Nyasha Karimakwenda

Nyasha Karimakwenda, Ph.D., is an associate research scientist at the Wellesley Centers for Women, where she examines gender-based violence in various African contexts, mechanisms for mitigating such violence, and best practices for supporting survivors.

She holds over a decade of experience in implementing and leading research and advocacy projects in collaboration with academic, nonprofit, and public sector entities in Africa and the African diaspora. Her interdisciplinary and feminist research has explored manifestations and sociocultural drivers of violence against women in historical and contemporary periods. She also documents the complexities of women’s help-seeking journeys in the aftermath of sexual violence, and institutional responses to gender-based violence.