIS systems for cash transfers, enhanced registries, and community development initiatives.
Dr. Wamicha's Linkedin Profile
For any inquiries please email us : africa-aiweek@qhala.com